He Loves to Bless You

“And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold” (Genesis 26:12, ESV).

This was the year of famine, a second famine, in fact. There probably was still dust from the previous famine around, and yet God told the people to sow a new crop.

Isaac obeyed God even when he didn’t think it was going to work; it just did not make much sense to him to plant another crop. He was radically obedient to God, however; and as a result, he reaped a huge harvest of “a hundredfold.”

That is a lot! How many of you would like to see a 20 percent better marriage, 20 percent better behavior from your children, or a 20 percent financial blessing? That would be great, wouldn’t it? What scripture is talking about with Isaac was not 20 percent or even 100 percent; this was a hundredfold, multiplied one hundred times over, and this came in the midst of a famine.

I assure you that God is not worried about the economy of America. He is not worried about what’s going on in your job or in your household. God has all the ability, resources, and power in heaven to be able to meet all your needs according to his riches in glory.

He wants you to know that he has blessed you. That is his heart. Get rid of your concept of a cranky, old-fashioned God up in heaven just waiting for you to make a mistake so he can take stuff away from you. Also, get away from a “Santa Claus” God, one who checks to see if you are naughty or nice and rewards accordingly. God wants to empower you to be obedient because he loves to bless you.

Time and time again, I have seen where God has said, “Do this or that. Trust me in the midst of it.” You might feel like you are in a famine because you are low on resources. You might think your spiritual life is in a desert place, and you may not feel like you have anything to give. You don’t feel adequate to witness to that group or preach to that people, or go to that mission field. When I feel that way but I go ahead and do what God tells me to do, I always receive a blessing. There is always this glorious outpouring of his graciousness.