WE'RE BLESSED

How many times we've all said, "I'm so blessed!" And we are -- immeasurably blessed.

Talking about words and what they mean as we did in yesterday's blog, what does it really mean to be blessed?

I notice in the Psalms in the Amplified version, when they use the word "blessed," they define it in parenthesis as "happy, fortunate, to be envied." For example, Psalm 32:1 reads, "Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered." Isn't that neat? (I also like that word "continually!")

Out of curiosity, I turned over to the Beatitudes in Matthew, chapter 5. There's a little different emphasis on the word "blessed" there. And it's different -- yet the same -- in each of the "Blesseds." Again they express "blessed" not only as "happy," and "to be envied," but also add such meanings as "spiritually prosperous, blithesome, and joyous." And many of the Beatitudes, after the phrase "spiritually prosperous," add "regardless of their outward condition."

I'm so glad God's blessings aren't contingent upon our outward conditions. No, we're blessed beyond measure regardless of our outward conditions!

Isn't that great?

Preacher's Kid