Then we have the Bless-Me Clubs at church. Everyone wants to come to church to get a blessing from God. Sadly they aren’t going to be a blessing or to give back to God for all the awesome things he has done for them that week. We want to hear the feel-good songs that go with the feel-good message of love, hope and joy… oh, and all the blessings we deserve as children of God.
We like it when the pastor preaches on how God will bless you, and make your name great, or how the Lord will bless the righteous; with favour will he compass him as with a shield. (Psalms 5:12)
But what about scriptures like ‘Bless you the LORD’, ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name’, ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits’, ‘Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul’,’ He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great’,’ Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD’,’ Every day will I bless you; and I will praise your name for ever and ever’,’ All thy works shall praise you, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless you’? (Psalms 103:1,2,22,115:13,134:2, 145:2,10) We are called to bless God but yet we pile into churches, ‘worship’ services, events, and prayer meetings to get blessings from him and the brethren.
The biggest blessing we could ever receive from the Lord is his shed blood poured out for the atonement of our sins. He already gave us the biggest, best blessing possible but we continue to stand with our hands open, not raised, looking for more.
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. -- Romans 4:7
We don’t want just blessings but we want the blessings to prolific. Inexhaustible blessings. Creative blessings. Productive blessings. Powerful blessings. After all isn’t this our inheritance?
Why are blessing always equated with getting fun and good stuff? Did you know that you are blessed if you endure temptation? In this verse the Greek word for blessed is makarios meaning ‘happy’. Interestingly enough in the passage in 1 Peter 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Greek word for blessed is eulogetos, which means ‘praised’. So this would read:
Blessed (Happy) is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him. -- James 1:12
These scriptures would read like this:
Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. -- Romans 4:7
But he said, Yes rather, blessed (happy) are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. -- Luke 11:28
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed (happy) is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
-- Revelation 16:15
Blessed (happy) are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. -- Revelation 22:14
The Hebrew word for blessed is esher again implying happiness.
Blessed (Happy) is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. -- Psalms 1:1
Let us be happy in the Lord and God that we serve for he is mighty to save and has already procured for us all the blessings that should be enough to drown our souls and spirits with a glorious love!
An afterthought: Just why do we bless someone when they sneeze? Why don’t we bless them if they pass gas?
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