Today’s Devotion

Topic: Strength To Match Your Days (The Blessings Of Asher)

Text: Deut 33: 24- 25

24 About Asher he said:“Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil 25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.” Amen.

Before his death at 120 years, Moses called the tribes of Israel together and began to bless them. When he finally got to the tribe of Asher, he declared some very unusual blessings over them. Let us examine how unique Asher’s blessings were:

i. “Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers”: It is not unusual to meet someone who is blessed within his social circles, especially his family. Joseph, David and Jephthah are examples of men who were more blessed than their brothers, and as such received a lot of opposition from them. Jesus suffered the same challenge amongst his own brothers (John 7: 1-5), and explains it better when He says “a prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” (Mk 6: 4).

However, the blessings of Asher ensures that a person is not only the “most blessed of sons”, but also “favoured by his own brothers” too. That means instead of opposing him for being unique and most blessed, his brothers choose to love and support him.

ii. “Let him bathe his feet in oil”: King David explained the usual form of anointing when he said in Ps 23: 5b; “You anoint MY HEAD with oil, my cup overflows”. You see, the oil is often poured on the HEAD so it can trickle down the other parts of the body (Ps 133: 2).

But the unusual blessing of Asher does not only ensure that a person’s head is anointed (thus, being most blessed), it also ensures that the person’s feet are bathed in oil. That is an anointing for speed/ heights (Hab 3: 19) and for dominion wherever the soles of the feet shall tread (Joshua 1:3).

iii. “The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days”: It has become common knowledge that  our strength begins to fail as we advance in age. We become susceptible to various health challenges that sometimes make the blessing of long life an unbearable one.

But the blessing of Asher provides unusual strength even as we advance in age. Bearers of this blessing possess strength that equals their days. Their joints and bones are fitted with spiritual “iron & bronze”. This literally means, for everyday the Lord allows them to see, He provides all the strength they will require to remain overcomers.

Don’t forget that none can give what they don’t possess. Moses could declare these blessings because they were evident in his life. God caused his siblings to support his Call. When they began to oppose him, God disciplined them. Then his feet were as anointed as his head, so that for 40 years, he led Israel by foot close to the promise land without fail. Finally, He lived long enough and had strength to carry on when most of his contemporaries had fallen.

Meditate on these blessings and begin to pray. Declare these blessings over your life too; you need them to accomplish your divine purpose on earth. You are blessed and highly favoured!

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