The Bible is filled with examples of God’s provision and blessing over his people which display His unchanging and infinite love for mankind.
What is a biblical blessing? A biblical blessing is a blessing from God found in the bible. They are an outpouring of God’s grace over His people and a reward for the people who choose to seek God and the righteousness of his kingdom.
It is important to understand the blessings that God has for us because it helps us to understand more of his character, and what he desires in his people.
The Beatitudes Explained
The Beatitudes are an opening set of blessings that Jesus announces in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.
This passage of scripture has been one of my favorite passages for some time and is intended to describe the way of the Kingdom of God.
When we set our eyes on Jesus and allow Him to change our hearts to focus on Him, we begin to desire what he does. This passage shows what He desires and what we should begin to do as we submit to his rule reign and authority in our lives.
I hope by the end of this post you will have a better understanding of what each beatitude means, and the blessings that God has in store for those who choose to pursue righteousness and the way of his kingdom.
1) Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 ESV
This verse is a bit misleading to begin with isn’t poverty of spirit a bad thing? Although poverty of spirit doesn’t sound like something to rejoice in at first, it begins to make sense when we exchange the word “poor” for “humble.”
Jesus is talking about the blessing of a humble spirit and a repentant heart. Those who humble themselves before God, recognize their sin, and their need for a savior, are blessed because they are a part of God’s kingdom.
2) Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4 ESV
This verse also seems to be quite opposite of what it should be. Why should I rejoice in the blessing of mourning? Why is it a blessing to begin with?
When we mourn a loss, whatever it looks like, it is an opportunity for us to draw close to Jesus and experience his supernatural comfort.
We don’t seek the comfort of Jesus unless we are hurting, so the hurting is a blessing when we get to have that sweet closeness with him.
3) Blessed Are The Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5 ESV
Meek is not a word that we often use in English today, so it is easily misunderstood. To be meek is a form of gentleness. An exercise of self control, especially in stressful or frustrating situations.
Note that meekness and weakness are not the same thing. A meek person has the capacity to act pridefully or in anger and chooses not to. A weak person is unable to react in this way.
The claim that the meek would inherit the earth was entirely contrary to the culture of the time.
In a world ruled by Rome, only those who were mighty would be powerful. However, Jesus is saying that in his kingdom, those with a meek and gentle spirit would inherit the earth. There is power in meekness.
4) Blessed Are Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6 ESV
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This seems to make more sense, however, even this blessings has more implications than you may realize. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, it shows our desire for two things.
First, a desire for our own personal righteousness. We want to do what is pleasing to God. And second, we want to see righteousness abound in the world.
The Sermon on the Mount discusses many blessings and then describes a righteous lifestyle that calls people to action. This lifestyle can also be described as the way of the kingdom of God.
When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we are really seeking out the expansion of the kingdom of God in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
5) Blessed Are The Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Matthew 5:7 ESV
Jesus reiterates this point over and over throughout the course of his ministry. While he typically uses these statements in terms of forgiveness, the two are closely related.
God has extended great mercy over us by sacrificing his Son to take away our sin. Out of his desire for us to become like him, He blesses us when we also act in mercy.
6) Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8 ESV
What does it mean to be pure in heart? To be pure in heart means to be completely surrendered to, and filled by, God. When you are pure in heart you are not distracted by the things of this world, you are content with who you are in Jesus.
Those who walk in pureness of heart will see God.
7) Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9 ESV
Peacemakers seek reconciliation, not just in their own relationships, but between the world and God. They themselves are reconciled to God and desire that others also have that relationship with God.
Those who are peacemakers are called sons of God as they have been adopted into his family through that reconciliation, and in the process they have also imaged his Son, the Prince of Peace.
8) Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness’ Sake
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10 ESV
Righteousness is not always rewarded, especially when it is in conflict with what society says is righteous. However, God promises that there is a blessing for those who continued to pursue righteousness, even as they experienced persecution.
As we discussed before, righteousness is connected to the kingdom of God. Those who continue to pursue righteousness are pursuing the way of the kingdom and are part of it for allowing God to rule over their life.
9) Blessed Are You Who Are Reviled And Persecuted on My Account
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11 ESV
In this final blessing of the Beatitudes, Jesus reminds us that we are not alone in being persecuted for our faith.
There are many others throughout history who have also struggled. But, for those who pressed on until the end, there is great reward in heaven.
God rewards greatly, those who continue to stay faithful to him, even when everything is lost. Not only will he reward you in heaven, but he will be with you in the process, giving you strength for each passing day to continue to walk through that persecution without wavering.
10) Abraham’s Blessing
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 ESV
This is perhaps one of the most important blessings in the entire Bible. God makes this covenant with Abraham with the result that he and the rest of the world would be blessed. This blessing was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ two thousand years later.
Jesus’s fulfillment of that promise brought about the blessing of salvation for the Jews and the Gentiles. Without it, we would be without hope today, lost in our sin and unable to get out.
Praise God for the blessing He gave to the world!
11) Blessed Is The Wise One Who Trusts
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,
Proverbs 16:20 ESV
and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
Proverbs is a collection of wisdom from King Solomon, son of David. The chapter tends to deal with four main concepts, one of which is the pursuit of wisdom and its effects. This verse speaks to that, saying that the person who spends time in the deliberate study of the “word” (the Bible) will find good things.
Those things may vary but essentially, good comes of studying the Bible. That same person who dedicates time to that study and trusts in the Lord, will be blessed.
12) Blessed Is The Seeker
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Psalm 119:1-3 ESV
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
This verse is the opener to a psalm predominantly focused on the influence of the Word of God. This verse promises a blessing to those who walk in the law of the Lord, meaning they obey God’s Word, and whose way is blameless, meaning they are walking the straight and narrow path.
