“And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south” (Deut. 33:23).
In our anchor scripture above, we can see that there is a relationship between favour and the ability to possess. In the same vein, being able to possess and to increase have direct relationship, in the sense that our increase is our possession, inasmuch as our achievements are our possessions. No one can increase without having to achieve or possess something beneficial. To this effect, when the scripture discloses that the Almighty God daily loads us with benefits (Psa. 68:19), what it means, indirectly, is that God gives opportunity to us, His people, to experience multiple increase on daily basis. If we think of this deeply, we will be able to see the goodness of God more clearly. Just as it is echoed in the scripture, “taste and see that God is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him” (Psa. 34:8).
Unfortunately, many believers don’t tend to experience the goodness of God as we should, because we don’t tend to pay enough attention to the scripture which teaches us about the nature of God and His disposition towards His people. The whole essence of this argument is to reflect the favour that God manifest towards His people, which has been underscored in various instances in the scripture. The point is, the favour of God is linked to His goodness. This is to say that when the goodness of God is manifesting in the life of anyone, the same will enjoy the favour of God accordingly. The overall effect, of course, will be that the person will receive benefits from God that will directly lead to increase in their lives – multiple increase.
Several examples abound in the scripture, to substantiate this assertion. In the struggle against Pharaoh when the children of Israel were eventually released to depart, God gave them favour before the Egyptians that made them to amass wealth, because of all the material things they got from the Egyptians (Exo. 12:36). Similarly, when God favoured His people to possess the lands of their enemies, it gave them opportunities to increase and multiply even in a strange land (Psa. 44:3), all because the goodness of God was manifesting for them.
The overall point of this discussion is to reflect the significance of favour in the equation of multiple increase. Just as God’s favour, which is directly linked to His goodness in our lives, paves way for multiple increase for us, so will favour from any source (in horizontal relationships), pave way for multiple increase for us. This point is clearly amplified in our verse, in which Moses, as he blessed the children of Israel, ascribed favour toward the tribe of Naphtali, granting them the opportunity of multiple possessions (multiple increase).
Therefore, as we seek God for multiple increase this season, let us be open to His blessing of goodness and favour (Psa. 27:13. Psa. 106:4-5). May we truly be blessed in Jesus’ name!