Elohim, The God of Creation

 

“Blessed”

Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash

Psalm 103:2  “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

                                                        (KJV)

When people ask me how I am doing, my answer is either “Blessed” or “Blessed & Well”.  Some people think that I am trying to be “deep” or that it is just a cliche.  Neither is true.  A few months ago, someone's response to me was “Yeah, but how are you really and how do you really feel.  I repeated that I was “blessed and well”.  That was the truth!  There is a distinct reason why that is always my response which has everything to do with being obedient and nothing to do with trying to impress or be “deep”.

The answer to how I am will always be a statement of fact which is "blessed!" How I am feeling may vary. In the past, my only answer may have been “I’ve got a really bad headache” or that I was just “ok”, etc.  The Lord checked me and “called me out”.  That rebuke went like this.  “I don’t care what you are going through and how bad you may feel, when someone asks you how you are, the FIRST thing out of your mouth had better be that you are BLESSED!  There are people who would give almost anything to be as blessed and doing as well as you are doing!”  My only response was “Yes, Lord!  I’m sorry!"

My personal response is also my testimony.  I get a kick out of being in a checkout line in a store with a cashier who says “how are you” (without even looking up AND who usually doesn’t wait for or expect a response) because that question is cliche.  I give my usual response which totally catches them off guard.  They actually stop, without eye contact to respond with  “Oh, I guess I’m ok.”  I’ll look them over and say, “I don’t don’t see a wheelchair, an oxygen tank, crutches, or a colostomy bag.  Then they usually stop for a second and give me eye contact as if to say “What!?!?!”.  One of them said with an eye roll, “Well, if you put it like that, I guess I’m blessed too! 😊

This does not mean that one may not be exhausted, or not feeling well, or “fill in the blank”, but the first thing should be the confession and declaration of being “Blessed”!  I recall reading something where the writer said that he was complaining about wanting some new shoes until he saw a man with no feet.  That really put his complaint in perspective.  We may complain about wanting a nicer house or living in a nicer neighborhood, but when we see someone whose bed is a park bench or whose home/neighborhood is a cardboard box in an area under a bridge or trestle, may we humble ourselves and repent for our DIScontent and lack of gratitude.

Gospel singer Fred Hammond has a song called “We’re Blessed” on his album called “Shakin' The House...Live in L.A” on YouTube.  The basis of the song is found in Deuteronomy 28:1-12 which tells about all the blessings He bestows on us if we obey Him.

May the confessions of our mouths reflect that gratitude.  (Psalm 103:2)

Blessings.

~cwp~