Everyone wants to be blessed. The good news is that every Christian is blessed. Legend says that Alexander the Great visited the homeless philosopher Diogenes one day who was enjoying lying in the sun and said he would grant any wish. Diogenes replied, “Stand out of my light” implying he didn’t need anything Alexander could offer. Later, Alexander the Great said if he wasn’t Alexander he would want to be Diogenes because Diogenes was so content and happy. Diogenes didn’t need or want anything, he considered himself blessed. What does it mean to be blessed? Who is truly blessed? Is it the rich, powerful, and famous? One thing is true, we all want to be happy.
Many people are mistaken about being blessed, like the woman who proclaimed blessing towards Jesus. Jesus gently corrects her and clarifies what true blessing is. It is trusting and obeying God’s word. This is the only true blessing, nothing else.
One characteristic of the blessed is that they are sure of their blessing. They do not consider themselves blessed according to other people’s standards. What other people call blessed is not true blessedness because they are never satisfied. Riches, health, and other worldly blessings are not true blessings because ultimately even with those things you still stand condemned as a sinner. How can you be blessed and condemned? Like Esau, you are deceived and call yourself blessed when you are not (Genesis 33:9).
There are also those who have a carnal heart and are not satisfied with God’s blessing. They seek more and desire more. The truly blessed understand God’s true blessing in Jesus Christ and are fully satisfied in Him (Philippians 3:4-8). Apostle Paul understands that Jesus is everything and that without Jesus we have nothing. How blessed the believer is because we have the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). The blessed have their sins forgiven, the old is gone and new has come, and they have been restored in Jesus (Romans 4:7-8). The true blessing is only found in Jesus and it is all the blessing we need. This blessing is not given or obtained through the world. It is only obtained by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our faith and hope is in the resurrection! Our faith is a gift of heaven from God.
Another blessing the believer has is God’s ear which means God hears our prayers (1 John 3:21-22). We get the right to ask and it is God’s duty to answer. We are able to bring our matters to God and God actually responds to us. This is our blessing! Don’t hesitate to use it because God is waiting and ready to hear and answer our prayers.
We also have God’s peace and joy. Even though we are going through a hard time and the world is in chaos, we have peace. Jesus gives us real peace because He experienced the world and overcame it (John 16:33). Our peace is not theoretical but actual. We have peace with God and the peace of God. God is the God of peace and He is with us, therefore His peace is with us as well.
Some Christians might never experience anything pleasant in this world no matter how righteous and obedient they are. But that doesn’t mean they are without blessing. Those who do not experience blessings on earth will experience true blessing in eternal life (Hebrews 11:39-40). Be assured that if you are a Christian then you are blessed.
The means of our blessing is the Word of God. The Bible is the common denominator of all blessings. Jesus is the central figure of Scripture and Scripture reveals Jesus to us. Hearing the Word of God spiritually in our hearts results in knowing more about Jesus. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory who reveals God the Father to us (Hebrews 1:1-3). So we need the Word of God to know God and it is only by the Word of God that we are blessed.
The word of God is certain and it reveals the will of God. If we are to follow God’s will then we must listen to God’s Word. Jesus says to be blessed we must hear and obey God’s word. This is because God guides us in His word. Therefore the blessed seek God’s will in His word (Psalms 1:2-3). We must strive to know the mind of God by reading the Bible like a man digging for treasure.
The blessed live a life of obedience. In fact, the supreme mark of blessing is obedience. If we are holy, sanctified, and beloved then that means we are being obedient. The world only knows how to obey themselves but the Christian obeys God. The singular mission of the blessed Christian life is obedience to God. “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it”. “To keep God’s commandments is to obey them, and the primary, the fundamental thing in obedience is the desire of the heart; and it is on the heart that God ever looks.” (A. W. Pink) Every true believer loves Jesus Christ and therefore would obey His commands. Love leads to obedience. This love is more than sweet affection but a devotion to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in obedience. Obedience therefore is an existential matter. A Christian’s identity and blessing is based on love from God and love for God which is in obedience to God’s commands.
We must also remember that salvation is not a matter of our works and blessing is not a matter of our labor. (Luke 5:5,8; Romans 10:9) When Jesus is truly Lord in your heart and you love Him then you will obey. From that moment we will continually pursue a greater obedience in Jesus Christ. Obedience is striving to enter through the narrow gate. How do we strive continually, how can we fulfill the roles of Christian, husband, father, and worker while obeying? Often these roles seem to conflict with our obedience. We must pray. Jesus prayed because He needed to pray (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 5:7). Jesus sought the Father in every temptation and trial. Jesus knew the way to obey was through prayer.
In Jesus we are assured of our blessing, we are blessed through the Word of God, and we are blessed with obedience sustained by prayer. God is the one who blesses. Be confident of the true blessing found in obedience to Him.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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