Meet Jesus - Day 16 of 40 - Blesser

Read Luke 6:20-23. 

Need blessing in your life? Jesus blesses.

He shared with His disciples and the crowd which followed Him, 

“God blesses you who are poor,

    for the Kingdom of God is yours.

21 

God blesses you who are hungry now,

    for you will be satisfied.

God blesses you who weep now,

    for in due time you will laugh."

Are you feeling poor--whether financially, spiritually, physically? Jesus blesses you. 

Are you hungry--whether your stomach is actually groaning or you longing for relationship? Jesus blesses you.

Are you mourning--whether over the loss of a loved one or a trial a friend is experiencing? Jesus blesses you (and your friend).

Like the milk ad, "got blessing?" No matter what we are going through, Jesus' blessing is there. It is given freely to us. This is who He is. This is what He does. 

Now when one is blessed, the trial, the hardship, the mourning may not necessarily evaporate. Yet one blessed receives a new or renewed countenance. Jeremiah provided a snapshot of one on the receiving end of God's blessing:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV)

Above ground the heat may come. On ground level the drought may continue. But deep down, the roots are connect to a wellspring that never dries up. These roots are continually fed with confidence in the One providing blessing, protection, community, nourishment, all that we truly need. 

As we look to Jesus: Blesser, we can direct others to Him. In the letters (epistles) found in the New Testament, we see blessings given by writers to their recipients (us). 

Paul ended his letter to the Philippians simply, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." (Philippians 4:23 NIV)

In what ways may God use us (use you) to be extenders of Jesus' blessings to others--to the poor, to the hungry, to the sad?