Theme: Secret of Receiving Blessings From God
Message By: Bro. Immanuel P. Kumar
Horeb House Of Worship
# 42, 2nd Cross Road,
New Baiyyappanahalli Extn,
Maruti Sevanagar,
Bangalore, Karnataka. 560038.
India.
Contact # +91 9740390623
God Servant: Bro. Immanuel P. Kumar
SECRET OF RECEIVING BLESSINGS FROM GOD
Gen 32:22-32
This passage
tells about the secret of Jacob receiving blessings from God. Scriptures tells
us through many verses, how we can enjoy the blessings of the Lord; “As
the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:
for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psa. 133:3).
So the Lord commanded His blessings for us. “Now therefore let it please thee
to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for
thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever” (1 Chr. 17:27).
This scripture tell us that if the Lord blesses us, that blessing will be
forever and ever. And in the blessings of the God there will be no sadness or
sorrows added into it. But only when we come together we can enjoy the
blessings of God. Praise God, at least once in a week we have the privilege to
come into the House of God to receive the blessing. More we come together again
and again the more we can enjoy the blessings of the Lord. So coming together
brings the blessings from God, the eternal God. Here we see in the life of
Jacob, the secret of how he received the blessing from God. Not only one side,
God wants us to bless us another side we see satan also wants to bless the
mankind. Scriptures will reveal this to us. “Again, the devil taketh him up
into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them;” (Matt. 4:8). So devil says that, I will give
all things unto thee that means even satan also wants to bless the mankind. But
his blessings will be temporal one and his blessings will bring tears and
sorrows. But when God blesses us it will be forever and he addeth no sorrows in
it. “And
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together:
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said,
What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the
flower of the field:” (Isa. 40:5,6). Even though the condition of the
man is like this, but still God wants to bless us. God who blesses is an Eternal
God; because He is an eternal God his blessings also are eternal. “I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and
which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). “I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Rev.
22:13). He is Alpha and Omega His blessings are Eternal. If I ask how
many of you want blessings, everyone will raise their hands, and say we all
need blessings. No one says that I don’t want blessings from God. Everyone
wants blessings from God. So the very purpose we come together often and often
is to receive blessings from God. So, here we see Jacob also came into such a
place and also received the blessings of the Lord. Right from the young age
Jacob had the desire to receive the blessings from God. But in the beginning we
see that he was the man aspiring with his own deception and strength want to
enjoy the blessings. We know that he received the blessings of the firstborn
son. Also he deceived his father and enjoyed the blessings. Not only that, he
went to his father in law’s house, there also he enjoyed the blessings. He got
two wives, many children, sheet, cattle, servants, wealth, property and many
things he could able to get. So he became a great rich man, and thought that
only these are the real blessings. But soon Jacob realised that these are not
the real blessings. That is why in the passage (Gen 32:22-32) we see that Jacob
is separating himself from all these things. He separated from his wife, his
children, women servants, wealth and all the flock in Verse 32. He was the man
who stood all alone at the boat of eboch. And in order to receive blessings
from God the first principle is that we need to separate ourselves, we need to
lead a separated life. Only when we separate ourselves from the world and the
chores of the world and the things of this world then only we can enjoy the
blessings of God. But the sad thing is that we want both worldly blessings and
the spiritual blessings. God wants to bless us with eternal blessings and this
we can have only when we lead a separated life. Right from the beginning we
see, how God separated good things. In the book of Genesis 1:4 we see that God
separated light from darkness. He separated water above the firmament and below
the firmament. Thirdly He separated the dry land from the water. Then only
earth started yielding fruit. So if you and I want to enjoy the blessings, the
principle is that we need to live a separated life. And we want the Lord Jesus
Christ as well as the things of this world or the gods whom we were serving
earlier and those gods also we want. But if we have that kind of tendencies we
cannot enjoy the eternal blessings from God. Only when we lead a separated life
then only we can able to enjoy blessings from God. Now Jacob here is separating
himself from all these things, God wants to bless him. What is the secret here?
At river Eboch he led a separated life and God blessed him there. Jacob was all
alone and separated from his wife and children. When we separate ourselves from
the world, people and course of this world we can enjoy the blessings of God.
Why we are not receiving blessings from God; because we are not willing to
separate from this world. When Jacob had everything God did not bless him, but
when he separated himself from all those things God started blessing him.
Abraham also separated from Lot, and separated himself from his kith and
kindred, family and parents and others, and then only he was blessed. Apostle
Paul also was blessed, when he separated himself. “Surely you have heard about the
administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you” (Eph. 3:2).
