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Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
[New International version]
Life is not just a series of random experiences. It’s full of small blessings that come in the most unexpected ways. If you ask most people, they would say blessings come in the form of money, possessions, power, or success, but that’s a worldly view.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used the word “blessed” in its Greek form, makarios, which means to be happy or fortunate. It was used to describe circumstances that were particularly sublime – an island that was temperate with fertile soil, or a person full of divine grace. These things are self-contained. The idea is that happiness is not dependent on our circumstances. Happiness is self-contained, regardless of anything external, no matter the circumstance.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we recognize that we are blessed by gifts from God, no matter how small. In fact, every day is a gift. God is a loving Father who delights in blessing His children and “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6.17).
But God doesn’t always give us what we want. He does give us what we actually need. In loss, we gain. Isn’t that an amazing blessing? God knows what He’s doing, and for us to think we know what we need more than He does is more than hubris, it’s blasphemy. We don’t know better than God.
As He provides for us, we find happiness in all circumstances because God is in control. That happiness is self-contained, and it cannot be shaken. Makarios.
Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for Your many blessings. Help us to trust You, and to be content in all circumstances as they are in Your control, and working for Your purpose. Use us to bless others, and forgive us for falling short. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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H/t: BY CHRIS WITTS
