"And his servant came near, and spoke unto him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, “Wash and be clean?”  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."                                             2 Kings 5:13-14

 
There are times when we are certain our blessings will emerge from a source we recognize, ignoring those things or people sent in our path, by God, to redirect our focus.  Sometimes it can be a perfect stranger, a circumstance, or an event, which dramatically impacts a major decision.  Our task is to maintain such a strong connection to God, when it shows up, it will be easily discernible from the other things or people in our lives.  

Today's verse, found in 2 Kings, is the fulfillment of a blessing from God, through the Prophet Elisha.  Naaman was a beloved Captain of the Syrian Army whom, although beloved and revered by the King of Syria for his valor, was stricken with the disease leprosy.

It is interesting to note how Naaman learned of the Prophet Elisha's gift of healing others. The short version is, the Syrians battled with Israel, and as the victors, they kept those who were captured in battle as servants.  One of the captives, a young Hebrew girl, was given to Naaman's wife as a servant. One day the maiden told her mistress that she knew of a Prophet in Samaria who could heal Naaman of his leprosy. Hearing this from his wife, Naaman goes to the King of Syria for an introductory letter to the King of Samaria, requesting a meeting with the Prophet Elisha. When he arrives in Samaria, Naaman is instructed by Elisha to dip in the Jordan River seven times to heal himself, but like us, his arrogance and ego almost prevents him from receiving God's blessing. 

Although the healing was miraculous, today let's consider the circumstances that led to the healing—the truly miraculous part.  First, we have to assume Naaman treated all the servants in his household quite well, since, the Hebrew servant girl felt inclined to offer help to her new captor.  Secondly, Naaman's own personal servant had no fear in recommending to his master that he follow Elisha's instructions precisely. And lastly, because of the sincere urgings of his personal servant, Naaman reconsiders his own arrogance and follows Elisha's instructions precisely, submerging himself into the Jordan River exactly seven times.  When he finally emerged after the seventh dip, he was completely healed. 

Today, we may or may not have servants; however, consider this. How do you treat those whom you consider beneath you?  What about those employees on your job who are your subordinates?  What about those you consider less fashionable, less educated, younger, unattractive, or of a lower income group?  Had Naaman not respected or listened to the urgings offered by both his servants, he would not have experienced the healing prepared for him by God. 

How we treat those whom we command, or those who serve us, can be the difference between receiving a blessing or not.  So remember, the most wondrous thing about receiving a blessing from God is, we never know through whom the blessing will manifest.  We simply cannot predict who will be chosen to fulfill God's blessings in our life. Furthermore, we have no idea when, where, or how our blessings will take form.  It is thoroughly uncanny; it can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.  We only need to be prepared for it by faith, and to accept it graciously and with gratitude when it occurs.  L.   

Study Reference: 2 Kings 5:13-14
From: "An Uncommon Blessing." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And ...the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.”                                   Genesis 39:2-5

 
Did you know that by the very nature of being one of God’s chosen that you are blessed?  Not only are you blessed, but everything under your authority is blessed.  It is not only limited to your personal household; it goes wherever you are. The blessing goes with you like an unseen aura that is spiritually visible by all.  It is in your surroundings, job, company, accounts, friends, and yes, even your boss will be blessed simply because you are there.  As you walk in the path of righteousness, under submission to Jesus Christ, your blessing encompasses all you do—your entire existence. 

It is even more important for you to know that your blessing is seen by others. You may not feel it, or even acknowledge it, but it is prevalent all around you.  If you are a physician, your patients and practice will be blessed.  If you are a teacher, your students will be blessed.  If you are an executive, your business will be blessed.  If you are a janitor, the very floors you mop and clean will be blessed simply because you are the one taking care of it.    

You may not like the idea of others around you toggling your blessing; however, it cannot be stopped, it is by nature, the fulfillment of the receipt of the blessing.   It radiates from you to those things that are important to you.  If God has chosen to bless you, then the people or things you put energy towards will also be extraordinarily blessed.

When Potiphar, the Egyptian, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, he was simply purchasing a new slave for his household.  But, everything that Joseph touched became successful. Potiphar noticed that when he placed Joseph in charge of the fields, they began to flourish abundantly. And, when he promoted him to manage the transactions of his household, they too became exceedingly prosperous. By the time he placed Joseph in charge of everything, Potiphar was doing so well, he did not know the extremes of his own wealth.  Imagine, even his wife believed she was more desirable because of Joseph’s attention.  She felt desirable enough to proposition Joseph to her private chambers, in order to tempt him into an illicit affair.  He refused and ran. 

Therein lies the caveat to maintaining your blessing, temptation. Falling prey to temptation is by far a surefire way of corrupting your blessing. We forget that, no matter how hard we appear to be working, or how skilled we are at what we are doing, it is the blessing, and our respect and honor of God fulfilling the blessing, which is creating success.  

