True blessedness

True blessedness

Blessedness is a natural attribute of humanity created in the image of God. It is God’s nature to bless His creation to fulfil the purpose for which He brought them into being. However, the fall of humanity severed the flow of blessings and triggered curses. But thang God for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, who absorbed the curses on our behalf so that we can have access to our blessings. Psalm 128 provides us with ways in which humanity can access God’s blessings or happiness and the results of such an outflow of blessings.

The Psalmist identifies two attributes of blessed people. First, blessed people fear the LORD. This text does not suggest that blessed people dread or are afraid of God. It does not refer to fear associated with punishment, suppression, persecution or slavery. To the contrary, the fear of God that leads to blessedness refers to the awe, reverence, or honour a follower of Christ accords to God in recognition of who He is as the creator and sustainer of the universe and everything in it. The mere fact that your very being and every provision for your life and godliness originates originate from, and depend on, Him. It is the indescribable appreciation of the Lord and His incomprehensible nature and provisions. The fear of the LORD places Him in His right position to fully express His nature and discharge His functions as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Blessed people obey God’s commandments.

Second, blessed people walk in God’s ways. Recognition of the nature and providence of God, which comes with full acceptance of God as the origin and sustainer of our lives, results in walking in His ways. The Lord, as the author and finisher of our lives, has designed us to exist and function in a particular way that most effectively and efficiently brings out our true being and attributes according to the will and purpose of our Creator. When we align our being and practices with the maker’s specifications and expected performance, there is agreement between God and us. Such concordance triggers God’s blessings usward.

Anyone who fears God and walks in His ways is blessed. The Psalmist outlines what happens when we are blessed. Blessedness does not only result in optimal productivity, but also allows you to eat the fruit of your labour. A man can do nothing than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, comes from the hand of God (Eccl. 2:24-25). When you delight in the law of the Lord, whatever your hands find to do will prosper and succeed (Joshua 1:8). 

Blessedness is accompanied with prosperity. In this context, prosperity does not mean accumulation of wealth, although that could be a component of it. This refers to convergence between the human and the divine will and purpose which allows God to fully express Himself in the life of an individual in the now and eternity. This implies that a person who has a terminal disease could still be blessed because if God’s eternal plan, the person may be experiencing pain now but is eternally rich. Our human perception and measurement of prosperity is often flawed. The Psalmist prompts to ask two questions: do you fear God? Do you walk in His ways? If your answers to these two questions are affirmative, you are blessed regardless of what the world tells.

A blessed child of God has a fulfilled family life. The wife is like a fruitful vine; she fully expresses her physical, spiritual and emotional productivity to support the family. She is and productive and reliable helpmate. The children of a blessed person are like olive shoots with the ability to function and bring forth healthy and abundant fruits. Every child of God must strive to fear God and walk in His ways.