Splash Zone
(all scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things. Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the trees bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
Joel 2:21–22 (emphasis added)
Have you ever been near a waterfall? Water pours down and hits a spot, and everything nearby gets wet. Sometimes the spot is a very large area. Other times it is a specific area. Every time, everything nearby gets wet. The Lord is a God of Blessing. He likes to Bless us. He enjoys it. It makes Him happy. The Lord is also a God of growth. Almost everything on our planet starts one size and grows. Look at the universe. Science tells us that it is expanding all the time. God likes growth. When He Blesses, He doesn’t do it with an eyedropper. He isn’t measuring our deeds, our actions, or our anything and giving out in proportion to ourselves. God doesn’t measure Blessing. He opens the floodgates and dumps it on our heads. It gets us, it gets what is around us.
If you’re a believer and you are walking in His Blessing, do not be surprised to notice that your workplace is doing better than it was before. That your neighbourhood is a little nicer or calmer or safer. That the people you commute beside are a little happier. The Blessing of the Lord that rides on us does not ride like a well fitted coat. It is like a sloshing waterfall or a large bucket without a lid. It splashes those around us. It creates a splash zone that can’t be escaped or avoided. They don’t know why it’s happening, but it’s happening. You may not notice. It might be in ways you cannot see. But it’s happening. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the evidence of it.
All of creation was placed under the curse. Everything fell because the authority over everything in creation was given away. As God broke the curse, Jesus took back that authority and by Faith through Grace we have permission to wield it. We’ve always had dominion in relation to our will. But in Jesus we have dominion over us and authority too. But more than just us is involved in that. The command (Genesis 1:28) was to steward the whole earth. In Jesus, that command stands. So when we are blessed? The Lord also Blesses the land around us. The animals around us. By the blood of Jesus the curse is broken. We can walk in the Blessing and those things around us can walk in it. Especially that which belongs to us. And why shouldn’t it? I’m not talking about things doing well because we’re actively praying or doing anything. I’m talking about things doing well because of the Blessing of God falling on it. And falling because we are there. And Jesus is right there with us.
There’s nothing wrong with speaking to the natural and believing for things according to the Word. But notice that the land around us (be it actual land or city real estate) and the animals and nature around us (be it actual pastures or house plants) will tend to do well because the presence of the Lord God creates growth. When we get close to God, when we bring heaven into our homes, things happen. Changes in the atmosphere happen. Get into the Word and have it before your eyes on a daily basis as an instruction (not just a novel to read for entertainment). It will change what you see, what you think, and how you react to the world around you (Proverbs 4:20–24). Make praise a part of your day, every day, and the atmosphere of heaven can get quite thick around you.
There is another aspect to today’s verse. God is a God of restoration. You see, the Israelites had not been following the Lord. Quite the opposite. And despite warning after warning, they would not turn. They had removed themselves from the Blessing. They had bound God’s ability to function around them with their disobedience. Remember, because of Dominion, we have a say in what happens to us. We are either giving permission to God to work in our lives (not work the way we want, but to operate the way He wants) or we are denying Him permission. That’s ridiculous, you say. If that was true none of us would be saved since sinners don’t want God operating around them. Maybe, but there is always someone giving permission for God to move. Read the bible. God seeks out those who will do His will. Who will He send is quite a theme.
So Israel had decided to deny Him. By not choosing life they chose… Yup. Death. God DOES give us a choice (Deuteronomy 30:15–20 & Proverbs 18:21). And death came. “Hear this, you elders, and listen, all you inhabitants of the land! Has this ever happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children, another generation. What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten. Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth” (Joel 1:2–5). The nation was in serious danger. And here was the prophet Joel calling them to repent. All of them. Men, women, and children. Every one and every thing. The Lord God promising that if they did, He would once again be able to Bless them. He would be able to drive off what was brought down on them and restore them.
““Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”” (Joel 2:12). In verse 13 it is revealed that the Lord isn’t after sackcloth, ashes, and torn clothes. He is looking for torn hearts. Brokenness. True repentance. Nothing has changed. He is looking for the same from us today. We are believers in Jesus. And in Jesus we are called to renewal of our selves and denial of our fleshly desires. We are to have our minds on the things of Heaven, not of earth. “Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. You also once walked in those, when you lived in them, but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator” (Colossians 3:5–10).
