Three Keys to Blessing: Key 1

Most people want the blessing of God. I've noticed that even unbelievers, when in crisis, will usually not turn down prayer. Often, their view of blessing is found in rituals of some kind. If I wear this bracelet, if I say this chant, if a minister touches me and says a prayer, if I do the hokey pokey and turn myself around, etc, etc, then I'll be blessed. But the keys to blessing are MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL than dry, external, religious formulas. If you or I want to have the favor of God upon us, there are some very specific ways to position ourselves in the river from which all blessings flow. Let me share three keys to blessing that are obvious according to God's Word:
1. PURITY.
Throughout the Bible, blessing is often impeded when sin goes unchallenged and is tolerated. For example, in Joshua 7:1, a man by the name of Achan takes some pagan items into his home and compromises not only his own holiness, but that of the entire nation of Israel. Take a look: "But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD'S anger burned against Israel." Joshua 7:1. Due to this toleration of sin, God actually gets angry and Israel experiences defeat in battle soon after. If we want blessing, it is imperitive that we are serious about sin. We must periodically audit our spiritual lives through prayer and, when discovered, confess our sins before God while asking Him to give us a delight in holiness. Just recently, God spoke to me about a sin I had committed through thoughlessness and an off-colored joke. I felt the Holy Spirit point out the sin and I sensed God's displeasure in it. And the Lord didn't let me off the hook immediately. For a few days, the ugliness of my words to the ears of a holy God was acute in my conscience. The Spirit then led me to confess it to Him directly and then to my wife. Immediately, I felt His forgiveness as I have so many times in the past. And the truth of 1 John 1:8-9 was felt in my heart. An impediment to the flow of blessing was removed. Are there any sins of which you need to repent? Is there a blockage to blessing in your heart? Follow God's Word, repent, and confess. It is a key to blessing.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9.