when israel saw joseph’s sons, he said, “who are these?” joseph said to his father, “they are my sons, whom God has given me here.” and he said, “bring them to me, please, that i may bless them.” now the eyes of israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. so joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. and israel said to joseph, “i never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” then joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. and joseph took them both, ephraim in his right hand toward israel’s left hand, and manasseh in his left hand toward israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. and israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of manasseh, crossing his hands (for manasseh was the firstborn). and he blessed joseph and said,
“the God before whom my fathers abraham and isaac walked,
the God who has been my Shepherd all my life long to this day,
the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers abraham and isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
[genesis 48:8-16]
pass your blessing.
when i look back at my life the way jacob is here, i see countless times of a faithful God showing undeserved grace toward a faithless daughter. he has preserved my life every time i have wandered and has pulled me near every time i have pushed myself away. he has granted salvation, repentance, his presence and his righteousness, an eternal inheritance, the guarantee of the Holy Spirit. my life is filled with the blessings of God! here are a few examples of biblical blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus.
calm stability. deep roots that give us steadfastness as the waves of life wash over us. instead of being knocked down, we drink them up and grow.
blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. he is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
[jeremiah 17:7-8]
the abundant goodness of God. goodness that he works for us in order to show it to the world.
oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! [psalm 31:19]
the abundant grace of God, sufficient for us to obey and serve him.
and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. [2 corinthians 9:8]
humility before God that leads to salvation, and God’s pleasure in the blood of his Son which covers us.
for the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. [psalm 149:4]
this is an amazing moment in jacob’s life, where he is looking at the blessings of a faithful God in his own life, and passing them on to the next generation. have you considered this? do you pass along God’s blessings from your own life onto the lives of those around you? when was the last time you blessed someone! do you pray blessings over your spouse, your room mate or parents, over your children, over others you disciple or who disciple or mentor you?
God’s blessings are endless toward us, his bride. we are not called to hoard them! take some time today to remember the blessings of God in your life. then let him call to mind those who need these same blessings, and take action! and so may we be a people who proclaim daily the goodness of God!
~arwen eastman