Scriptures says that because Apostle Paul separated himself he could able to
enjoy the blessings from God and mysteries have been revealed unto him. He had
the revelation from God only when he led a separated life. That’s why he could
able to write many epistles and many secret things unto us. Only when we lead a
separated life we can enjoy the blessings of God. Before this Jacob was very
busy with his day to day work. But when he separated himself God started
blessing him. When we separate ourselves and spend time alone with the Lord, God
will bless us.
Secondly, Jacob
depended upon God. “And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the
hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he
wrestled with him” (Gen. 32:25). Because he
became week and then he started depending upon God. So also we need to know our
weaknesses, shortcomings, failures and begin to depend upon the God. Only when
we realize our weaknesses, our foolishness, our unworthiness then only we can
enjoy the blessings from God. All the time we need to depend upon Gods
strength, Gods wisdom and also His prudence. Only when we confess we are
foolish, unlearned foolish and ignorant then only God will start blessing us.
Thirdly,
Jacob says ‘unless thou bless me I will not leave you’. “And he said, Let me go, for the
day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen.
32:26).
Here we see
Jacob is wrestling with God and he had all night prayer on that day. Whole
night wrestling with God speaks about praying with God. Only when we spend
night time in prayer we can enjoy the blessings of God. First time in Jacobs’s
life he had all night prayer, wrestling with God. With tears we see that he
received grace from God. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,
and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jam. 4:17). So knowing that
spending time in the presence of God and if you fail to do it then it is evil
work. Tuesday being church prayer and Thursday Bible study, how many are really
interested to come and listen to Gods word and pray. We are busy, occupied with
so many things only when we separate ourselves and spend time alone with the
Lord and also with the congregation then we can enjoy the blessings of God. And
Jacob wanted blessings from the Lord. Before he received blessings, God asked
him what his name is. “And he said unto him, What is thy name? And
he said, Jacob” (Gen. 32:27). God knows our name but still He is asking
his name. Why God asked his name? Because the same person in previous chapter
we see that when his own father asked him, who are you? He said, I am your
eldest son ‘Esau’, he did not say Jacob. And he denied his name he told a lie.
He did not confess his own name. But now he realized that he is standing before
the Lord, and Lord knows everything and I cannot tell lies and he says his own
name, Jacob. Jacob means the deceiver, and the sup planter. And so only when we confess our real pain,
our shortcomings, failures, our sins then only we can enjoy the blessings of
God. Jacob confesses his own name, and confessed that he is a deceiver. Then
only we can able to enjoy the blessing. We also should confess that we are
children of the devil. During the worship time we saw the verse John 8:44 “You
belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s
desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for
there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he
is a liar and the father of lies” (Joh. 8:44). Not only the children of
devil but the generation of vipers as mentioned in Mat. 3:7 “But when
he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he
said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming
wrath?” (Mat. 3:7). And now we have become the children of God; because
we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour. And Jacob’s name is changed; and
no more called Jacob, but Israel. His name has been changed and his life also has
been changed. He is called as the Prince. We are also called as kings and
priests unto God. We are called as children of God, sons of God. “Therefore,
brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live
according to it. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of
God. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in
his glory” (Rom. 8:12,14,17). So these verses tell us that we are heirs
and joint heirs of God. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God
are the children of God” (1Pet. 2:9). So we have become the children of
God and also the peculiar people, kings and priests made unto God. This is what
Jacob enjoyed on that day the blessings from God. So also when we confess our
real sins we also can enjoy the blessings of God. And his name was changed; our
names also is being changed. And will be called as the children of living God,
sons and daughters unto God. So what a great blessing it is.
Finally
Jacob is asking, what is your name? Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But
he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there” (Gen 32:29).
Jacob has a
desire that he wants to know more about God. We also should have that kind of
desire. What we know is very very little about God. Only when we have desire,
hunger and thirst for God then only we could be able to know Him more and more.
“But
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be
glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Pet. 3:18). We need to grow in the
grace and knowledge and in the statutes of God. Only when we have desire then
only we will grow. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (1 Pet. 4:16). I
will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me” (Psa. 16:7). So when our
life is pleasing unto the Lord, He will make even our enemies to be in peace
with us. Here in this incident we know that Jacob was very troubled, when he
heard that his brother Esau is going to come and meet him. He heard that Esau
is going to come with 400 men. When he heard this news he was troubled very
much, but later on we see that how Esau made peace with him. All these things
because he spent his time alone with the Lord and received blessings from God.
So God wants that you and I to separate ourselves and spend time in the
presence of God confess our true nature unto God and also we can enjoy the
blessings of God. And also we need to have the desire and hunger to know more
about God. If we have these qualities then we are sure we can enjoy the eternal
blessings of God. May the Lord bless this word and help us to enjoy the
blessings from God.
