Blessed

Jeremiah 17:7 NIV But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Possibly the most frequently used word in the Christian vocabulary is blessed. We have all heard, ‘I’ve been blessed by God,’ usually referring to wealth or health, or athletes saying it after winning a big game. The common understanding of what it means to be blessed by God is that He gives us good things, but what does it really mean to be blessed?

Throughout scripture, the word bless carries a meaning of adoration; to celebrate, and receive favor. Your blessed life begins when you grasp the truth that God adores you. You are not just some part of creation that He merely tolerates; He celebrates, favors, and loves you. Blessedness comes from an unhindered love relationship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. To be blessed is to experience the full impact of God’s adoration and His presence in our lives, both now and for all eternity.

Galatians 3:14 states, “Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham.” So what are the blessings God promised to Abraham? There were many, but it included: fruitfulness (Sarah would give birth in her old age), multiplication (his descendants would be more numerous than the sands of the sea), and being a blessing to “all peoples on earth.” There were no qualifications on the word ‘all’. God wants us to be a blessing throughout the earth. We often want to be selective about who God’s blessing falls on, but God wants us to be a living, breathing display of his love, grace, and mercy to all mankind. God does not provide a blessing that he cannot trust will pass through us to others.

Abraham was blessed because he was chosen to be God’s very own and we are also chosen. Jesus proclaimed us as his chosen, “You did not choose Me but I chose you” (John 15:16). Peter proclaimed us as chosen: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We are blessed because we are chosen.

Abraham was blessed because he was forgiven. God provided the ram for sacrifice and the atonement of his sins. “Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. (Genesis 22:13-14 NLT). Jesus, the Lamb of God, was given as a sacrifice and eternal atonement for our sins. He came to deliver every spiritual blessing, and we are blessed because our sins are forgiven and can no longer be counted against us. John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Just as it was with Abraham and Sarah, being blessed always includes fruitfulness and multiplication. When God sent the Holy Spirit to be His presence and power in those who believe, He was speaking a blessing over each of us. A blessing of fruitfulness, the Fruit of the Spirit being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Be fruitful and multiply... this Fruit of the Spirit is given so we might multiply His impact on this earth. Others will be drawn to the Savior of the World when this fruitfulness is present in our lives.

Surely, we should be thankful for the material blessings the Lord gives us. But we are truly blessed when we receive God's adoration, Jesus as His sacrificial gift, and His peace, satisfaction, and joy.

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

Deuteronomy 2:7 NLT For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.

James 1:12 NIV Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Psalms 32:1-2 NIV Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Ephesians 1:3 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Genesis 1:27-28 NIV So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. And God blessed them.

Genesis 9:1 NIV Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.

Genesis 12:1-3 NIV The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Psalm 1:1-2 NIV Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord , and who

Genesis 39:5 NLT From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.

Exodus 23:25 NLT You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness.

Numbers 6:22-27 NLT Then the Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.

Psalms 115:13-15 TPT He will bless his devoted lovers who bow before him, no matter who they are. God himself will fill you with more. Blessings upon blessings will be heaped upon you and upon your children from the maker of heaven and earth, the very God who made you!

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Psalms 33:12 TPT Blessed and prosperous is that nation who has God as their Lord! They will be the people he has chosen for his own.

Psalms 34:8 NIV Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.