Reading: Romans 4:6-8
Reflective Thoughts
How to be blessed
It’s something that you hear every time there’s a sneeze: “Bless you.” But no one knows why we say it. There may be just as much confusion about the blessings of God. We tend to equate them with good fortune for ourselves. But David simply described blessing as having all your sins forgiven.
In Matthew 5, Jesus said upside down things about being blessed. You are blessed when you know there’s nothing of yourself that is spectacular enough to recommend you to God (when you are “poor in spirit”). It’s those people for whom the kingdom of heaven comes. You’re blessed if you are grieving, because to you a promise of comfort has been given. You’re blessed if you desire more of God and His ways than you do of your own earthly needs. Then God will give you your desires.
At first glance, wanting righteousness more than a steak dinner and grieving the death of a loved one may not seem like blessings. But the Living God has promised to meet you in every circumstance-not to give you worldly success, but to give you Himself. Because if God has forgiven all your sins, you are truly blessed.