#blessed: Introduction

When I embarked upon this study of blessedness, I had no idea what was going to unfold through the pages of Scripture. This journey truly started in 2011 when I first began writing my 5-Minute Bible Study blog, which opened with this passage:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3, NIV)

This time around, something new jumped out at me. Did you catch the word this Psalm begins with?

Blessed.

Fast forward 7 years, and you will find the word blessed on just about anything you can imagine - memes, bracelets, necklaces, home decor, t-shirts, even yoga pants.

Recently, someone I love got me thinking about blessedness. What does it really mean anyway?

Eventually we’re going to get to the passage in the Psalm above, but for the first few lessons we’re going to begin with more of a word study - because there is so much more to this word than I ever realized!

Here are some questions I asked myself when I started my research:

What does it mean to be blessed?

Are all people blessed?

Are all blessings from God?

Is there more to the word blessed than popular culture acknowledges?

We will spend the next three weeks answering the above questions and discussing some thought-provoking topics as they pertain to the meaning of the word blessed. We’re going to talk about the promises of God upon the lives of those who know Him, and we’re going to be challenged to walk in the fullness of those promises!

Then, for the final three weeks, we will shift gears and dig in deep to the passage in Psalm above. By the time we’re done with this series we will KNOW what it means to be blessed, to bless others, and to walk in blessedness.

I pray this series challenges you, excites you, and inspires you in your walk with God as it did me!