It has to be the most un-parenthesis worthy statement in the Bible. God turned a curse on Israel into a blessing. Seems way too powerful a statement to surround it with punctuation that typically indicates an afterthought!

This passage in Nehemiah refers to the time Moab hired Balaam to put a curse on Israel (Numbers 22). Every time Balaam tried, the Lord intervened and changed his intended curse into a blessing.

God’s power to turn curses into blessings and alter the flow of history cannot be overstated. Nowhere is this more evident than at Calvary. We were condemned to hell, but because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the curse was broken. Fallen mankind was given the opportunity to become redeemed.

No matter how indebted to our sinful lifestyles we’ve become, Jesus paid the price to secure our freedom. The curse was turned into a blessing, no matter how many Balaams try to convince us otherwise.

He now lives within us and empowers us to become like Him. Sin cannot enslave us. Not anymore. Jesus overcame the greatest curse on mankind to make available the greatest blessing — life in the Spirit of Christ!

So this Easter, let’s not underestimate God’s power to change our circumstances or our destiny. As you worship the risen Christ in a few days, let all those past sins be just an…(afterthought).

Lord Jesus, thank you for what you did on the cross for us. Thank you for turning the curse into a blessing. May we never take our freedom for granted. Amen.

Go Deeper — Today, think of how the curse of the cross became a blessing. Did knowing that fact affect your life over the past week leading up to Ressurection Sunday, which many believers call "Holy Week"?



Tags: Life in the Spirit Nehemiah 13
Photo Credit: Yoal Desurmont