Have you ever heard these words from your father? Or have you ever spoken them to your children, maybe even grandchildren? If not in either case, yours and their lives have been diminished. Jesus, the very Son of God, heard an audibly spoken message right after his baptism by John the Baptist. And those present heard them also. So, what is a blessing?<\/p>\n
Perhaps the meaning of the word blessing can be most accurately understood when these three etymological meanings\u2014blood consecration, praise, and good fortune\u2014are taken in concert. These all came from the Old Testament as definitions of blessing. God made a promise to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3. \u201cI will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In the New Testament, we see the use of blessing in several ways. One of the richest is Eph. 1.3. \u201c<\/em><\/strong>Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 The relationship of believers to God, our submission to him and his gifts toward us, are described in terms of blessing, and indeed, there is no blessing as meaningful or as permanent as our inheritance in Christ.<\/p>\n \u201cBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you\u201d<\/em><\/strong> 1 Pet. 1.3-4. So, go bless your children and grandchildren, today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A promise Have you ever heard these words from your father? 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