Blessings in Disguise

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5: 8

“God Bless You!” Sometimes we throw that phrase around without really thinking about what it means. The word bless means to ask for divine care, to praise or approve something, and to seek protection. We often think of a blessing as a reward, something good that’s happened. This has been one tough year and it might seem like blessings are hard to come by.

When Jesus stood on a hill and gave a sermon Christians call The Beatitudes, it was to a people who knew hard times. The list of blessings from God gave them hope that God knew their struggles and was still present and active in their lives.

Today, we too seek to know that all is not lost, that there are still good things happening around us. The Beatitudes point us in the right direction. The Message translation puts Matthew 5: 8 this way: “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” When I hear this blessing, I am reassured that in all of life’s challenges right now, we are not without hope that God is still blessing us in ways that are seen and ways that are unseen. Thanks be to God.