What does it look like for a person to be blessed? I have found that I have often limited the understanding of being blessed to mean the grace to obtain material gains from God. In other words, my response to a person who will express their success in their endeavors in life will be that “You are so blessed.” This way I only associated being blessed to receiving the material gains of life.

This week’s devotion I ponder on the word “blessed”. Beloved, please join me as we soak in God’s word and reflect on God’s revelation of what it really means to be blessed. In the sermon on the mount also referred to as the Beatitudes, our Lord Jesus Christ defined to his followers in His eyes what being blessed look like.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10

Jesus Christ seeing the multitude, sat on the mountain to teach them what it means to be blessed. I do not know what God had seen but in this very moment, our Lord spoke His words of life into the hearts of His people to help to truly understand what it means to be blessed.

Many believers are doing their very best to live their lives for God but many can testify of the challenges they have faced in this journey. In life, we experience victories, tragedies, still moments, challenges, and all kinds of events. Our dedicated and committed efforts do not always yield the expected results with God being the center of it all. Many get discouraged, disappointed, depressed when the unexpected happens. Our gracious and loving God knows all  of these issues of  life because God made us and also God experiences life with us through His Spirit.

On this very day on the mount, God looks into the faces of His people, His beloved, His blessed ones and speaks into their hearts. Jesus opens his mouth and says to them Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are those who mourn, Blessed are the meek, Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the pure in heart, Blessed are the peacemakers, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. I do not know the exact experiences of the lives of the people that gathered that day to listen to Jesus. But those who had deemed their life as not reaching the standards of  being blessed according to their society on this day, Jesus Christ lifted their heads and said to them that God says “you are blessed”. Those who were deemed poor, mourning, meek,… hearts’ were filled with joy that our Lord Jesus Christ calls them blessed. Their commitment, dedication, love and passion to live their lives for God was seen by God and God called them blessed.

Beloved, in Christ, let us not chose the world standard of success to define what it means to be blessed. So many are giving up in life because they have set their minds to reach what it means to be blessed as being successful by worldly standards. Dear one, God is rejoicing over you on in your commitment to serve and honor Him faithfully with your life. In moments when you experience the things that are pointed out in the sermon of the mount rest assure in this that God calls you blessed. Do not give up, do not stay down and wallow in misery, rise up and let the words of the Savior rekindle your hearts,

“You are blessed in your faithful commitment to glorify God”

Dear one, you are blessed in that God is ever present with you as you continue to yield your life to live for God’s glory. The blessed experience is that our Lord Jesus Christ is with us through it all and we experience His joy, love, peace and hope always. Always remember that Jesus Christ loves you <3.