Enlarging the Circle

blessing

Do what you can do enlarge the circle of God’s blessing.

 

Throughout history there has been a pitched battle between believers and unbelievers. Between those who ‘get it’ and those who don’t. And it’s far more complex than a division between those who believe in God and those who don’t.

For even among ‘believers’ there are differences of opinion, doctrine and preferences that pit segment against segment. We view with distrust those with differing viewpoints, and that’s often our kindness response. Left unchecked the distrust becomes angry shouting, isolation and fighting.

We’ve even been known to kill those who oppose our position!

Evangelism, the spreading of the good news of God’s immense love, suffers terribly when we view others as enemies. Those who have yet to believe are not foes, rivals or competitors. They are God-loved people who simply don’t believe.

Our response to them in large part will make the Holy Spirit’s task of revealing Jesus to them more difficult or easy and.

In Psalm 72, written by King Solomon, we find an interesting prayer. It’s a wise ruler’s desire for his rule to bless those in his kingdom. He asks God to endow his leadership with justice and righteousness. He desires to be a defender of the poor … one who crushes bullies and oppressors.

And in verse seventeen he says, “May the king’s name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise.” Being the wisest man who ever lived, he obviously knows his ruling will be over long before the sun stops shining. He is alluding to the time when Messiah will rule.

And in the paraphrase of The Message it reads: “May all godless people enter his circle of blessing and bless the One who blessed them.” Psalm 72:17

Wow! What an attitude. Here’s my cry for the church of the twenty-first century. May we lay down our weapons, our attitude of superiority, our willingness to fight any opinion than our own … and let us pray this incredible prayer of Solomon.

This week pray that the circle of blessing that surrounds you will expand to include those around you. As God reminded Abraham of old, “I am blessing you to be a blessing to others!” I long to see those who as yet don’t believe come to the place where they, too, are blessing the One who wants to bless them.

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