BLESSABLE
Genesis 32:22-32 New King James Version
22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
YOU ARE BLESSABLE WHEN YOU ARE IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
2024 || A Year of Blessing
A Year of MORE of His voice, presence, purpose, and authority
A Year in which we would Be Fruitful and Multiply
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED? || BARAK (H1288)
The Four Biblical Uses of the Word Barak:
1. To kneel
Kneeling to invite into deeper relationship
Genesis 15:17-18 New King James Version
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—
Genesis 26:2-6 New King James Version
2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” 6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
Kneeling to speak clearly
Genesis 12:1-2 New King James Version
12 Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
2. To look upon with divine approval/favor
Numbers 6:22-27 Amplified Bible
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you [protect you, sustain you, and guard you];
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you [with favor],
And be gracious to you [surrounding you with lovingkindness];
26 The Lord lift up His countenance (face) upon you [with divine approval],
And give you peace [a tranquil heart and life].’
27 So Aaron and his sons shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
To be accepted by God and thus receive preferential treatment from God
In provision
Genesis 26:12-14 New King James Version
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
In victory
Genesis 14:14-16 New King James Version
14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
In Goodness - interactions full of mercy and grace
Genesis 12:17-20 New King James Version
17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
Genesis 20:3-7 New King James Version
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
3. To praise
God celebrating you before others
To be called good by God - “…and He saw that it was good”
“This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased”
“Good and faithful servant”
Genesis 14:18-20 New King James Version
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him a tithe of all.
Genesis 26:28-29 New King James Version
28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a [a]covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”
4. To salute
To be greeted and acknowledged by God
Used in militaries when recognizing authority
God’s authority is His permission to use His power, resources, relationships, and opportunities to further His purposes
Three Things God’s Blessing is NOT
1. God’s blessing is NOT the removal of hardship, trial, tribulation, persecution, and suffering.
Matthew 5:1-12 New King James Version
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
It IS the promise of His sustaining presence and power THROUGH hardship, trail, tribulation, persecution and suffering
2. God’s Blessing is NOT Unconditional
Matthew 5:1-9 New King James Version
5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
God’s love is unconditional, His blessing is NOT
You can grieve and quench Holy Spirit’s presence and voice in your life
Ephesians 4:30 New King James Version
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 New King James Version
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
You can disobey God and step out from under His favor
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 New King James Version
26 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
You can mishandle and lose the authority/anointing of God
Judges 16:20 New King James Version
20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.
You can steal from God and go from blessed to cursed
Malachi 3:8-10 New King James Version
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
You can curse what God has blessed and invite a curse upon yourself
Genesis 12:2-3 New King James Version
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
3. God’s blessing is NOT instantaneous
Isaiah 30:18 New King James Version
18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
There WILL be seasons and situations where God will bless you, and intentionally wait to for to manifest His blessing in your life
Genesis 21:1 New King James Version
21 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.
GOD’S BLESSING IS THE OUTCOME OF BEING IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM
POSTURED FOR BLESSING IN THE YEAR OF BLESSING
Genesis 32:22-32 New King James Version
22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
You Cannot Take the Blessing, It Must Overtake You!
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 New King James Version
28 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
Jacob’s birth - Genesis 25:23-26, birthright - Genesis 25:29-34, and blessing - Genesis 27
Jacob behavior didn’t disqualify him from the blessing, because he couldn’t have earned it if he tried
Even after stealing the blessing, God still WANTED to bless Jacob
Isaac blessed him a second time - Genesis 28:1-5
God promised him blessing in Bethel - Genesis 28:10-22
You Must WRESTLE with Jesus if You want His Blessing
Wrestle with Jesus as Savior
Wrestle with Jesus as Lord
Wrestle with Jesus as the Bridegroom
God’s blessing is the outcome of being in right relationship with Jesus
Wrestle with Jesus ALONE
Cabin wrestling and bloody knuckles without the women and children
Don’t add other people to your wrestling match
YouTube, Podcasts, Blogs
Your Flesh Must Shrink and Weaken
God has already blessed those of us in Christ
Many never experience it because our flesh is postured against God in
Ephesians 1:3 New King James Version
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Pride
Laziness
Fear
