Hang On for The Blessing
A Blessing Is A Mantle
Blessing isn't about gain of material possession or a life of happiness. A blessing is a responsibility; a mantle to carry.
Jacob I loved but Esau I hated. Romans 9:13
Jacob was chosen...yes I believe in election because the scriptures give us abundant evidence of election…but being elected, chosen, called out, doesn't mean automatically blessed in the sense that we think of blessed. Being chosen as Jacob was chosen, is bearing the responsibility of wrestling with God. His name was changed to Israel because he wrestled with God. He was already chosen to carry the lineage of righteous Abraham and Isaac, but he still had to go through this process of giving up his own will and clinging to God. "I won't let go until you bless me" (Gen. 32:26) …this isn't I won't let go until you increase my cattle, guard me from Esau, provide me with gold… no, this was I won't let go until you have broken me and molded me into the vessel you intend for me to be! I know it's going to hurt, I know I'm exhausted and weak, but God I won't let go! until your work in me is complete! That's where we get deceived by this American doctrine of blessing. We don't want to go through the hard things, we don't want more responsibility, we don't want to feel broken, worn down, and uncomfortable. But my friends, that IS the mantle of being chosen!
Being chosen, elected, predestined as a vessel of honor doesn't come without responsibility. If you have the ears to hear the gospel of repentance you henceforth have the responsibility to repent from every evil deed! If you have the ears to hear the gospel of the coming Kingdom you henceforth have the responsibility to disciple after the ways of a kingdom citizen. Jacob was chosen to father the twelve tribes whose names are written on the walls of New Jerusalem. We've probably all heard the lesson of Jacob's name meaning ankle grabber, trickster…and in the Hebrew culture names meant a lot about a person. But this ankle grabber was CHOSEN! He was given ears to hear from the Lord and He wrestled with His messager…for this his name was changed to Israel and Israel is the chosen people of God! When we are called out by God, however it may come, we wrestle with a lifetime of emotions, certain mindsets, sin issues…we wrestle with Him about it and have to decide at that point am I going to hang on until He blesses me, until He molds me, or am I going to let go and just ride it out easy peasy. The blessing comes by hanging on!!
The blessing comes by enduring till the end, by dropping everything to follow Yeshua and discipling after Him, by bearing the responsibility of a kingdom citizen! Remember the old uncle Ben quote from spider man…with great power comes great responsibility…you carry the power of God my dear sister! You are sealed with His holy Spirit for the day of redemption! That comes with great responsibility. That comes with being broken of yourself- your sins, your idols, your worries, your mental blocks. It comes with being broken away from your old life and having your name changed to Israel!
This is what being grafted into the olive tree is about. Look at Romans 11…Not all that were born of Israel, descendants of Jacob, remained Israel…they were not bearing good fruit and were broken off. They were not chosen to bear the mantle and they did not wrestle with God. Natural branches were broken off so you could be grafted in by the righteousness of Messiah. But even that branch that's grafted in has to go through periods of growth so it can bear good fruit…it is given responsibility to bear olives…you being grafted in are given the responsibility to bear fruit of Israel…to bear God's name as manifested by the Holy Spirit sent to dwell within you. You have a responsibility to walk in His ways, obey His commandments, and cling to Him all the days of your life!
Blessing does not come by saying the sinners prayer and showing up for church. Blessing comes by hanging on through the brokenness and changing of your heart. It's not going to be easy walking in His ways in this world hates His ways! And it's not going to come without the enemy trying to tempt your flesh. Revelation 12 tells us plainly Satan makes war with the remnant who keep the commandments and their faith in Yeshua.
This Generation Doesn't Need More, It Needs to Be Broken!
Are we willing to be broken? Are we willing to recognize our sin in light of a Holy God and utterly repent? Are we willing to mourn over the ways we break His heart…are we willing to mourn over the abominations of the world around us? Are we willing to fall on our faces and pray even when we don't know what to say? This is what He desires to bless- a broken and contrite heart. This is the mantle He gives the prophets who fall down before Him and weep in agony over the condition of Israel. The ones who drop everything and cry out, the ones who cling to him and have no strength of their own, are the ones He lifts up, blesses, and places a mantle of prophecy upon! These are those who don't love their own lives but die to self for the sake of the gospel. These are those who are given thrones and authority in His kingdom- to whom much responsibility was given in this life, much is required, and much more will be given in the Kingdom…the responsibility to rule and reign with Messiah for 1K years.
Blessing does not mean a gain of wealth and happiness. Blessing means a gain of responsibility. We all want the rule and reign part, but nobody wants the responsibility part, right. We all want the salvation part but nobody wants the repentance and sanctification part. We all want the blessing part but nobody wants to carry the weight of the mantle that comes with it. We all want Jesus, but nobody wants the yolk and the burden that He calls us to bear. Yeah it's easy, yeah it's light…but it's still there and we have to actually carry it. We have to actually die to self, pick up our stake, and follow Him!
Sister this is exhortation in the utmost. I see you broken, alone, confused, barely hanging on. I am personally witnessing some of you within my personal friends circle crying through this process of dying to self. Hang on!! Hang on sister, He is going to bless you! He is changing your name and placing a great mantle upon you. He will use you as a mighty vessel to prophesy- to speak His word to your families, to train up your children in His ways, to witness to your lukewarm husbands. He is going to use you! But He has to break you first … hang on! Count it as joy because you know the blessing is coming. Count it as hope because you know this responsibility is going to change the course of generations. Count it as worship because in your weakness and brokenness and exhaustion, He is made strong and glorified through you! Hang on, and be blessed!