Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

For a while, it was popular to post the most impressive thing about yourself on social media with the hashtag: #blessed. But this braggy habit had little to nothing to do with being blessed by God.

What then, is a blessing—the kind that God gives?  In relationship to God, a blessing is a gift of His grace, His touch upon your life, the breath of His presence in such a way that you’re strengthened, helped, and encouraged.

Being blessed isn’t the same thing as being happy. Imagine that you’re broke and hungry, and you are walking down the street.  You glance down at your feet and see a $100 bill.  No one’s around so you pick it up and head for a restaurant.  Are you happy or blessed?  Maybe both, but there is one thing for sure.  When the money runs out, you’re in trouble again. The blessings of God never run out.

You can be blessed when you aren’t very happy.  For example, Jesus talked about people who lie about you, who mistreat you, who abuse you, and then He said, “Blessed are you!” (Matthew 5:11).  Yes, God’s blessings go far beyond feelings of happiness.

The blessings of God often arrive in disguise—sometimes as a difficulty, something we would never chose for ourselves–but in retrospect we see how God’s loving hand guided and directed us into a much larger, enriched and strengthened life.

Do you long to experience the blessing of God?  We can put ourselves in the way of God’s blessing: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” Scripture encourages us, “blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).