“The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a sort of Hall of Fame for the biblical characters who had the greatest faith. . . . There are no surprises there, except one. . . . Old Jacob made the list? The conniving, confused deceiver found a place next to Samson and Moses and David? . . . Is blessing someone on par with the Red Sea parting and Jericho’s walls tumbling? Absolutely.”- Alan Wright
“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.”- Hebrews 11:21 (ESV)
In Chapter 8 (“Why Blessing Works”) of The Power to Bless, Alan Wright notes that three powerful biblical blessings converge when we see blessing in action.
1. The power of faith. In God’s eyes, Pastor Wright underscores, blessing represents one of the most powerful expressions of faith on earth. And blessing always starts with your faith – faith for others to flourish. Hence, the spiritual eyes of faith see future possibilities. Thus, Alan thinks of faith as sanctified imagination.
Therefore, Pastor Wright exhorts, use your imagination to bless someone. What spiritual riches do you see? Above all, do more than just look at the Word of God. Look at all life through the Word of God.
2. The power of words. The apostle James compared the tongue to the rudder steering a massive ship. Consequently, a spoken blessing contains power. Because words steer other people’s lives. However, Alan cautions, the forces of hell want us to call people by the wrong names. Jesus, of course, never mislabeled anyone. He cam to restore our ability to rightly name things.
3. The power of sowing and reaping. Finally, Pastor Wright compares blessing to sowing seed. Every word we speak symbolizes a seed looking for soil in which to germinate. Thus, everything in God’s world depends on this rhythm of sowing and reaping.
So, display intentionality in the seeds you sow. And give those seeds of blessing time to grow. Like seed, blessing takes time to sprout. And never deem your blessing too small to impact a life.
Today’s question: What biblical characters in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame most inspire you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Cursing what God has blessed”
