“Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ,” Ephesians 1:3 AMP
The Apostle Paul opens his letter the church at Ephesus with the words “Blessed and worthy to be praised.” The word is derived from the Hebrew meaning to be “well-spoken of” or “to be honored.” In the Old Testament it was never used to describe the condition of man but rather was reserved for God only. God was to be acknowledged as the provider and protector of the land and its people. Because of His faithfulness to the responsibility, He had over the nation He was to be honored and praised. As time progressed, we see that the people forgot the faithfulness of God and began praising themselves for all their accomplishments. Nothing has changed! In the book of Romans. Paul brings charge against those who week to inflate their own worth and success.
“For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles” Romans 1:20-23
Day by day we see the fulfillment of this verse. The good news is that we who are now surrendered to Christ are called blessed by our savior! Look again at our verse for today; “…who has blessed us…” Can you imagine that in the heavenlies God is speaking highly of you? Not only that, but He is also determined to provide for our every need. The issue here is the location of these blessings of God are found in the heavenly realm. In response, we remain focused and committed to the path He has established for our lives. Of course the greatest blessing is that of salvation! The Apostle Peter understood this when he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
“Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4[born anew] into an inheritance which is imperishable [beyond the reach of change] and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.” 1 Peter 1: 3-5 AMP
What tremendous blessings for creatures that were full of sin and rebellion! If those words do not motivate and excite you to a higher level of commitment, I don’t know which ones will! Are you gratefully praising the Savior today? Have you received of His boundless mercy? Are you living in confidant hope and assurance? Take time today to love the Lord with all heart, all your soul, and all your mind and watch the blessings flow! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken