“To BLESS” means “to mark with blood.” The word comes from the old English bloedsian, which in turn goes back to the old English blod, or blood. The early association of the word was with the idea of sacrifice or consecration. In other words, the way to “bless” anything was to sacrifice or consecrate it to God. The mark of blood was the sign of such consecration. What richer blessing can we know to-day than to be given over wholly to God? And what other way is there of accomplishing this than by the spending of blood, which is the life? When Abram was blessed by God, he was set apart, consecrated, for closest fellowship with God; and Abram was to be a blessing to the whole world by bringing the whole world into that same precious fellowship. But that blessing was made possible only by blood,—the outpoured life of Abram’s Seed, the Saviour who reunites God and His children. God’s blessing of men, and men’s blessing of each other, would not seem to differ essentially except in God’s greater power to bless. The method is the same,—freely spent life for the good of others. Every soul that fails thus to pass on God’s blessing and be a blessing to his brothers fails of the only life-purpose God would have us consider.—Sunday School Times.