Perhaps one of the most popular words ever spoken among believers is “blessed.”
The word appears 302 times in the King James version of the Bible from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation. In fact, it’s mentioned 9 times in Matthew Chapter 5 alone.
I had a friend once who said, “God bless you.” Each time she hung up the phone, and let’s not forget the ever so popular “bless you,” that marks the end of a sneeze.
In the English language, it can mean several things: consecrated and holy, favored and fortunate, or blissfully happy.
So which one is it, or is it all three? Looking at the beatitudes in the original Greek, we see the word there is “makarios,” which means to be happy.
In Psalm 144 David wrote, “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!”
Does that mean that God’s people aren’t afflicted with trials? Does it mean that we aren’t facing the same disappointments and uncertainty that our neighbours are? Does it mean that our relationships are easier than everyone else’s? Or could it be that while we’re facing the same struggles we’re learning to be content and to trust in the wisdom of God?
Most people look at happiness as a constant rollercoaster of emotions. When life is good–they’re up, and when it’s down they’re down.
If that’s how it goes, how could we possibly expect to find joy in a world that is constantly changing? We can’t. But when the source of our joy stems from the unchanging, sovereign power of God, and the hope we find in His Word we not only can, we do!!
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The Ultimate Marriage Vow: 21 Days to a Lifelong Commitment
Every difficult day and every trial we face is an opportunity to connect with God in ways we might otherwise miss. And when we do trust in God? We open a door to deliverance, mercy, and grace.
And so, I’m asking, will you give me 21 days? That’s all I’m asking you for—3 weeks, 10 minutes a day, and a gentle heart that’s willing to yield. Give me 21 days to show you what God can do for your marriage. 21 days to remind you that marriage is a gift worth fighting for. 21 days to love on and pray for your husband. 21 days to a life filled with love, joy, and peace. 21 days to a life-long commitment.
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Tilling the Soil
Read Matthew Chapter 5.
Planting Hope
Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 144:15, NIV)
Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
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You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife