Be Blessed

The word blessed is often translated happy, but it is much more . Happy is something that you feel when,"everything is going  my way."  Blessed is based on truth and faith in a loving Heavenly Father, no matter what the situation.

My Devotion book these last few days has been based on the beatitudes. This portion of the bible known as the Sermon on the mount and is found in 5th chapter of  Matthew.

My chronological reading list has me in the same verses in Matthew and Luke.

The first in a list of 8 "Blessed are "  is:.
Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God
Those who realize and acknowledge their need for God and humbles themselves  before God will receive the Kingdom of God. The first step to solving any problem is to realizing  that their is a problem.  Our problem is sin and pride and we need a Savior.

The second is:
Blessed are those  who mourn for they will be comforted.
Those who grieve over their sin will be comforted and forgiven.

The third is:
Blessed are  the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
We are to be gentle and lowly and humble before God and we will be raised up to greatness in the kingdom of God.

The forth is:
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
We need to desire a loving relationship with God that is real and growing above any thing else in life.

The fifth is:
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
The best way to be merciful is to realize that God's mercy on us is more that we can imagine or deserve.
Therefore, we should show mercy.

The sixth is:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
We need to keep our heart pure toward those around us.  Remember that we  receive blessings so that we can be a channel of God's blessings to others.

The seventh is:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
God loves peace.  He was so willing to make peace with mankind that He gave His Son to reconcile us to Him'  When we were in our rebellious state  and a enemy of God, he treated us with mercy and grace. Receiving us as His children through His Son.

The eighth is:
Blessed are those which are persecuted  for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.  It is easy to bless those that we love and are good  to us. The challenge is to bless those who persecute, hate and talk about us.  But that is when we become a channel  of God's great love and become a witness.

God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others and He receives the glory.

Be blessed.