Many times, blessings are equated to things bestowed by God that come our way.  Yes, it is true.  But what if we are not seeing things pouring upon us?  Will we still have the courage, strength and audacity to call ourselves BLESSED?

The answer should be “YES”!  In truth, at the time of creation, we have already been declared BLESSED!

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.  Then God BLESSED them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

The world has its own way of defining the word “blessed”, but if we want to live our lives not in a roller coaster manner of being subject to what we see or not, we are to go back to the Word of God, be established in it and see what was spoken of us by none other than God The Creator Himself, Who is our Father, Who is TRUTH, Who sustained the world by the word of His power.  Therefore, what He says, He will do.

Whatever God spoke, it became just as what He spoke into existence, all because everything that He created apart from men do not have the free will to choose whether to obey or not.  Look at what Jesus did to the fig tree.

“Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and SAID to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.”  Immediately the fig tree withered away.”  (Matthew 21:18-19)

It is not that Jesus just wanted to curse the fig tree for no reason at all.  God is GOOD, always GOOD, which should be the cornerstone of our faith and He is a God of purpose, thus, He did it to drive home a point.  Jesus showed the disciples how powerful faith can do if it is without resistance.

“And when disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”  So Jesus answered and said to them, “ASSUREDLY, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:21-22)

You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made and God gave us the gift of free will.  He never desired for His kingdom to be a bunch of robots.  He never desired dictatorship.  He wanted relationship.  He designed His kingdom to be initiated by His great love and for that love to be responded by our love expressed through our yielded will.

Until we find ourselves hungry and thirsty for His Word, we are at a loss, for the Word of God breathed by Holy Spirit is where love, life and light flow.  Our revelatory knowledge of Him plays the most vital role in our existence, knowing Who Jesus is, what He has done, who we are before His very eyes and how much we are loved by Him.

Indeed, it is His perfect love that casts out ALL our fears away, namely, fear of the unknown of what is to come, fear to surrender to the One Who is Sovereign, fear to obey what the Almighty God is speaking, fear to no longer be in control of our lives, fear, fear and more fear.  This is the very reason why He is wooing us to come to KNOW HIM and TRUST HIM and to know the “I AM” because when we truly and experientially do, to abandon ourselves into His mighty loving arms will be an effortless act.

What comes between His will and our will is our mind that needs to be continually renewed by the washing of His Word revealed to us by the Holy Spirit Who dwells inside us.  His Word is to be esteemed as the final authority in our lives.  But an unrenewed mind is resistant to what He is speaking.  It has been so programmed by how the world thinks that puts limitations to the plans and purposes of God in our lives and hinders us from fulfilling who He called us to be.  We are so accustomed to judge a situation by what we physically see rather than what the Word says about you and me.

One of the best examples to this is the phrase, “To see is to believe!”  Come to think of it, when we see it, we no longer need to believe it.

But His Word says, “We live by faith and not by sight!” (2 Corinthians 5:7)  What a contrast!

How about the word, “successful”?  How does the world define it?  Position? Possession? Fame and Fortune?  It is by our outward condition that determines our identity.  But “for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew‬ ‭16:26‬

What happens when one looses them all?  One’s identity vanishes and assumes the value zero together with them.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

One the most powerful descriptions that put me in reverential awe of this word “successful” is in the life of Joseph.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a SUCCESSFUL man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.  So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.  So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field.”  (Genesis 39:2-5)

I so love the first mentioned verse, “The Lord was with Joseph” and that made him a successful man.  What Joseph successfully did in the house of his Egyptian master was primarily because the Lord was with him.

Our greatest blessing should be the INDWELLING presence of the Holy Spirit that causes us to prosper and be blessed outwardly.  There may be areas in our lives where blessings are yet to manifest, but be of good cheer, as long as our eyes are focused on the Promise-keeper and the promises that He has spoken into our hearts, SURELY they shall come to pass.

We are to live our lives from the inside-out!  Our identities are to be firmly founded on His Word of promise saying, “I Am with you ALWAYS.” (Matthew 28:20), whether we feel it or not.  We choose to walk by faith which is “the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP)

Jesus Christ, the Anointed One and His anointing is IN US, therefore, we are anointed, not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.

“You have an anointing. You received it from Him, and His anointing remains on you. You do not need any other teacher. But as His anointing instructs you in all the essentials (all the truth uncontaminated by darkness and lies), it teaches you this: “Remain connected to Him.” (1 John 2:27 Voice)

When the 72 disciples were sent out and later on returned with joy and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” (Luke 10:17), I was kinda puzzled yet still in passionate pursuit of how Jesus responded when He said, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

Hmmmm … I believe the above-mentioned statement of Jesus reveals to us that when our names are written in heaven, that means we are guaranteed we will spend eternity with and in Him. It is to show us how our intimate and everlasting relationship with Him is of more value and importance to Him than us doing the works for His kingdom, and that we are to perceive it the same way and rejoice over it.

The BLESSING of HIS PRESENCE is to be our utmost necessity and priority. No wonder He said, “SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be ADDED unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Always see yourself BLESSED in spite of and be fully persuaded by what He said.

“For You have made him most blessed forever;
    You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.” (Psalm 21:6)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your only begotten, beloved Son Jesus Christ, through Whom intimacy is made possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us.  Apart from the Blood of Jesus, no man can ever become the temple of Your Spirit where You chose Your home to be.  What a wonderful blessing indeed to host Your Presence, allowing You to freely move and live and have Your being in and through us by renewing our minds according to Your word that pulverizes every stubborn resistance for You to flow in and through us. Indeed, we are exceedingly BLESSED!  Amen!