How to Turn Off the Blessing Spigot to a Drip
The timing couldn’t have been worse. I had been working in the yard most of the day digging a footer for a wall, and wheel barreling the dirt to another location. I was dirty and sore from head to toe, and looking forward to a soothing shower. Then it happened---nothing---or almost nothing. I turned on the shower and heard drip, drip, drip. Bummer! Would I have to call a plumber?
I was really disappointed. What I expected to happen, didn’t. What I expected to clean me, didn’t. What I expected to comfort me, didn’t. Disappointed. That’s exactly how we feel after God’s blessings diminish to a drip, drip, drip.
Living in Faithful Obedience
As God-fearing believers, we should be living our lives in faithful obedience, resting on God’s promises, the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, and the power of the Holy Spirit, not on our own devices. When we turn God off by telling him we can handle things ourselves, he turns off the blessings. When we allow activities and worries to squeeze God’s influence out of our lives, he squeezes the flow of his favor.
God has his hand on the spigot, controlling the flow.
When we favor someone, we go out of our way to treat that person as special, as someone with whom we want to spend time, as someone in whom we delight. We find great satisfaction in doing things that will bring joy to their life.
Delighting in God's Presence
In the same way, we show God favor when we want to spend time with him and delight in his presence in our lives. We want to honor and glorify him by obediently serving him. God also delights in being the object of our loving favor. He delights in treating each one of us as someone special.
It’s so easy and natural to bathe in God’s blessings, forgetting the source of the favor. You have a successful career, a wonderful family, and an overall perfect life. You think it’s time to give yourself a pat on the back, and take pride in your accomplishments. You might even throw a mandatory “thank you” God’s way.
Using God When You Need Him
In another scenario, your career is going nowhere and you may lose your job. Cracks have developed in your perfect marriage, and your children are rebelling. Worries and anxiety start overwhelming you. You think it’s time to turn to ill-advised ways to relieve your stress. You might even find a minute to take a knee and throw a “help me” God’s way.
In conclusion, whether you fail to appropriately thank God for his favor and blessings, savoring your self-sufficiency, or fail to rely totally on God when his favor and blessings seem to have disappeared or taken a different form, he has his hands on the spigot, ready to reduce his blessings to a drip.
Additional reading:
Listen to God's Words
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Also read: Deuteronomy 28:1-68, Psalm 5:12, Ephesians 2:8-9
In the Words of Others
“Dear God, please don’t let me be too busy to recognize your blessings, or hear your voice.” Germany Kent
“When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.” Joel Osteen
“God doesn’t bless us just to make us happy; he blesses us to make us a blessing.” Warren Wiersbe
Think About It
Was there a time you thought the Lord was showing you his favor by blessings you experienced? If yes, describe why you thought so and your relationship with him at the time.
Conversely, was there a time you thought the Lord was withholding his favor and blessings? If yes, describe why you thought so, and your relationship with him at the time.
In spite of God’s faithfulness, Israel was corrupt and rebellious. See how God withheld his blessings and allowed destruction. Visit Isaiah 1:2, Hosea 1-3, and Ezekiel 4:4-6.
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