Blessed to Be a Blessing
Scripture Reading — Genesis 12:1-9
"I will bless you ... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:2-3
When God called Abram to leave his country, he made one of the most beautiful promises ever. God promised to make Abram into a great nation and to bless him to become a blessing to all peoples on earth. That nation was the people of Israel, and the promise was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ. Through his coming all peoples on earth are invited to enjoy the salvation of the one true God.
It was a one-time promise to Abram. But God's covenant of grace made with Abraham has continued through every generation since then. God's promise to bless people to be a blessing is also for his New Testament people, the church of Jesus Christ. God has blessed us with gifted people and almost unlimited resources. In many lands God has blessed us with freedom to worship, and today we can use many forms of sophisticated technology to spread the gospel.
Blessed to be a blessing! That explains why we are privileged to share the good news of Jesus Christ. That explains why we--through our churches and other Christian ministries--can work with others to plant churches, spread the gospel in many countries, publish Christian literature, and minister in mercy in some of the most remote areas on the planet.
Thank God for his grace through every generation!
Father in heaven, we thank you for the way you have blessed us. Help us never to forget that we are blessed to be a blessing. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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