In the world today a blessed person is considered to be one who is rich, successful and has all the worldly possessions for comfortable living. But no one knows their inward state, the pain, the anguish and the stress of maintaining a façade of happiness. But is this the sign of a truly blessed person or is it something more than this? Are only the rich claimants of God’s mercy and abundance and not the poor?
Difference between happiness, joy and blessedness – Moses was called by God, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them’ (Exodus 24:12-16). After his first meeting with God from the Burning Bush, Moses received the Word from God repeatedly and obeyed without delay. Moses obeyed and went up into the mountain and the ‘glory of God rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days’. On the seventh day Moses was called by God into the midst of the cloud. When he went up the mountain, he was happy, he rejoiced on being called into the cloud but he was blessed on receiving the two Tablets of stone and the Torah, the first five books of the Holy Bible from God.
One is happy eating a tasty dish of his choice and joy comes in sharing that with someone he loves. He is blessed and filled with joy from deep within, on sharing that with some poor child and in seeing the smile on the child’s face on receiving that. Happiness is a temporary feeling and is about receiving some worldly things or experiencing something that satisfies the bodily pleasure. Joy is internal from deep within the soul and is long lasting. It brings inner contentment and peace, like a mother feels after giving birth to a child after undergoing the pain of the delivery process. Happiness is self-oriented while joy is others focused. Moses was joyful on receiving the Tablets from God for guiding his people to live righteously.
To bless or to be blessed is seeking or receiving Divine favour from God. The Hebrew word ‘barak’ is translated as blessed and another word ‘esher’ means to be happy. It is derived from another word ‘ashar’, which means to be straight. The Jewish sages saw two paths, a straight path, which is short, smooth and easy to follow to reach the destination. The other is the crooked path that tires, is long and difficult. Happy are those who follow the straight paths. King David termed ‘Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners’ (Psalm 1:1). He is happy because he takes the straight path of the righteous.
The Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6 & 7) has the Greek word ‘makarios’ or blessed and means ‘become large, long’. When God extends His benefits of mercy and grace to us, He makes it large to fully cover us and it is received by obeying His Word in faith. Makarios and ‘pistis’ or faith are closely interlinked. A blessed person is spiritually prosperous regardless of his outward condition and is satisfied in God’s favours and salvation, for God looks on him favourably. Job was the rightly blessed person in the Scripture, who did not falter in faith despite such great sufferings and loss of everything including his children.
God has blessed mankind all over the Scripture from creation itself, but the first blessing from God was not to the human beings. On the fifth day of creation, God created the fish and sea creatures and blessed them (Genesis 1:20-21 & 28). With the blessings to Adam, the dominion rights over every living thing were also given. There was no suffering, pain or cursing in creation, which came only after the sin of unbelief leading to disobedience. Adam and Eve brought curses on themselves as a result of their own deeds. The task of finding a way out of the cursed into a blessed state had to be worked out by the Creator, for mankind is incapable of this.
God is merciful and He put His rescue and plan of salvation of mankind through Abraham. He was made great by God with the added blessing, ‘I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ (Genesis 12:1-3). Lord Jesus’ genealogy terms Him as ‘the Son of David, the Son of Abraham’ (Matthew 1:1). His ministry on earth is about healing physical, spiritual and every other aspect of life, teaching the Word of God and salvation through forgiveness of sins. He brought happiness, joy and blessedness back for the suffering humanity with His presence in each believer and then to be eternally in His presence.
Ways to remain blessed – God created everything that was needed for all created beings and then created man with dominion rights over everything. Why did not create man first and then other things, for he was to rule over all that? As per Jewish sages, it was to tell man, if he is worthy, all things were created for him. However, if he was unworthy, he must realise that even the smallest fish was in God’s presence before him. The Holy Bible is a call to us to freedom and to be creative as well as to responsibility and restraint. The Holy Spirit in us empowers and guides us to be God’s partners in recreation of mankind into His righteousness, from their fallen nature, through the message of the Gospel. We are already blessed with such great mercy and grace of God for us
To increase this, the first part is to know and understand God’s message for us. To be and remain blessed we must be those, ‘who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep these things which are written in it’ (Revelation 1:3). About the Day of Judgement various details are given in the Scripture along with salvation through faith. The command to read is not only about the Book of Revelation but the entire Scripture. Joshua, the new commander of the Israelites to lead them into the Promised Land, was given by God Himself the mantra for success (Joshua 1:8). He was commanded, ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night’. – This was for him ‘to make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success’.
Many people believe that the Old Testament was fulfilled in Lord Jesus and now for a believer there is no need to study this. Apostle Paul has categorically stated, ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (breathed by God), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness’ (2 Timothy 3:16). It is ‘All Scripture’ for at that time there was no New Testament available to believers. Also Lord Jesus countered the temptation of the devil by quoting the Book of Deuteronomy to make him flee (Matthew 4:1-10). After the resurrection Lord Jesus explained to the two disciples travelling to Emaus from Jerusalem, ‘beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself’ (Luke 24:27). Lord Jesus used the Old Testament and we ignore that at our loss.
