The path to blessings – Part 2

Having put God first, we should pursue “His righteousness,” so that He will add other blessings to our lives. Our righteousness should be practical, active, personal and behavioural. Many people do not understand the path to God’s blessings. They seek “great things” for themselves but the Bible says, “seek them not”. They fail to understand that God has created them for a purpose.

The Lord wants us to be saved and sanctified, and to surrender our soul, spirit and personality to Him in order to fulfil His purpose for our lives. As believers, we should “Look unto Abraham” whom God “called… alone, and blessed him, and increased him.” We must not emulate Lot in the Bible, who failed to pursue God’s righteousness and eventually lost everything in Sodom and Gomorrah.

There is need to follow the path of repentance, restitution and righteousness before we can have the Lord’s blessings. Righteousness at all times should be our pursuit. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. God wants us to thirst and hunger after righteousness and “seek those things which are above”. We must allow His doctrines on repentance, restitution, righteousness, holiness and sanctification to dwell in us richly.

“But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. As believers, we do not need to be running after material things. All we need to do is to pray, centre our affection on Him alone and make our priority and pursuit, God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. Because Nebuchadnezzar put God first, his kingdom was established “and excellent majesty was added unto [him]”. Hezekiah also got additional fifteen years because he “walked before [Him] in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in [His] sight”.

When we keep God’s commandment, honour and make Him the priority of our life, He adds many good things to us. The woman of Zarephath attended to the needs of the man of God and the Bible affirms that, “she, and he, and her house, did eat many days”.

As a believer, put righteousness above riches, purity before prosperity, and holiness before healing. Be faithful in all that you are called to do. Do not be like Ananias and Sapphira, who lost their lives because of unfaithfulness. When you do what God requires, “all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Further Reading (King James Version): Ezekiel 36:11,25-27,37; Matthew 6:33. Matthew 6:33; 2 Chronicles 1:7,8-12; Luke 12:15-21; Psalm 119:36,37; Ruth 1:15-18; 4:13-18; Proverbs 23:26; Acts 5:29. Matthew 6:33; Zephaniah 2:3; Jeremiah 45:5; Isaiah 51:1,2; Genesis 13:5-15; 20:3-8,14,17,18; Matthew 5:6,20; Colossians 3:1-6,14-16. Matthew 6:33; Daniel 4:34-36; 2 Kings 20:3-6; Proverbs 3:1,2,9,10; 1 Kings 17:11-16; Malachi 3:10-12; Isaiah 58:8-11; Hosea 10:12.