The Dangerous Gift of a Blessing

Blessings are dangerous. I know, that's a very controversial statement, but hear me out. Every blessing carries an overwhelming amount of responsibility. Not only that, but each blessing comes with instructions—instructions we often ignore. And that’s where the danger lies: in our ignorance.

This is where the devil gets one over on us. In Matthew 4:1–11, we see clearly the danger of ignorance; it shows us that the devil also has the power to bless. He has his own bag of blessings. How sure are you that your blessing came from God?

Yes, it feels good when it first comes. The devil knows that. He will give you what you are desperate for—something you believe you need. To the naked eye, it looks good. It seems like a solution. But in your blind spot, behind your back, he is stealing something precious from you. That is why the Bible teaches us to prioritize our spiritual life over the fleshly life. “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). Only through the Spirit of God can we discern what is truly of God and what is of the kingdom of darkness.

The flesh will never give life. It can try—it has tried—it is still trying, and it will continue to try. How many experimental procedures are out there trying to heal terminal illness? How is the divorce rate looking; is it going down or still climbing at an alarming rate? Doctors treat, but it is God who heals. That’s why even today, when someone is healed from cancer, it’s still called a miracle. Because no human being, no human wisdom, no matter how intelligent, has the power to heal such a deadly disease. To us, it’s a disease. But in the spiritual realm, it is a demon. What we’ve done is taken demons and given them names, essentially accepting them as part of our lives.

One of the things we often ignore, or don’t pay enough attention to, as human beings—and especially as Christians—is this: the giver of a blessing is also the maintainer of the blessing. Whether it comes from the kingdom of darkness or from the kingdom of light, the one who gives you the blessing will also be the one who maintains it.

Now, if God blesses you, it is God who maintains that blessing. But here’s the thing—once you receive that blessing, a lot is expected from you. You are not going to just sit back and watch while God does all the work, no. The reason why many of us lose our blessings is because we don’t know how to maintain them. We go into them with the wrong mindset and with the wrong heart, and what should have been our breakthrough, our peace, our joy—ends up turning into pain.

But here's the twister: hardships do not come from God, but God uses them to our own benefit. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28)

The troubles we face—the hardships, betrayals, setbacks, disappointments, and failures—are not meaningless. The world has taught us to see them as bad, but in God’s light, they are tools. God uses them to prepare us, to strengthen us, and to deliver us from the very things that are holding us back.

Look at the prophets of old; they all went through the fire before they could walk in God’s purpose. Look at Moses: given away by his family, hunted as a fugitive, from being a rich prince to a poor man in the wilderness. Look at Joseph: betrayed by his own brothers, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. Look at David: chased by the very king who sat on the throne he was anointed to inherit. And the greatest example of them all—Jesus on the cross. If it wasn’t for the torture, the suffering, and the weight He carried, we wouldn’t be here today enjoying the freedom we have in Him.

So, if what you’re praying for is truly good, then know this: you will need to be ready to be bent into shape for it. You will be tested. You will be shaken. You will be put into a school that not everyone passes. But it’s the only way to carry what God has in store for you, what you are asking for.

Why did that marriage fail? Well, the most prudent question would be: What was it rooted in? Was it rooted in God's word or was it rooted in good looks? Financial stability? Desperation, maybe? God judges the motive, not the action (Proverbs 21:2)

Why did that business fail? Well, maybe you just saw someone succeeding in that field and thought you’d do the same. Desperation for money led you into that business. But where was God’s involvement in that?

Why did you and that longtime friend fight? Why are you at odds? Because that relationship was never rooted in God. It was never rooted in the Word of God. Maybe it started because the two of you were good-looking, or you both drove the same car, or maybe because you were both A students—or whatever it may be. There’s nothing wrong with those kinds of relationships. They only become a problem when God is not involved. At the end of the day, if what you have, if what you’re carrying, if what you’re fighting for is not in line with the Word of God, don’t expect it to last. Don’t make that mistake.

The fact is this: to maintain what comes from God, you need the Word. But as human beings, in this world we live in, in these times, we’ve been taught to focus more on what we have or don’t have. Right now, what you see is what you lack. You’re praying—maybe for marriage, maybe for money, maybe for a car or a job. That’s what you see. What you don’t have.

But when was the last time you took a moment to look at yourself and ask why you don’t have those things? Have you ever asked yourself why what you’re praying for, what you’re so desperate for, hasn’t come?

I’ll give you a hint: the Word of God.

If you had what it takes to maintain what you’re asking for, God would have given it to you a long time ago. But because you don’t have what it takes to sustain it—because if God gave it to you now, it would either destroy you or you would destroy it—He holds back. Not because He’s punishing you, but because He loves you. Because He wants, when you finally receive that blessing, for you to hold on to it forever. "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Because what God gives is permanent.

The key, the most important thing in receiving a blessing, is the Word of God. Not just the knowledge of it, but the heart of it. And when I say “the heart of it,” I mean those who put the Word of God into action, those who live their lives according to His instructions. Those are the ones with the power to receive and hold on to the blessing.

It doesn’t take integrity. It doesn’t take money. It doesn’t take good friends or good family. It doesn't take attending church service regularly. No, it takes more than what human hands are capable of to receive the blessing of God. It takes the Spirit of God, and you can’t buy that. You can’t bargain for it. You can’t fake it. No matter how wise you are, your wisdom will never measure up to the Word of God.

Don’t look at the blessing as something that’s going to solve your problems right now. If the blessing itself is what you think will fix everything, then you’ve got an even bigger problem you need to deal with. It’s not the blessing that solves the problem—it’s what’s behind the blessing that does. That’s why it’s even more important to know who is blessing you.

The devil has his own bag of blessings. And in that bag, he’s got everything you think you need: money, success, marriage, cars, and influence. It’s all there. But when you’re rooted in the Word of God, it becomes easier to tell the difference between what comes from Him and what comes from the enemy. Without that foundation, because of sin, the further we drift from God, the closer we move toward darkness. And the closer we move toward darkness, the more blinded we become to the things of God. That’s when it becomes easy for the kingdom of darkness to manipulate us, to make us think we’re on the right path when we’re not.

Many are crying for blessings, not realizing they’re not in the right position to receive them. Who knows, maybe if you received the very thing you've been praying for, it would actually destroy you. Think about that for a moment. Do you think if you gave a drug addict a million dollars, they’d suddenly check themselves into rehab? Probably not. More likely, they’d buy themselves a lifetime supply of drugs. That’s why the pain, the hardships, the failures, the setbacks, and the betrayals you go through—they’re not meant to kill you. They’re deliverance. God uses those very things to remove the barriers, to break the chains, and to strip away what’s holding you back.

There are demons that fight you daily, demons you can’t even see, and most of them are beyond your control. But God uses challenges, trials, and struggles to deliver you from their grip, to make sure that when the blessing comes, you’re ready to carry it.

Understand this: it was never really you failing. It was always the kingdom of darkness working against you. Your intelligence means nothing to them. Your success, your money, your cars, your family, your friends—they’re powerless against that kingdom. But there is one thing the enemy can never touch: the Spirit of God.

So value deliverance. If you truly want to be blessed, value the process. What you’re asking for, what you’re praying for—it’s coming. But don’t despise the process. Value it. Embrace it. Don’t run from the challenges. Face them head-on. They are your friend.

I pray that God bless His Word in our hearts.

In Jesus name we pray.