Receiving Blessings

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV)

Wouldn’t it be interesting to go back in time and observe Abram/Abraham? I would like to be able to watch him and observe his mannerisms. What was it about him that got the Lord’s attention to begin with? We know that he was obedient to the Lord, left his country and family and went where the Lord directed him. Later, he was tested and asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. He made the preparations to do it. When Isaac asked where the lamb for the burnt offering was, Abraham replied “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Gen. 22:8) And truly God did.

“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:15-18, NIV)

That blessing indeed was fulfilled. Through the lineage of Abraham came Jesus and through Jesus came salvation, not just for the Jewish people but for Gentiles as well. This salvation knows no boundaries; it’s for anyone who is willing to accept it. With salvation comes our own blessings, but we must learn how to receive them.

For most of my adult life, I was really bad at receiving blessings. Truly terrible. There had been so many trials to get through and hurdles to climb over that any time something wonderful would happen, instead of being happy, I’d be suspicious instead. Was this wonderful thing just a trick? I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. A life of good things was for other people but not for me. Oh?

Then I came upon a fantastic illustration that changed my life. Imagine two buckets sitting out in the rain. One is sitting the right way, with the opening toward the sky. The other has been turned upside down. Now imagine a torrential downpour falling upon both buckets. After the rain, when you go outside to look at them, which bucket has water in it? Is it the one facing up or the one turned upside down? I was the upside-down bucket. God had been pouring blessings over me and I had shed them off. Instead of receiving them joyfully, I had eyeballed them suspiciously and stepped away, waiting for more bad things. The crazy part was, I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. Are you reading this and just now realizing you’re the upside-down bucket, too? It’s all right if you are because I’ve got some good news: you can flip that bucket!

Look up and not down. Get your mopey eyes off your feet (or your PHONE) and look up to the sky. There’s a beautiful world that God created and we’re all blessed to be in it. Say thank you to God for this beautiful creation. When you watch a beautiful sunrise or sunset, tell God how pretty it was and thank Him that you got to see it. If you have a favorite pet that makes your world a better place, tell God thank You for that animal and tell Him what you like the most about it. Thank Him for a furry companion to keep you company. If you have people in your life that make you happy, thank God for them and remember to tell them that you love them. You do not need to wait for a special occasion to express love. Do it often. Make a habit of it. Lift your arms up in praise, point them to the sky! Get ready to receive the blessings God has for you. A full bucket overflows. You’ll be able to bless others around you if you are pointed toward God. God’s abundance knows no bounds and He’s extremely generous. No need to be stingy if God is blessing you.

Once we learn these simple practices, they begin to come easily. Then a veil lifts and a whole new world opens up. God has been showering blessings on us for ages, and now we can see them! And more good things are on the way.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV)

Going back to Abraham, I can only imagine that he truly knew how to receive a blessing and I’m so thankful that he did. His ability to receive a blessing changed the world, yours and mine, even though we don’t normally think of it that way. The moral of this story: Which way is your bucket turned? If you think it doesn’t matter, remember Abraham. Turn your bucket up, you never know the impact it will have on the world.