Unfortunately, we have a weakness—our ego.  When we begin to acknowledge our ego or ourselves as the architect of our success, it wanes.  Joseph did not fall for the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, because he understood through whom his life was being blessed.  Joseph could have accepted her advances; after all, his master did place him in charge of everything under his household. Keeping Potiphar’s wife happy could have been part of the plan; she probably would have kept the secret.  However, Joseph understood his sin would be against God, and it would corrupt his destiny and God’s blessings in his life.   

What about you?  Are you thanking God for your success; or, are you prone to believe your success comes from your own self?  L. 

Study Reference: Genesis 39:1-23
From: "Blessings Upon You." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and in offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”                              
                                                                                                                                                                                     Malachi 3:8-10


It is the beginning of the year and interestingly enough, I have been reading The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity, by Edwene Gaines.  Ms. Gaines, an ordained Christian minister, wrote the book to encourage 4 core spiritual laws of seeking prosperity from God—having vision, forgiving others, goal setting, and tithing. For those of you who do not understand the concept behind the spiritual law of tithing; modern-day tithing is the relinquishing of the first 10% of all your earnings to the place, institution, or in some cases, the person, you receive your spiritual guidance from. It is a gift of gratitude to God for His overall blessing in your life and finances. It is distinctly different from an offering because, although both are acts of free-will and can be loosely defined as charity, the tithe is a concrete percentage of your income, obligatory only by your faith in God. 

The concept is not new, it is older than the Bible itself, and even those who do not believe in God, offer 10% of their annual income to charity as a way of lowering their tax base. It is a voluntary offering found throughout the Bible, and there are numerous examples of the blessings received, for what is considered by most to be, a mere 10%. However, for those who prefer to belabor the law of tithing, today’s passage is one of the few places in the Bible where God asks believers to “prove” Him. In Malachi, the final book of the Old Testament, God rebukes the priests for corrupting His Word and believers for robbing Him.  However, He offers Christians a perpetual dare to “prove [Him] now,” by tithing 10%, so that He can open the windows of heaven to bless us far beyond our sphere of understanding. Blessings so powerful, the Bible says, “you will not have room enough to receive it!”  Think of it; showers of blessings like rain, just for you! 

It is the beginning of the year; if God has taken the time to tell you that He will bless you with a continuously open hand if you relinquish 10% of your income, shouldn’t you at least try it for 1 year to see how His truth and this spiritual law manifests in your life? L. 

Study Reference: Malachi 3:6-12, Proverbs 3:9-10; Luke 6:38  
From: "Sowing The Seed." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
 

                   
"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”      Matthew 6:24

 
Whom do you serve?  Are you torn between two loves? 
Most people believe the Bible says that money is the route to all evil, or the root of all evil; however, money is not the route to evil or the root of evil; it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. The choice is simple, is God your provider or your money?   

Let’s be honest, money is used to purchase or transact an exchange for the goods and services we need.  In our modern society it is the rate of exchange for a determined value for the work we do.  If we lived in a society that worked only on a barter system, we would use something else. There are societies all over the world where people barter or exchange knowledge, information, talent, skill, etc., for food, room, board, goods or services. However, for most of us, cash money is the exchange currency we use. It allows us the freedom of choice to select, as we wish, those things that we may not otherwise have access to. The issue is, do we recognize that God is our provider and not the money?

I listened to a young woman, a well-known performer, tell an interviewer how she had just finished a nine-day concert tour attended by thousands of fans; yet, upon going back to her hotel room, she felt complete loneliness and an innate longing for someone to care about her, as a human being—not a performer.  During the same interview, in a moment of introspection, she told the interviewer, that the overwhelming thought of how God had blessed her life, had moved her to tears. So much so, she began to ask Him the question, “Why me?”  The depth of honesty in her question was truly emotional, for her and the audience.  It made viewers stop to think about their own blessings.  

A few days prior to this, I listened as she spoke to another interviewer while they traveled via limousine; he asked her about her extraordinary wealth. 

“You have done quite well in marketing your brand. —What about the money?” He asked, smiling.  His fine British accent polishing what would otherwise be a truly tacky question. 

“It’s just money,” she said matter-of-factly. “—It buys things.”   He nodded in agreement, then added, “Yeah,--but it’s good to have it!”   

“I don’t really think about it.” She said, “That’s what it allows you to do, —not to have to think about getting it. There was a time when we didn’t have it.”   She continued. “Yeah, now we don’t have to think about how we are going to pay the bills. That’s what it does; it allows you the freedom to not have to think about it.”  

Don’t get confused about money. Sometimes it is a by-product of something you have done. Sometimes it is a windfall, a spontaneous blessing through no effort on your part. But, it is not your provider; it simply allows you to be able to do whatever it is that God has planned for your life, monetarily.  But, don’t be fooled.  God is the provider, and there are multitudes of things that are accomplished every minute of every day without the originator spending one dime of their own money. If God is your provider, whatever you need in order to accomplish His will, can easily be accomplished whether you have money or not, surpassing your greatest expectations.   

