Dear Friend,

"How good! How pleasant!" - says the psalmist of God's commanded blessing. And his enthusiasm is wholly justified.

Psalm 133 declares heaven is delighted when God's children "dwell together in unity," or spiritual, moral, and attitudinal harmony (v. 1). It then declares "there," or in this condition of harmony, God "commands" His blessing. What does this mean?

The biblical record reveals that "command" means order the immediate, immense, and irreversible release or activation of God's favors, privileges, and rewards. It also describes various forms this commanded blessing takes.

God may command the anointing oil of His Spirit coming in authority and power upon one He is ordaining to, and spiritually equipping for, the ministry, "like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard" (Psalm 133:2).

He may command the "dew" of His Spirit upon His people, individually or corporately, for periodic spiritual refreshment, "like the dew of Hermon ... that descended upon the mountains [and people] of Zion" (Psalm 133:3).

He may command His blessing upon our "storehouses," or supplies of material or financial resources necessary for our lives, works, or ministries. Moses affirmed, "the Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses" (Deuteronomy 28:8).

He may command His blessing upon "all that thou settest thine hand unto," or all our worldly and kingdom works, including our occupations, professions, ministries, projects, missions, messages, and intercessions.

He may command His blessing upon our year, as He blessed Israel's crops extraordinarily every sixth year to enable His people to eat and their land rest in the seventh, or sabbatical, year. "I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year" (Leviticus 25:21).

He may command His blessing upon thoroughly tested, newly released captives, as He did when He ordered a double-portion blessing for Job after his extraordinary, exhaustive, exhausting, and seemingly endless testing finally ended. "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning" (Job 42:12).

And, as the consummation of all His blessings, He may order His blessing upon our very person - spirit, soul, mind, and body. "And He shall bless thee in the land" (Deuteronomy 28:8).

Again, God does not command these blessings randomly. His Word makes it clear that it is our spiritual, moral, and attitudinal harmony that prompts Him, when and how He sovereignly chooses, to order the immediate, immense, and irreversible release or activation of His favors, privileges, and rewards listed above. Then the question of the hour is, how do we get into this harmony God greatly desires and so richly rewards?

First, by facing our discords - the fellow Christians or ministers for whom we have not yet cultivated Christ's mind and affection. When they come around, we become distracted, nervous, and self-conscious. Our words may sound religious enough, but our real thoughts are callous, hyper-critical, and in some cases, downright hostile. Yet they are our fellow Christians, in our congregations, a part of our ministry team, or fellow ministers! Whatever reasons we keep telling ourselves are justification for our ill will, God will not accept them, or us, unless we from our hearts forgive, choose mercy, and choose unity over discord. Why? Jesus desires it, died for it, and prayed for it (John 17:21, 23). And Psalm 133, which His Spirit inspired, describes it as most desirable: "How good! How pleasant!" (v. 1).

Second, we must build our primary harmony with Christ in order to flourish in our secondary harmonies with other Christians who are at times just as flawed, imperfect, or foolish as we are. The closer we draw to Christ, seeking His face, soaking in His Word, refilling with His Spirit, and diligently studying and obeying His Word, the more He fills us with His love. And His love can walk in love toward anyone, that is, maintain a gracious kindness toward them and a patient cooperation with them. And if we still have difficulty living harmoniously with our discordant brothers and sisters, let us remember Jesus' penetrating words to Peter: "Lovest thou Me... feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17). That is, "If you love Me, show it by loving My people" - just as they are.

When God commanded His blessing - the "dew" or rain of heaven - in great profusion in the Upper Room, all present were unified in obedience to Jesus, who had commanded them to "wait" for "power from on high" (Luke 24:49). This is why Luke noted not once but twice that they were in "one accord" (Acts 1:14; 2:1). And let us ponder the fact that they came into this harmony before they received the mighty floodtide of the spiritually bonding Baptism with the Spirit!

So, if they could walk in sweet harmony - all trusting and obeying the same Lord, and patiently loving and cooperating with each other - without the fullness of the Spirit, we can today just as we are, just where we are, with whoever is in our "upper room" (church, fellowship, ministry, mission, ministerial association, etc.). Why?

Only "there," and in no other condition, will our Lord Jesus "command" His blessings as outlined above. There is constant Christian chatter today about a final move of God, another baptism with the Spirit, a latter rain of power from on high, and another visitation of God's glory and compassionate miracles. This will not, it cannot, occur until we are consistently walking in harmony! But when we do, look out! The blessing will not be delayed one day further! It is God, not us, who is waiting. Today He is ready to order the immediate, immense, and irreversible activation of His favors, privileges, and rewards in our lives and churches.

So, ponder your many spiritual and natural needs that are unmet at this moment. Then ponder the rich, sweet, heavenly, and earthly benefits of true harmony with Christ and Christians that await our full commitment to unity: new calls and anointings for ministry; refreshing local, national, and worldwide outpourings of the Spirit; our storehouses restocked with all the provisions needed for God's service; every work of our hands stamped with the distinctive favor and empowerment of God's hand; years distinguished by God's unique and abundant "crown" of blessing; double-portion blessings for doubly-tested believers; and our entire persons, our whole souls and bodies, personally blessed by God. And where does all this blessing lead?

It escorts us straight into the true destiny of every born-again Christian, "Thou shalt be a blessing" to others, wherever you go, all the rest of your days on earth (Genesis 12:2). Wow! "How good! How pleasant! Indeed!"

Living in harmony,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries