The reward of obedience week 39, 2011

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed Gen 12:3(ESV). “My reward shall be plenty, never mind these people who do not know God!” That’s what I used to say. In fact I often compared myself with others in terms of what I have and would feel, “Yes, I deserve this. I have obeyed God more than they have, so I deserve more than they.” So if I do not get material things I feel I have not been rewarded, or if I get what every other person gets I feel unrewarded too. Remember the labourers in the vineyard? When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well. When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner Mat 20:10-11(ISV).You think the blessing is only for you and your family? Not at all. The blessing promised Abraham is that he becomes a focal point to bless others, not that he monopolises the blessings.
Indeed the truly blessed man is he through whom all people get blessed. Consider what Laban said to Jacob: "Listen to me. I've learned from the signs I've seen that the LORD has blessed me because of you." Gen 30:27 (GW). Did not Potiphar get blessed because of Joseph? And from the time when he made him overseer and gave him control of all his property, the blessing of the Lord was with the Egyptian, because of Joseph; the blessing of the Lord was on all he had, in the house and in the field Gen 39:5 (BBE). What’s been happening since you have been in charge?
When you look at the reward of Jesus’ obedience it went beyond Him. While it is true He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death--- his death on the cross. For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name Php 2:8-9(GNB); yet recall Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God Rom 5:19(CEV). The blessing of obedience makes you a giver, an exporter of the same. You become a contact point and cannot hoard it. Jesus himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Act 20:35(ISV).
So how much are people around you being blessed? How about your home? How much profit has your work place since you came? How many souls have come to salvation through your obedience? Or will your own blessing be different? Yet that’s not the fullness of Abraham’s blessing.