When we turn to the Lord, He turns to us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We’re called to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). We’re called to walk in the Spirit so that we don’t walk according to the old person we were (Galatians 5:16). But we all miss it. We all mess up. And God promises to renew us. To forgive us when we are truly repentant. To honour our brokenness before Him. Just like He promised the people of Israel so long ago (Joel 2:12–17).
And He did. “Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. Yahweh answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations” (Joel 2:18–19). And the Lord removed the threats to the land. He was able to dramatically work in their lives and restore what they had because they were obedient. The same works for us. What is the principle at work here? First and foremost, serving the Lord your God and putting Him first and above all else (Matthew 22:37–40). Another principle is simply this: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2). Our souls prospering enabling the rest of us to prosper too. The Word is a key part of ‘the rest of us’, by the way. “Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5–8). Depending on your translation, the Word is health to the body, nourishment to bones or health to nerves/marrow to bones, healing to body/strengthening to bones, refreshing drink/medicine, health to the navel/moistening to bones, or healing for your flesh, refreshment for your body. Prosper your soul, prosper your life.
When we lack, the things around us lack. We can’t afford to have nicer things around us. We don’t have money for flowers or treats. We cut back to the basics. And sometimes not even that. Sometimes we decide that we can only afford the absolute bare minimum — or our circumstances decide that for us. It’s so easy to go from prudent financial stewardship and enter a land of poor words. Words that feed a spirit of poverty. Words that feed a fear of lack, loss, or want. When we do not prosper spiritually, we are malnourished spiritually. And that malnourishment spreads until it is financial leprosy preventing us from experiencing ANY blessing because we’re living in a fear of not. Not having, not getting, not able to, not, not, not, not. We’re sinking in the storms because our eyes are off of Jesus. It isn’t even about money-in-the-bank prosperity. This is about true prosperity.
When we’re BLESSED, we PROSPER. When we nourish our spirit, prosperity rises up inside us. Sometimes we simply notice beauty we didn’t see before. Sometimes it’s an ease when looking at the bills and the bank balance — whether the circumstances have changed or not. Sometimes it’s seeing the thankfulness that inhabits our lives. Sometimes it’s a smile on a rainy day. But the Lord does much with little. He is a God who can stretch in amazing ways (think of the feeding of the multitudes, Matthew 15:35–39). Think of the walls of Jericho coming down from a shout of praise (Joshua 6). Think of the widow’s oil and flour (1 Kings 17:16). Think of the water into wine (John 2:1–11). Do you know what a common theme of all those Blessings is? They affected more than one person. Regardless of the target of the Lord, there was NOT a laser beam of Blessing. There was a dump. There was a serious splash zone. The same is true today.
He is a God who takes care of our needs (Matthew 6:27–33). He throws Blessing at us and is thrilled to do it because by Blessing us He is able to bless those around us. The presence of a single obedient believer can change the atmosphere of a stadium crowd. It is almost unbelievable what can happen when you let the Lord be actively present in your life. Test it. Test Him. He isn’t afraid of it (Malachi 3:10–12). When the Lord says something, He’ll back it up. When He makes a promise, He will keep it. Approach the Lord in obedience, with brokenness, with praise and thanksgiving for the Goodness and Mercy of the Lord. Let Him work in your life. Look at the Word. Read the gospels. Read the New Testament. Then read the rest. See the promises that Jesus makes. See the promises the Holy Spirit makes. See the promises the Heavenly Father makes. They will NOT let you down. Ever.
Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Psalm 36:5–7
The shadow of the Lord’s wings are a wonderful place to dwell. There is the shadow of His protection. The closeness of His presence. There is healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). His righteousness spreads everywhere. Everywhere we go and everything we do, we are one step away from His wings. If we are abiding in Him, we never leave the wings in the first place! They are a wonderful promise. They are a wonderful gift. They are a wonderful blessing. Get underneath them today, and never leave them. Never ever, ever. It is the best place to be.
Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:
Today God loves that I ___________________.
