THE BLESSING OF UNITY
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133:1-3
The last few words of our Scripture announce a great promise, “there the LORD commanded the blessing.” Imagine being in a place where God commands a blessing. Where is this wonderful place that God will unusually bless? According to the Word of God, the blessing will be commanded where brethren “dwell together in unity.” Where there is unity, God will surely bless.
God works in an atmosphere of unity. Is it no wonder that Satan relentlessly seeks to disrupt the unity of God’s people? The devil does not want to see God bless His people and pour out His blessings on His churches. This should cause every true child of God to seek to preserve the peace and promote a spirit of harmony. The psalmist tells us that God is especially concerned that brethren “dwell together in unity.” This is a promise for God’s people and for the Lord’s churches.
When Jesus prayed for His church before going to the cross, He prayed about our unity. As recorded in John 17:21, Jesus prayed “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” Our Lord asked His Father that His churches would live and work in unity. Does this mean that we have to always agree with everyone in the church, on every single opinion or issue? Obviously not, but we can disagree without causing strife and division. We can still love one another even if we do not agree perfectly. When we are not in one accord in the church, it hinders the work of God and grieves the Spirit of God.
God Almighty wants to bless us, but He will not bless contention. In writing to the church at Ephesus, Paul admonished them in this way, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). We must work at being unified if we want to see God bless. Where God sees brethren dwelling together in unity, there He will command a special blessing.