A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (April 3, 2017)
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3)
God spoke to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 and made a covenant with him. In this covenant God made a proclamation that He would make Abraham a great nation and make the name of Abraham great. God also proclaimed that He would bless Abraham and that through the blessing of Abraham, Abraham himself would be a blessing (v.2). Then God made a statement in this covenant proclamation that has caused nations to rise and fall. He said, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you” (v.3). After this proclamation, Abraham departed from Haran and did as the Lord had commanded. He was 75 years old with a barren wife, but because of the faith of Abraham and the promise of God, this covenant of blessing and cursing has become an eternal covenant. God fulfilled His covenant with Abraham and Sarah and they had a son.
The favor of God came upon the son and grandson of Abraham – Isaac and Jacob. In fact, God spoke to Jacob in Genesis 35:10-12 and said, “‘Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.'” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.”
The Bible tells us that God surveyed the land in an area that we now call the Middle East, and in this place He set borders. All the land within the designated borders He gave to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Proverbs 22:28 says, “Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.” God loves His chosen people and He has a chosen land with predetermined boundaries for them. The people are not to be cursed and the land is not to be divided. Over the centuries, we have seen great empires that have sought to destroy the Jews and divide their land. Each one has fallen. Today, the United States of America is the foremost country that has blessed the people and the land of Israel. Since May 15, 1948, the United States has been Israel’s best friend and during this time, has risen to be the world’s superpower.
The Scripture has been proven true that those who bless Israel will be blessed. This same principle holds true on a personal and individual level. As Christians, we must love what God loves and hate what God hates. God loves Israel and He gave a specific piece of real estate to them. In order for the blessings of God to be manifested in our lives, we must bless the people and stand behind them without wavering and we must take a stand against anything that would cause the land that has been promised to them to be divided or taken away.
The Lord said that He placed before us life and death, and blessing and cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19). Then He asks us to choose what we want. Personally, I like blessing and life better than cursing and death. And according to God’s Word, if I bless Israel, my life will be enhanced and I will live in blessing, but if I curse Israel, the people, or the land, then curses will be in my life.
Choose life!!!
