The Fortune of Asking

Deuteronomy 33:20–21 (ESV) And of Gad he said, “Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp. 21 He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a commander’s portion was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people, with Israel he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments for Israel.”

In the blessing of Moses there is one tribal blessing that most resembles Jacob's original from Genesis 49. It is this blessing for the tribe of Gad. Notice Jacob's blessing:
Genesis 49:19 (ESV) “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.
Jacob knew Gad was destined to increase. 

Moses saw this too. Interestingly, "Gad" means good fortune. 

Notice the blessing here in Deuteronomy 33. It seems selfish of Gad to choose the best land, to want a "commander's portion"... but in the end, Gad does get what he wants out of life. 

The tribe of Gad is one of three "trans-Jordan" tribes in Israel. Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh saw the lush and fertile land on the east of the Jordan before the Canaan conquest and requested that portion for themselves. This is all recounted in Numbers 32.

Numbers 32:1 (ESV) Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock.

At first, Moses is mortified by their request thinking they are being selfish and unwilling to fight with their brothers. But in the end, and after agreeing to fight and then come back over the Jordan to their territory, the Lord gives the portions to the tribes. Gad ends up with the largest section of the three.

I think we forget this as Christians. In our weak attempts to "stay humble" we often confuse it with "stay broke." This is nonsense. God wants it to go well for you and prosperity abounds in many of God's children. Many of whom prove well able to be prosperous in their generous spirits. 

I bet you the devil loves to make you think God wants you broke and empty in serving Him so you'll be so much more convinced what he (the devil) offers you is actually the only place to find fullness. The opposite is true. God fills and the devil steals (See John 10:10). Stop falling for the lie. Ask your Father for plenty. It's okay. He's not offended and He alone has the power to give it without strife. Instead of worrying about why those "less worthy" people have it so good, why not ask God for good things in your life believing He wants to give it?

Notice the commendation that gets bestowed upon Gad here in Deuteronomy:
“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! 
Ultimately God would use the blessing He gave to Gad to glorify Himself in the eyes of others. Blessed be the one who enlarges the territory of His people. For Gad, his blessing was God's glory. What a picture for us. As it goes well for you, His child, He is seen as a good Father. As He is. 

Notice also how Gad saw himself:
Verse 21 He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a commander’s portion was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people,
Gad saw himself as a commander and a leader. I think that Gad may have lived up to God's calling upon Israel before any of His brothers as far as tribes go. He knew God's people are special and chosen. God has His eye on them to bless them. As the tribe of Gad saw that truth for themselves, they lived it out in the way they approached their future. 

Sometimes we equate being a Christian to being a nobody. That's false humility. False humility is thinking less of yourself. True humility is knowing who you are and thinking of yourself less. This is the kind of person God loves to bless. Someone who knows what God is able to give and yet understands he/she is what he/she is because of God's doing. If we could get there and stay there as Christians, we'd be far more fortunate.

Blessed be HE who enlarges Gad.