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April 13 Daily Devotional

The Blessing of the Lord

Peter G. Feenstra

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

Bible Reading

Proverbs 10:21–27

Devotional

Does it really matter whether or not we ask the Lord for His blessing? Does praying for God’s blessing guarantee a better-run meeting, a trouble-free marriage, a happier home or better tasting food? Blessing is often thought of in terms of success. If you have a great abundance of material goods you are considered blessed. If you have money, many doors go open to you. Nevertheless, without the LORD’s blessing there is one door which goes closed: the door to Christ.

Our life depends on God's blessing. Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and he adds no sorrow with it.” The last phrase can be translated, “toil adds nothing to it”. Receiving the Lord’s blessing does not depend upon our labours; it is given to us by God’s free and sovereign choice.

At first glance there seems to be a contradiction between verse 4 and verse 22 of Proverbs 10. Verse 4 says, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Verse 22 tells us that only the blessing of the Lord makes rich and toil adds nothing to it. Yet the two line up and they don’t present us with an inconsistency. God blesses and makes us rich by looking after all our needs. He uses human means to give us what we need. The blessing of the Lord is not a magical act which suddenly takes all problems and all emotional strain out of our lives. God’s blessing should not give us a sense of entitlement so that we think we can claim health and wealth.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich because it makes life possible. When believers ask God for His blessing they are not asking for material success but they are praying for the forgiveness of sins, for atonement and reconciliation. Without having the forgiveness of our sins through Christ’s blood, and without the restoration of covenant communion with God, we cannot expect the blessing of the Lord.

Fretting over daily toil and troubles adds nothing to blessings. Therefore, seek the kingdom of God and you will see how the blessing of the Lord makes rich. His blessing adds all things to you so that your daily life is made useful for Christ’s service.

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