Are You Blessed?

I think of all the questions in the world that you could ask a person, none quite holds the significance as the one above; are you blessed? Blessed at its core generally refers to the blessings that people receive from God. Accordingly, many people claim to be blessed and perhaps, rightly so. Some folks are blessed to wake up to another day, another opportunity. Others are blessed with prosperity and good health. Some souls have been blessed with a loving and supportive family. There are, obviously, many, many different ways to be blessed. But, when I think of blessed I think of being happy. I think of the happiness and even joy that accompanies the blessings we receive in this life. It seems lots of people may enjoy prosperity and good health; people to love and people who love them back; success in life and the satisfaction of achievement, yet still find themselves unhappy, unthankful and lacking the zest that always seems to accompany a life well lived. Why does that happen to people at times? How can we “have it all” yet still feel like there is something missing? What goes on in a man or woman’s mind that hinders them from finding true satisfaction and contentment? Are you blessed is always the big question.

When man was formed, made and created he began life in perfect harmony with nature and in perfect harmony with his Creator. All that life could offer he and his companion enjoyed. They were blessed in every sense of the word. Their every need was supplied and they lacked nothing that a man or a woman could desire. It wasn’t long after that evil came along and by various deceptions tricked one of them and got the other one one to go along with something that eventually led to their separation from God by the choices they both had made. From that fateful day forward to this present day mankind has suffered a separation from their Creator, God, and often that is the thing that is missing from their lives. God who invented life so designed it to be lived with Him. No man or woman can ever truly find the satisfaction and happiness they desire most, without Him. Oh they can find a multitude of things, success with all of its trappings, endless resources and the like, but absent Him they won’t find what they need the most. God is the source of every good thing there ever was and ever will be. He is the source of it. Yet He gave mankind the freedom to choose, just like He gave the original man and woman freedom to choose. If people were ever to catch a glimpse of who He really is, none would reject Him. Yet they reject Him being deceived by the same one that deceived one of the originals. Whether it be the evidence from science (which can never contradict Him), religion and all of the false ways men and women attempt to worship Him (which glorify men and what men do, not what He does) or simply a stubborn insistence on depending rather on the intelligence of man (which intelligence He gave them) thereby refusing to humble themselves to Him, the end is always the same, namely something is missing from their lives. One piece, the most important piece is missing and without that “piece” nothing will ever quite fit. Oh how much easier life would be if they found Him. How much light they would find to light their dark paths. How many answers to lifelong questions they could finally understand. How much deliverance from the bondage and pain that accompany men, often even to their graves. Are you blessed? If not start your quest there.

There are people that have found Him, sometimes buried in religious garb, yet still find themselves sorely pricked and persecuted in this life. They have been taught many things not found in the Bible, or at least not in the parts of the Bible written to them, and suffer because of it. Their deception isn’t in not finding Him, but instead in not finding the real, the true, the authentic Him. Their concept of God is neither comforting nor encouraging. They have been talked into this false notion of a God whose sole purpose is to find out what is wrong with man (as if He didn’t already know). In this dark fantasy He sits there as the judge pointing out their errors, their mistakes, their shortcomings and their faults. There is no blessing or happiness to be found in that pit of snakes. Instead evil uses it to further separate man from God and from the blessedness and happiness they have been so ardently seeking. Others have found Him yet associate Him with everything a man must do to be accepted by Him. And in their particular deception they have brought God down to the level of man as if a man could ever do enough to match God’s level of perfection. Yet onward they trudge, in misery, endeavoring to curtail all of their desires and enjoyments in life to stand approved before Him. All actions are wrong or have the potential to be, all thoughts are wrong or have the potential to be, all that a man wants to possess is wrong or could be and in this man finds himself reduced to a level below that of a beast that at least has the good sense to enjoy what it enjoys. The only way a man can truly be accepted by Him is to accept the offering He initiated in the life, death and resurrection of His son. The perfect for the imperfect. The innocent for the guilty. The only one that always got it right in every situation in every moment of his life. Outside of this pure act of love, man wastes his life trying to do on his own what he can never do on his own. Are you blessed? If not, rid yourself of man’s endless attempts to find Him and let Him find you.

There even are some people that have found God, love Him and have a pretty good understanding of His Word. These folks are very blessed yet still find themselves struggling at times, wrestling with evil and having bad days where they don’t feel blessed at all. Similar to those that haven’t found Him and those who think they have found Him but have Him buried in too much religion, these folks are also being deceived but that deception isn’t in not knowing Him but rather in not remembering what He said. The world is a confusing place at times and information hits our minds from a thousand different angles. Our enemy works hard to paint a picture that is not true at all, yet it sure seems true. Circumstances line up to produce conclusions that contradict the truth. What God promised He would do seems to not only not be true but also it appears we are even further away from what He said. Things seem to take too long at times. Certain folks just seem to fall into everything they need. Yet what we have failed to consider or keep considering is that what God says is true is true. Everything else has to be a lie. Every negative circumstance that takes away our peace, every apparent lack of results or answer to prayer, every time we feel as if we no longer have anything to look forward to in life is a lie carefully crafted by the exact same source that afflicts all people if he can. Often we find ourselves not blessed because we have been talked into something that is not true. Yet the solution is always simple, not easy, but simple. We have to get our minds and hearts back to what actually is true then cleave to it until our blessedness returns. You cannot keep feeding your mind sour vinegar and expect a sweet taste. You cannot dwell in thoughts of darkness and loss and find light to guide your path. You cannot focus on everything you don’t have (yet) and find what you really need. Are you blessed? If not maybe you need to change your thoughts back to the light and do your best to keep them there.

The only way we can ever be truly blessed, truly happy, is by seeking out and finding the real source of happiness and blessing. He has given us richly all things to enjoy. With Him we can only succeed. With Him we can find out where and how the darkness is deceiving us. With Him we can find peace, the peace that only He can give. With Him we can find the truth, the truth that sets us free. Without Him we can have everything the world has to offer us yet still find ourselves miserable and defeated. If you’re on a quest, Father knows best. Look at what your Bible says. Are you blessed? I know I am…

Just some good thoughts.