The Ballestero Blog

Give God What He Can Bless!

(Give God What He Likes, Give God What He Can Use.)

The song service had been sort of ‘average’. No one shouted. No one cried. We all just sang the songs and then waited for the prayer requests to be received. This Bible Study night was not going to be remembered for its worship service. I had done my best to lead the worship, but I just didn’t flow with the Spirit like I should.

On the way home, Dad said, “Son, have you ever noticed that God never blesses that last chorus you sang tonight?”

“No Sir,” was all I could say.

“If you lead long service in my church, then you need to be aware of what kind of songs God blesses.

“He doesn’t bless songs about ‘us’, He only blesses songs about ‘Him’. His Name, His Power, His Blood, His Love, His Mercy, His Grace. Sing about Him next time and He will bless it.”

“Thanks Dad.” I mumbled apologetically.

That, my gentle reader, is a lesson I never forgot. My Father was teaching me to give God what He could bless.

1. Cain

Cain never caught on to the concept. God was willing to bless a ‘lamb’ sacrifice. But, since Cain was not a sheepherder, but rather a tiller of the soil, he gave God fresh vegetables.  God couldn’t bless a radish, an onion or a rutabaga. Blood had to be shed. God was only willing to bless a sacrificed lamb.

Because God ignored Cain’s sacrifice, and accepted Abel’s lamb sacrifice, Cain got mad and killed his brother.

Gen. 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Gen. 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Gen. 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

• There are some Sacrifices God can’t bless.
• You will be disappointed when God doesn’t bless your sacrifice.
• He can’t bless that which is against His Word or His Will

Some want the Blessings of God regardless of how they have lived. Blessings never come when you starting thinking outside “God’s Box”.

2. Saul

In a spirit of disobedience and arrogance, Saul kept the spoils of war, spared King Agag and offered up a sacrifice. Samuel pronounced the curse of God upon him.

Saul admitted he had sinned; yet he wanted to be blessed in spite on his disobedience. He never understood that obedience was better than sacrifice. Not learning that lesson cost him his kingdom and the blessings of God.

1Sam. 15:30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

Give God a life that He can bless.

Give him a heart that He can bless.

Give God an attitude He can bless.

If Your Life Is Filled With These, God Can’t Bless It!

• Disobedience
• Bitterness
• Unbelief
• Rebellion
• Unconcern
• Disrespect
• Un-involvement
• Addictions
• Worldliness
• Carnal Lusts
• Sinner Boy Friend or Girl Friend
• Immorality
• Love of the World
• Jealousy
• Hatred

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Our idea of what God will bless, may be different than His.

Samuel – at Jesse’s House. Samuel was willing to anoint Jesse’s older sons to be the next king. God did not like what He saw in their hearts. The lad David was anointed King.

• David’s heart was what God was looking at.
• David had a love for Worship. No one made him praise the Lord.
• David was always quick to repent.
• God can bless that.

Give God What He Can Bless. He will always Bless:

• Submission
• Tenderness
• Obedience
• Faith
• Trust
• Mercy
• Honor
• Sacrifice
• Repentance
• Worship
• Praise
• Brokenness
• Humility
• Modesty
• Holiness
• Willingness
• Hunger
• Prayer Life
• Faithfulness
• Consecration

If you will Humble yourself, pray, seek His face in worship, and quit your sinning, God will hear your prayer, forgive you, and even bless your finances.

2Chr. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

How bad do you want to be blessed?

Jacob told the Angel that wrestled with him: “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

When God blesses, He really blesses. He will bless you like this and more besides, if you just give him a life that can be blessed!

Deut. 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deut. 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deut. 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Deut. 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Deut. 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Deut. 28:6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

Deut. 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Deut. 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deut. 28:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Deut. 28:10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

Deut. 28:11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Deut. 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Deut. 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

You’ll never be blessed living for God ‘Your Way.” God only blesses us when we do things “His Way”! Are you giving God what He can bless?