We have said before and we will say it again with the Psalmist and others inspired to write truth—With God, everything.  Without God, nothing.  Blessed is the man and woman who revere God and cherish what He says.  When darkness comes, blessed people who truly believe God, wait for the morning sunrise to bring a new perspective to troubles in the light of day.  “Let the morning bring Word of your unfailing love; for all my trust is in you.” (Psalm 143—Read all of it to be greatly blessed within!)

I love Psalm 112 that describes our intimate relationship with God with all the healthy details that indicate and define our growth in Him.  Blessed does not mean temporary happiness with all things going our way.  To be blessed is having and holding on to the eternal connection and communion with a God we cannot see but have total trust in by our surrender to His will.  Being blessed does not mean God is our benefactor of all we want upon demand; Being blessed means God is the One and Only we trust for all we need.  And what a blessed thought it is to let go and let God for it relieves us of the load we carry unnecessarily to a God who knows what we need before we do and provides at just the right time!  Blessed is the man, woman and child who do not worry but rely completely on our Lord and Savior.  Blessed are we who know and relish His promises as well as His commandments that keep us always moving forward on the path to Him daily—no matter the outlaying circumstances that pop up on our journey.  God can handle all that comes along for He is Sovereign.

Yes, complete surrender to God is a blessed state of mind. 

Psalm 112, The Message

^1-10 Hallelujah!
Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,
Who cherish and relish his commandments,
Their children robust on the earth,
And the homes of the upright—how blessed!

Their houses brim with wealth
And a generosity that never runs dry.
Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—
God’s grace and mercy and justice!

The good person is generous and lends lavishly;
No shuffling or stumbling around for this one,
But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.
Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,

They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!
Someone wicked takes one look and rages,
Blusters away but ends up speechless.
There’s nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God is supreme example of generosity. 

 ^“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17

God gave us His Son so that we could be reconciled (reconnected) to God forever—sin is removed to be remembered no more. There is nothing God will not forgive so that is no excuse for those who think with pride in their hearts that their sin too much for God to handle.  Have you read the Bible at all, we know from His Word that God is grieved by our sin but because His love is greater than our sin—He made a Way, the One and Only Way to remove it by the cleansing blood of His One and Only Son, once and for all.  Truth.  Whether we believe this or not—it is still Truth.

By God’s example and with His growing love within all who surrender; we desire to be like the One we adore in awe—So we give—generously to all in need.  We don’t seek to be God; we seek to be like God in His character and His chief characteristic is Generosity.  How generous are we?  How generous am I?  Pause to reflect prayerfully.

Blessed is the one who is generous, knowing that we can never outgive God! Generosity is a beautiful trait to see men and women created in the image of God Himself.  Blessed are those who have surrendered their lives committedly to His care and keeping.  Generosity is an outpouring of a heart surrendered to Jesus.

The best part of the blessings is so aptly described in The Message by Eugene Peterson;

Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,
They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!

With God, everything. Without God, nothing.  Blessed versus cursed.

There is nothing to the dreams of the wicked—absolutely nothing.

Could this be what Jesus was trying to get all people to understand when he preached to thousands on the Mountain top that day?  (Matthew 5-7)  I think we are getting closer… 😉

Lord,

Thank you for always pointing out vividly the difference between walking humbly with you with a spirit firm, blessed state of mind and walking aimlessly in the world without you.  Cleanse our hearts, remove all that does not belong in them.  Renew our minds which transforms all we think, say, and do. Refresh our souls with your new tender mercies for today. And restore continually the joy and peace of your salvation at work with us to be all you created us to be.  I’m yours.  I’m listening, heart ready.

In Jesus Name, Amen