Promised Blessing

Galatians 3:9 is "So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." This is a promise -- people of faith will be blessed.

We use the word, "blessed" often in our society. "God bless America." "Have a blessed day." "Blessings on you!" But what is the blessing that is promised in Galatians 3?

Many people believe that blessing means prosperity, health, and happiness. They think that if you are facing difficulties or struggling with finances, you are not experiencing the blessing of God.

A few years ago, the Prayer of Jabez was a popular subject. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read,  "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.'" To prove their point that prosperity, health, and happiness signify God's blessing, proponents of this doctrine use the end of the verse, "And God granted his request."

One of my new favorite songs is Laura Story's "Blessings." The song reminds us that blessings might not be prosperity, health, and happiness. It may be disappointment, pain, and trouble. Here are the lyrics:

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

So, back to Galatians 3: 9, what blessing is promised?

Looking closely at Galatians 3:6, we find our answer, "Consider Abraham: He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." God declared that Abraham was righteousness. People of faith in Jesus Christ are declared "righteous" before God.

Romans 4:4-7 reiterates the blessing of righteousness, "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.'"

Imagine--the Righteous Judge declares that sinful Brenda Eubank is Righteous -- a person without sin! AMAZING!! What grace and mercy!!! That is a blessing!!!

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