#BLESSING OF THE OLD GOD FREE#

He establishes a covenant with them (Exod 20вЂ“24), which includes details on the ways he will continue to bless them as they remain obedient to that covenant (Lev 26:1вЂ“13 Deut 28:1вЂ“14). God rescues his people from slavery in Egypt where he has enabled them to grow into a strong nation (Exod 1вЂ“14).

#BLESSING OF THE OLD GOD FREE#

Their lives are not free of trials, but God walks alongside them and supports them through all the trials and challenges of their lives. As the narrative of Genesis unfolds, God provides the patriarchs with children, large flocks and herds, protection from those who try to harm them, and help during times of famine and other hardships (e.g., Gen 20вЂ“21, 29вЂ“30). God blesses people throughout the Bible, starting immediately after creating humankind in Genesis 1:28: 'God blessed them.' In Genesis 12:1вЂ“3, God promises to bless Abraham and bless the whole world through him.

We can find ourselves echoing, 'I wish it need not have happened in my time.' I want to try to shine some light and hope into our current circumstances by focusing on God's blessing: what God's blessing is according to scripture, and what hope it can give to all of us who are struggling amid the current pandemic and the impact it will have on our futures. Amid isolation and uncertainty, the day to day outlook can be pretty bleak. Instead, they are simply trying to make their small corner of the world a better place in whatever struggle they are facing.ДЄs I write, New Zealand is in lockdown and we are facing all manner of challenges as we adapt to these new circumstances and ways of living. The same is true throughout the story of the Bible and the history of the church: the small actions of God's people change the course of history and most don't realise they are doing so at the time. Throughout the narrative of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it is the small actions of insignificant people, like Frodo, that make a huge difference to the outcome. At present, we too are faced with choices on how we respond to the challenges we face resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Gandalf's response keeps echoing around my head. He is faced with a choice of whether or not to undertake the daunting task of destroying the ring. Frodo has just learned about the power of the ring and has to decide what to do about it. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings come up twice in the last couple of weeks and I think it can speak into our current situation. I have had this particular quote from J.R.R.

Blessing of the old god