BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

In the last few months, I’ve received many blessings. In January, the PNC blessed me by calling me to be the pastor of this church. In February, I surprised my wife Jane by celebrating Valentine’s Day at a bed & breakfast, which blessed us. In March, I was blessed to receive an old Dutch Bible that’s been in my Mom’s family for at least 4 generations. Friends at our previous church blessed us with a wonderful farewell and gift. Now, here in Hugo, I’m blessed with new friends and a church that’s eager to move forward.

In Genesis 12:1-9, God promised to bless Abram by making him and his family (although he and his wife Sarai had no children at that point) into a great nation, and by giving the land of Canaan to his offspring (v. 7). In Genesis 12:3 and 22:18, God says, "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." God promised to bless Abram so that he might be a blessing. God invested in Abram and expected Abram to invest in others. He was blessed to be a blessing to others.

The obvious question for us is: Are we blessing others with the blessings that we’ve received? As your pastor, I’m visiting people, preparing my sermons, helping whenever possible, beginning a Wed. small group and Friendship Team to reach out – to bless others as much as possible. I often ask the Lord to bless others through me, and I hope that together, we will be a blessing to our community!

How about you? You are blessed to be a blessing to others. Are you praying for the Lord to bless others through you? Are you blessing others with the blessings you’ve received?

In Christ’s service,

Pastor Randy