1 Corinthians 3:5-7 KJV
(5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
(6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
(7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Without God speaking to the heart of man, no increase happens. Increasing the family of God is a blessing, but we are only a participant in the big picture of leading someone to Christ. Without God’s conviction, the sowing one did or the watering of word of God in a person life, the conviction of the need of Christ never comes. Over the years I have watched my nieces and nephews grow up. Yet without a daily allowance of food and love children do not grow well. Blessing of love and food is not enough to increase a child’s development and growth, it takes lessons of life to bring about maturity. Without the fight on the school house lawn, or the general teasing of school mates one never knows the truth of opposition if raise solely in loving environment.

Blessing help a person to be productive, but blessings are gifts from God. To sprinkle with love and hope only comes from the author of hope and love. Without us first knowing what love is one can not understand the hope that comes through faith in Christ Jesus. Hope of heaven can only come through faith in Jesus. That seems more of a law then a blessing, yet the blessing of that hope comes with the realization of the need for Christ and reception of the gift of salvation that can only come from God. Increase then can only come from God, yet we can wrap or dress the package of hope for someone to receive. To dress the package one has to be able to demonstrate how the hope of God is important in one’s life. How the need of a Savior is important to one’s on life. In other words one is a living testimony of the hope of Christ before others understand the need for a Savior. Of course did Abraham see a need of God blessing before he left to go to the promise land. His father was idolater and perhaps the sacrifices that were offered on the ialtar were enough for him to know to follow this God of promise was the direction he wanted to go in. The promise of land if he followed God was enough. The promise of many offspring gave him the hope, he would be a wealthy man. The promise of prosperity, would mean many blessings if he followed the voice of God. Noah followed God’s instruction to receive the blessings of God. Yet Noah and Abraham faced their own trials during the journey. Noah faced a flood and Abraham faced the foreign kings that worship idols, but heard the voice of Abraham‘s God. . Abraham refuse to take money from king because he wanted his wealth to come from God. He wanted it to be known God had made him rich.

Waiting on God to bless will take one relying on the promises of God first. Relying on God’s promises. The first promise a believer relies on is salvation. The blessing that comes from receiving Jesus as Lord, the hope of eternal salvation. Yet hopefully that is a promise that is afar off. The first promise being a continual hope of faith. Yet the second hope is the open doors that come by the walk of faith. These open doors must come from God in a believers life. An open door from the devil is torment. Taking the wrong door does not mean that mud puddles you had to walk through was not of God. Jeremiah stood in the sewer before being rescued. Joseph had to be sold into slavery before being jailed and then given the ring of control of the palace. Just because you are in the mud right now does not mean God’s blessings are not going to flow further down the road. Just plow on through the mud puddles of life knowing that when you come through it you will be clean like Naaman leprosy.

God has a purpose for your trials. God has a purpose for school house rules. God has a reason for you seeing the devil raise his ugly head once more to try and tell you, you do not need the word of God in your life on the day of judgment. You need an advocator who name is Jesus even on the day of judgment. You need a Savior, that will bring you the continual hope of faith, his name is Jesus. The promise of God to the believer from generation past of hope of his coming and us now being on this side of the cross the hope of know Christ will one day return. If you think you do not need this hope you are slowly mistaken. If you think you need not God’s word to realize your name is either written or not written in the book of life you are sadly mistaken. Without God’s word present, the judgment of knowing one is lost without Jesus can not come to pass. The need for every knee to bow and every tongue to confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God can not happen. The knowledge of God’s blessing can not come without the Holy Spirit speaking to the heart, or the oral voice of God speaking to the ears of man, who must decide to listen or not. Jesus will stand at the throne declaring before the Father whether you are one of His or not.

God is the one increasing his kingdom how do you testify for or against God. Are you watering or sowing the things of God or the devil? Are you receiving the blessing of God in the continual walk of faith. Are you relying on the promises God makes to your heart after salvation, to see if they are true and relying on learning that God is giving you the extra needed hope of faith of homeward and heavenward through confession of faith in Christ Jesus. The open doors of God are not only blessings but the reminder of the hope of heaven.

Dear Heavenly Father you have the map of faith for my life. The road I am on is heaven bound by salvation by Christ Jesus that you promised from the beginning of time. Grant us your blessings in life journey, to reflect the hope of heaven. In Jesus precious name, Amen.