Take Time To Bless Your Family
They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.
. . . David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly . . . He also left Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. . . . David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings regularly . . .
Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family. I Chronicles 16:1-43
. . . David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly . . . He also left Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. . . . David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings regularly . . .
Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family. I Chronicles 16:1-43
David led the people of Israel to bring the ark of God to the city of Jerusalem. He set it inside a tent that he had erected and appointed priests and musicians to offer worship and burnt offerings continually before the LORD. After everything had been put in place to ensure that the needs in the "house of God' had been adequately catered for, "David blessed the people in the name of the LORD...he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman...then all the people left each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family."
David did everything he could to take care of the people God had entrusted to him, and to supply whatever was needed for worship in the "temple of God." But, beyond that, David also did something that was crucially important: "David returned home to bless his family." It is rather interesting to note that after all had been said and done, "all the people left each for their own home." I see an important insight which is rather easy to overlook: After all our public responsibilities have been done, the "public" will return home and we will also return to our own homes! The question is: Do we take time to bless our own homes or do we neglect and overlook our own homes? Do we take time to minister to our own families after ministering to others?
It is rather common for us to be heralded outside our homes as doers of good who care for the wellbeing of others and bless others with our gifts of time, talents and treasures. But what about our own homes? Do we take time to bless our own household as David did? Taking time to minister to our own households is a very important spiritual responsibility.
As "priests" of God, God desires that we pronounce blessings upon those entrusted to our care. He specifically said to Moses: "Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.' " "So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." (Num 6: 23-27).
Take time to bless your family. The Scripture makes it clear that life and death is in the power of the tongue. The words you speak over your family have great power to shape their future. Speak life over them by blessing them. There is enough negativity that your family has to fight. Counteract that with blessings from the depths of your heart and watch them reach their God-given destinies!
David did everything he could to take care of the people God had entrusted to him, and to supply whatever was needed for worship in the "temple of God." But, beyond that, David also did something that was crucially important: "David returned home to bless his family." It is rather interesting to note that after all had been said and done, "all the people left each for their own home." I see an important insight which is rather easy to overlook: After all our public responsibilities have been done, the "public" will return home and we will also return to our own homes! The question is: Do we take time to bless our own homes or do we neglect and overlook our own homes? Do we take time to minister to our own families after ministering to others?
It is rather common for us to be heralded outside our homes as doers of good who care for the wellbeing of others and bless others with our gifts of time, talents and treasures. But what about our own homes? Do we take time to bless our own household as David did? Taking time to minister to our own households is a very important spiritual responsibility.
As "priests" of God, God desires that we pronounce blessings upon those entrusted to our care. He specifically said to Moses: "Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.' " "So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." (Num 6: 23-27).
Take time to bless your family. The Scripture makes it clear that life and death is in the power of the tongue. The words you speak over your family have great power to shape their future. Speak life over them by blessing them. There is enough negativity that your family has to fight. Counteract that with blessings from the depths of your heart and watch them reach their God-given destinies!
Prayer: Lord, I speak a blessing over my household today. I ask that you cause your face to shine upon us and bless us with every conceivable blessing in the heavenly realms. Amen.