Being blessed is often seen as having a lot of things and things going good for us. We quickly say we are blessed when the bills are paid, health is good, and we have what we want, but when things don't go the way we planned, do we find ourselves thinking we lost our blessing? Do we question and feel confused or wonder why God isn't blessing us? What about people who serve God, but don't have all the things we have? What about the poor who are Christians, are they less blessed? What about the Christians around the world who suffer persecution? We have blessing all wrong.
One definition of bless is to consecrated or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy (definition.com)
This gives us a different idea of what it means to be blessed. It is not what we get but what we are made. When we come to Jesus in repentance and allow Him to change our hearts and our lives, we become consecrated and set aside for His purpose. We become blessed and holy.
In the Bible, when a father, like Jacob, would bless his children, he would speak over them the will of God and purpose for their lives. (Genesis 49) He did not speak that life would only be good and they would just have a lot of possessions. Their blessings were to be honorable to God and live a life that glorified God. This was to be through every good and every bad event in life as well. He would speak over them that they would please God and love in His purpose. That was blessing.
O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:12 NKJV
King David reminds us that trusting in God is how we are blessed. David trusted God through every situation, through the times when Saul wanted to kill him, through the trials and difficulties. Rather than allowing his trust to be dictated by circumstances, David remained faithful and in return cried out blessing and praise to God. He didn't cry in despair and question why he wasn't getting blessed. He understood, that his identity as a servant of God meant he was blessed despite the circumstances of life.
We all face this life with ups and downs. We all have times of trials, difficulties, health and finance problems, but does that mean God's favor and blessing left us? No, God does not take away his blessing from his Children. Instead, we are blessed in the fact that we are God's chosen and we are blessed in the fact that He gave us salvation. We can find our blessing in His ultimate gift of redemption. We have been redeemed and have God's favor and blessing in the fact that we are consecrated for His purpose. God's blessing does not inoculate us from hard times, it gives us purpose to go through tough times. It gives us hope and joy that endures through every circumstance. It is a joy and peace that cannot be understood. (Philippians 4:7) Our trust in God should not waver based on circumstances. We need to be unwavering.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:2-8 NKJV
We must not waver in faith and trust in God. We must not interpret the things we have or don't have in the natural as blessing. Blessing is a spiritual matter and while physcial things can be blessing, those things do not matter when it comes to the purpose we are given in God. So what if the car breaks down or the heater stops working. That is not where our blessing lies. Our blessing lies in who God is and what he formed us to be.
I will forever remember the example of Sister Edith Mayes. When asked how she was, her answer was always , "I am blessed." When she got home from church one night, her family was waiting to tell her that her son had been shot, she immediately replied, "I am blessed." No wavering in faith or in trust in God. She began to praise and pray. No fear. No questioning of where God was. She trusted beyond the circumstance. I know she never had a lot in this world. She was born in a time of adversity, endured racism, poverty, and great loss in her lifetime. Her testimonies of God's faithfulness, healing power and answered prayers will forever inspire those who heard them. She prayed prayers that were answered. A dead child brought back to life, a flow of blood stopped and never again occurred. A wayward child restored to God. And yes, that son that was shot, was healed. We cannot expect answers from God when we waver and are tossed about by this physical life. We are not experiencing God's true purpose and favor by looking around at the waves and storms. We are instead, denying Him and not keeping our eyes on Him. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We only need to rely and trust in Him completely. One of the descriptions of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians is 'temperance.' This temperance is to be even keeled, unwavering and faithful through all things that come our way. I know I need to work on this aspect. My trust and faith in God needs to be temperant and unwavering. I need to know and trust I am blessed at all times. We will not be double minded and unstable. We will instead choose to praise and bless God. We will choose to trust and remain faithful. We will live in the true blessing of God, not in the moment, nor in the things that are really secondary in this life.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalms 34:1 NKJV
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