What is a blessing?

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.

About this week's promise:

President Bush and other politicians often end their public appearances by saying, "God bless America." This week, we're going to look at what God's blessing meansto us as individuals and as a nation.

Blessings have to do with both giving and receiving. It was a vital part of life in Bible times. To bless someone meant many thingsto praise them, pray for them, and commit them to God's care. It also meant to dedicate and challenge them to live forever committed to God, to keep hold of spiritual things. It was a call for abundance and prosperity for another. And it was also a way of officially passing on the family inheritance to the oldest son.

Wishes for a rich and abundant life were inherent in a blessing, although not always in a material sense. God was recognized as the ultimate source of the blessing. The person blessed would walk with the Lord and receive his benefits.

To receive God's blessing meant not only to enjoy innumerable tangible gifts but in a much deeper way to be welcomed into a special relationship with him, a relationship to be affirmed and practiced. Part of this, in turn, means being a blessing to others, a way of saying we have been a godly help for others.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House