Second, be careful of the friends you have. The very first Psalm in the Book of Psalms identifies the state of a blessed person, he ‘walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of the sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful’ (Psalm 1:1-2). He does not listen to the advice of those who do not believe and does not even go and stand in their evil paths. He avoids them and does not even sit with them. To listen, to take into the heart and look forward and then sit with them are the steps we take like Lot, who after separating from Abraham camped outside Sodom but later was a judge in the gates (Genesis 19:1).
Third, be a child of and before God. All those who receive Lord Jesus as their Saviour and believe in His name are blessed to be the children of God (John 1:12). As a child of God, do not go to Him with all the theology, interpretations of the Word learnt from various sources. David, the ‘man of God’s heart’ poured his heart out like a child seeking extreme punishment for his foes. But then he could say, Lord, You decide, for vengeance is yours. Lord Jesus has taught, ‘when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do’ (Matthew 6:7). Do not show your great knowledge to Him, for He knows what is in our hearts. My daughter Narola and her sister come straight to the point and ask in clear terms what they want from me, and that is the right way.
Many believers say that in the beginning of their walk as believers, answers to prayers were very fast, but not now. We find that before God our childhood is gone in our adulthood as we grow in faith. Pray to Him with the mind of a child and He will reach out to bless. Apostle Peter, in his child-like faith, could take great steps and be blessed with great responsibility also (John 21:15-17).
Four, be the Saviour Lord’s friend. Lord Jesus termed the disciples not as servants but as friends (John 15:15). The reason is, ‘for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you’. As His friend, learn and understand His will and His ways and do that, and thus give glory to the Father in heaven.
Five, expect great blessings to come your way. Moses was commanded by God to send a leader from each of the twelve tribes to go and ‘spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel’ (Numbers 13:2 & 32-33). Their task was to just look over the abundance of God’s provision in the land and come back to confirm that to their people. Instead, they focused on the giants in the land and saw themselves as ‘grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight’. As a result, all the adult population of that time, except Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness. As per the plan from God to conquer Jericho, the Israelites army went around the city for six days, one round and returned to their camp (Joshua 6:16). On their seventh day, they went around seven times and ‘when the priests blew up the trumpets, then Joshua said to the people: ‘Shout, for the LORD has given you the city’. The thick walls of the city fell inwards and victory was theirs. Pray as if it all depends on God and then work diligently as if it all depends on your efforts, expecting God to give victory.
God is ready and willing to bless us but we remain focused on our own ways in everything and miss out to receive that which is ready to be grabbed.
Signs and symptoms of a blessed person. The one who is blessed of God, ‘shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper’ (Psalm 1:3). Expect to be strong and stable like a tree with deep roots and bear fruit at the right time. The green leaves show no dryness in life, even during extreme circumstances. It is not that you will succeed in everything but as per the promise, God will ensure that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8:28).
Second, the work of the Holy Spirit becomes more evident. The mind is filled with greater understanding and wisdom while the heart turns towards spiritual matters. It is not that one starts to turn away from worldly matters but a realisation of one’s role and responsibilities in personal and professional life become more apparent.
Third, be ever prepared to hear the voice of God to bless, guide and lead. The Saviour Lord has called us His ‘friends’ to whom He wants to disclose all the plans of God the Father and our individual role in that. We can then seek the resources, physical, spiritual and financial, needed for that through prayers directed towards that end.
Fourth, His peace fills our hearts and souls. Lord Jesus has transferred His peace to us (John 14:27). This peace is with God through forgiveness of sins, with others through our words and deeds under the hand of the Holy Spirit and peace with oneself within through placing all our sorrows and worries at His altar.
Fifth, better understanding of the Word of God. The indwelling Holy Spirit starts teaching us all things related to every sphere of life relationships, both vertical with God and horizontal with all of His created beings (John 14:26). He reminds us of all the teachings of the Saviour Lord to help us live in obedience to Him.
Sixth, efficiency in working. We get filled with the gifts of knowledge and wisdom through the Holy Spirit regularly as we seek Him (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). With this we get equipped to perform all responsibilities in a better and more efficient manner. Our witnessing before others through our words also improves, for He gives us the right words to speak.
Seventh, we become a blessing to many others. With the gift of discernment of spirits and the authority of Lord Jesus, our intercessory prayers become more effective. Also, we help others through their deliverance from evil spirits and their strongholds, by breaking the chains.
We must be prepared for the increased intensity of personal struggles, for the forces of evil will definitely intensify their works against us. But when we live and move under the Sovereign control of the Lord above, He strengthens us to be victorious over all such situations. Since God has called us His children and His friends, it becomes our responsibility also talk to Him every day, not for giving a list of things desired, but for a heart-to-heart talk. Let this time be more to listen to and for a dialogue with Him than for a monologue.
God was not under any sort of pressure to choose us and make us a part of His heavenly family. Even our good deeds, whatever be their magnitude, do not qualify us to be called His friends. All this is due to His mercy and grace and when we bear His name, it becomes our responsibility also to glorify His name in our lives. He pours His abundant blessings on us to achieve this. We must remain focused on Him alone to receive all this and thus be a blessing to many others!
