KEY VERSE: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God (…) The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.“ – Revelation 21:2, 24

The spirituality of a nation also affects its development. The Bible says: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12, LSG). The word used for “blessed” here is “Ashre”, linked to “Ashar”, which means “to be blessed,” “to go straight, continue, advance” [i]. To be blessed, therefore, is to move forward, make progress, and develop. Let us take a closer look at the concept of blessing. Another term often used for this in Hebrew is Barak. We first encounter this word in Genesis when God blessed the animals. The Bible says:

“God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.‘” – Genesis 1:22

Notice that the word “blessed” is used in relation to fruitfulness, multiplication, and abundance. All these terms denote growth. Thus, God’s blessing is a force that causes growth.

During its mating season, an animal seems to be driven by an irresistible force that makes it multiply and increase. This is the blessing of the Lord. When God blessed the birds in Genesis, there were only a few—perhaps just two. Today, there are over 50 billion bird species worldwide [ii].

It is the blessing of the Lord that sets in motion an energy that commands growth. Jacob understood the concept of blessing very well. That is why he said to Laban:

“The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?“ – Genesis 30:30

In other words, Jacob was telling Laban, “As soon as I entered your household, I brought with me a force that multiplied everything in your house.“ When a group of people chooses to serve God, they open themselves up to the blessing of God, which is the ultimate force for progress.

Three Powerful Effects of God’s Blessing

God’s blessing triggers three powerful virtues.

1. Increase in Knowledge
   The Bible says:
   “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.“ (Proverbs 3:13, LSG).
   Similarly, Jesus said to His disciples:
   “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.“ (John 13:17, LSG).
   God’s blessing is linked to wisdom and understanding, which translate into scientific advancements. God told Abraham:
   “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.“ (Genesis 12:2, LSG).

Since then, the Abrahamic lineage has produced some of the greatest intellectuals. This lineage gave birth to Solomon, the wisest man in the world; Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of modern times; Niels Bohr, the father of quantum mechanics; Carl Sagan, an expert in extraterrestrial intelligence; Abraham Maslow, a star in psychology; Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis; and Noam Chomsky, the founder of modern linguistics. All these intellectual achievements trace back to Abraham’s blessing.

2. Economic Progress
   The Lord said to Israel:
   “The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none; you will rule over many nations, but none will rule over you.“ (Deuteronomy 15:6).

This means that wherever you go, you will be the financial center, the economic hub. This has been the case for the Jewish people from ancient times to today.

When a nation serves the living God, His blessing covers it, making it prosper economically. At the dawn of the 20th century, when the United States was emerging as a major economic power, a German sociologist, Max Weber, traveled there to study the roots of its prosperity. He concluded that the fundamental cause of America’s wealth was its “Protestant ethic.” He observed that Americans followed certain biblical principles in their daily lives that made them prosperous.

Puritan pastors encouraged their congregations to work hard (2 Thess. 3:10 LSG), to be honest in business (Prov. 11:1 LSG), to exercise self-discipline in all things, including financial matters (Gal. 5:55 LSG), and to invest (Matthew 25:27 LSG). The result was an increase in personal wealth, which in turn led to national prosperity [iii].

3. Political Ascendancy
   God’s blessing not only drives scientific and economic progress but also contributes to a nation’s political rise. The Bible says:

“The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none; you will rule over many nations, but none will rule over you.“ – Deuteronomy 15:6

When the Jewish people lived in obedience to God, they ruled over many nations, especially during King Solomon’s reign. However, when they fell into idolatry, other nations ruled over them.

At its inception, America also developed political power due to the Lord’s blessing. After declaring independence from England in 1776, the United States began to shine. Curious about this phenomenon, Alexis de Tocqueville, a political scientist and foreign affairs minister in Europe, traveled to the United States in 1837 to uncover the source of American success. He wrote:

“America is still the place in the world where Christianity exerts the greatest influence over souls; and nothing better demonstrates how useful and natural it is to man than the fact that the country where it retains great importance is at the same time the most enlightened and the freest.” [iv]

The United States of America rose to the top because it was blessed by God, and its blessing was rooted in its obedience to Him. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case today. Nevertheless, the principles remain true! If you seek the Lord and apply His principles in your life, He will bless the work of your hands.

PRAYER

Lord, every day of my life, I vow to seek You and live according to Your principles. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

APPLICATION

Those who connect to the source and remain faithful receive abundance.
Focus on God, seek Him fervently and faithfully, and your wealth will multiply.

This text is an excerpt from the book “BUILDING A HOLY NATION: THE ROLE OF SPIRITUALITY“ by Pastor Gregory Toussaint.

We invite you to read the next article, “THE NEW JERUSALEM.“

The Spirituality Of A Nation. The Spirituality Of A Nation.