Just remember, you will have to eliminate the confusion of trying to serve two masters.  Make up your mind; is God, Jehovah Jireh—your provider, or is it your money?   L.  

Study Reference: Matthew 6:24, 1 Timothy 6:6-12, 6:17-19,  1 Chronicles 29:11-12
From: "Whom Do You Serve?." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

 “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him”    Psalm 2:12b

Most of us believe in goal-setting; which means, we determine our desired outcome, set the goal, determine the steps we need to take, and systematically begin the necessary process to achieve the goal. It appears simple enough on the surface, yet depending on the goal, there can be both predetermined and unforeseen obstacles in our way. Many of us simply work around the obstacles; we adjust our steps to remain focused, achieving the desired outcome. But for some people, the obstacles become overwhelming. And, because they have been battered by the process so many times, they simply forego any goals out of fear of disappointment. 

When we were children, our determination to accomplish our goals, no matter how far-fetched they were, was clearly without fear.  Even if we feared some aspect of attempting the goal, all we needed was one person to believe it was possible for us to achieve it, and off we would go. Think back to that time. What changed?  It should be easier now that we are adults, with the understanding that we serve a God whose greatest desire is our happiness. Our faith, prayers and trust in God, coupled with action, will accomplish far more than our minds could ever conceive.   

We are privileged to live in a time where innovation is prevalent within our society. It was not that long ago, that so many of the innovations we take for granted today, were not even imagined just twenty years ago. We now have flat-screen TVs, touch screens, ATMs, laser eye surgery, 3-D printing, cell-phones, mp3 players, robots, and tablets, etc. Yet, someone imagined a life with these conveniences, visualized their goal, stayed the course, and now many of these things are an integral part of our daily lives. 

What would make your light shine more brightly? What would you like to do? Bring your invention to life?  Create a product? Go back to school? Take a culinary class? Take a much needed vacation? Teach in a Third-World country? Travel around the world for a year? Learn a new language? Why not take the time to give it some real thought, writing it down as part of your goals for this year. Chances are, your plans synergized with God’s vision for your life, will allow you to do far more in this world than you ever believed possible. Why not prove God in your life and set your faith in action?  L.   

Study Reference: Proverbs 29:18
From: "Visualizing Your Goal." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

                                
“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 swore unto thy fathers to give thee. 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 thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 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. And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”   
                                                                                                                                                                               Deuteronomy 28:11-14

 
A few months ago, we celebrated the birthdays of a few of my friends during our weekly afternoon luncheon. As we closed our day of worship, we held hands forming a circle and spontaneously, each person said a prayer thanking God for our friendship and, His blessings in our lives. It was a very touching experience and I felt truly blessed to be among the group. The night before this event, I was going through my Bible and found the blessing in the passage above. I printed it out on my computer several times with the plans to distribute it after lunch the following day; however, without the knowledge that we were going to pray for each other the next day. After the last person in our group ended their prayer, I remembered to distribute the strip with today’s verse.

The promised blessing found in Deuteronomy 28:2-13, is a blessing for you and your family as you go into the New Year. It is a reminder of the many ways that God has promised to bless you. Many times we reduce God’s blessing to monetary gain, forgetting that, more times than not, we need much more than money could ever buy. Have you ever wondered why you are always the one lending to others? Well the blessing says He will make you a lender, not a borrower!  So, if you lent money to another person who did not have the integrity to repay the loan; let it go. Forget about it. This way, God’s Word in your life is not corrupted by your grumbling. Allow the blessing of being a lender to flourish; more has to come to you. It is part of God’s blessing. The blessing does not stop there; it covers all aspects of your life. Do you wonder why others always call on you first? It’s because you are supposed to be heading, not tailing.  And, why do you keep wondering why you have to be the one to make this or make that; create this or create that; do this or do that? It’s because He promised to bless the works of your hands! The original form was to bless whatever you sowed in the fields or made with your hands.  But today, our fields are considered our careers.  The blessing of your hands has moved from the farm fields to the career fields. 

Try to really understand the full gamut of this blessing; God has not left anything out; He has you fully covered.  There is a caveat to this blessing; you must truly make the decision to allow God full access in your life. You will have to open your heart so that God can direct your paths towards the specific journey, which will fulfill His Word in your life.

Take the time to re-read the passage. Consider printing out the entire verse, and placing it anywhere you believe you will be able to see it, as a gentle reminder of God's promise to you.  And, fully understand that God will always remain faithful to His Word, even in the midst of your most gruesome trials.  Have faith in His Word; His Grace will sustain you. 

May God continue to bless you today and always!  Happy New Year! L.

Study Reference: Deuteronomy 28:1-13