We have been going through a study on Matt 5 which includes the beatitudes. You know the ones; Blessed are you when this or that... Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those that mourn; bless are the persecuted; blessed are the insulted. Doesn't sound quite right to me. Juxtaposition for sure. Some interpret "blessed" to mean happy. To me, this doesn't seem to fit. Be happy when you are persecuted sounds insensitive at best. When I say, "God bless you," I am not saying, "God, make you happy."
I wonder if we struggle to understand words like this (even when we go back to original languages) because it is so hard to describe God with language whether it is english or hebrew.
So Lee, how would you describe "blessed?" I think it means to be in the place where God wants us. In any situation, we need to realize that we are where God has placed us.
God blessed our marriage. It didn't always make us happy. When we gathered on a cold Saturday afternoon in the cold of Michigan in a small church, we had no idea what we were getting into, but God blessed us. He had us right where he wanted us. I am so glad God is bigger than my understanding.
God bless you.