By saying “blameless,” this verse is not saying you have to be perfect to receive this blessing, but that you have to be seeking God with all your heart, and pursuing the straight and narrow path and walking in his ways.
13) Blessed Is The One Who Delights In The Law Of The Lord
Blessed is the man
Psalm 1:1-3 ESV
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
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
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
This passage is the opening of the entire book of psalms and contrasts the person who delights in the sin of the world and the person who delights in the law of the Lord.
The phrase, “The law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night” means they delight in studying the Word of God.
This person is compared to a fruitful tree that is full of life, and as a result of these blessings, this person prospers in all that he does. Prospering can take many shapes and forms. It could look like material success, however, it could also be prosperity in the sense that their relationship with God is prosperous, or that the kingdom of God is thriving.
It doesn’t have to mean everything in life will be perfect.
14) Blessed Is The One Who Trusts In The Lord
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.
In Jeremiah 17, God is addressing his people for their idolatry, which they have treated as nonexistent or “not a big deal.”
God is revealing to them their extraordinary sin, which they can no longer ignore. He then goes on to contrast the person who trusts in other men and the person who trusts in the Lord.
The person who trusts in the Lord is like the person who meditates on the Word of God from Psalm 1. He is like a tree on the water that bears much fruit.
15) Blessed Is the Refugee
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Psalm 34:8-9 ESV
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
This is a Psalm of praise to God for who he is and what He has done. In this case, particularly for the refuge that he provides. It is saying to all, look at God, who he is and what he’s done, can’t you tell that he is good? We are blessed when we take refuge in him.
To take refuge is to find a safe place in a storm. Those who choose to run to God when things get difficult are blessed, as opposed to those who run to the world and will not be fulfilled.
16) Blessed Is The One Who Blesses His Enemies
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9 ESV
This verse relates strongly to Matthew 5:43-44,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'”
One of the things Jesus did through his ministry was defined more strongly the way of the kingdom of God. This was one of those things. That instead of giving people what you think they deserve, we should bless them and react with grace, just as Jesus does.
When we react with grace towards evil, we will be blessed.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t rebuke evil when it comes, but we don’t take their punishment into our own hands. We act in grace and allow God to be the judge.
17) Blessed Is Blind Faithfulness
Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’
John 20:29 ESV
Jesus has just been resurrected from the dead and has appeared to several disciples. However, Thomas still doesn’t believe that Jesus was resurrected until he sees it and feels it. Jesus responds to his doubts by announcing a blessing for those whose faith in God was so strong that they didn’t need to see, they believed regardless.
In the same way, we should act in strong faith in what God is doing. Even if we don’t understand, we should walk in faith. This will bring blessing.
18) Blessed Are The Forgiven
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
Psalm 32:1 ESV
whose sin is covered.
This verse is the opening of Psalm 32 which is primarily focused on repentance and forgiveness. This verse is a reminder of the blessing of forgiven sins.
It can be easily taken for granted what a blessing it is that God forgives our sins. We need his forgiveness so often that it sometimes becomes normal and we forget what a gift it is. Don’t forget that blessing.
19) Blessing In Trials
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4 ESV
These verses which open the book of James speak of the blessing that trials bring to our lives. Our trials are not curses but should be sources of joy for a chance to grow in endurance, so that when more difficult times come we are able to stand firm.
So instead of mourning our trials, we ought to rejoice and thank God for the time that we get to be drawn close to him as we lean on his strength to persevere through the trial.
20) Blessing To Those Seeking His Kingdom
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 ESV
These verses don’t mention a specific blessing, however, they are evidence of the blessing of God on the lives of his children. God is always looking out for us and providing for our needs.
We don’t need to worry about tomorrow but instead focus on seeking God, His kingdom, and His righteousness. He will take care of the rest.
21) Blessed Is The Child of God
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
In this verse, grace takes on a different meaning than how we traditionally use it. In this case God’s grace is referring to His grace in providing for us, so that out of the abundance of his provision we are able to care for ourselves and also abound in the good work of caring for others.
God’s provision is a blessing over us, not just to care for ourselves, but for the privilege of caring for others around us as well.
22) Blessed Are We In Christ
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV
The book of Ephesians opens with a blessing woven into the account of the story of redemption, reminding us of the blessing that Christ’s atoning sacrifice brought. Because of this sacrifice, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.
He chose us before he even laid the foundations of the earth so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight. And, even though we messed up, his great love allowed us to be saved by adoption so that we would praise him for his grace.
23) Blessed Through God’s Plan
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
In my experience, this is perhaps one of the most popular Bible verses there is. So much so that I didn’t take the time to understand what this passage was truly saying. When you read Jeremiah 29 you find that God has sent Israel into exile for their disobedience.
However, we also see that God doesn’t want them to dwell in that sin, he wants them to establish themselves in their new homes and continue to pray to him because he is faithful and will keep his promise to restore Israel.
God knows the plans he has for Israel, ones that will be for their well-being. He will remain faithful to his promises, and he will restore Israel back to the promised land.
You may be a season of turmoil right now. However, that does not diminish God’s ability to remain faithful. He is unchanging. He has a plan with your well-being at heart. He will pull through, just be patient.
24) Blessed Is The One Who Commits Their Work To The Lord
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3 ESV
When we commit our work to the Lord we are submitting our time and energy to God and allowing Him to direct our steps. We are making his plan a priority and choosing to follow his direction. When this happens, our plans become his plans, and we can be sure that he will help his plan succeed.
When we walk in the way of the Lord, he blesses our steps and helps us to succeed in carrying out his master plan.
25) Blessed Are Those With Gifts From Above
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17 ESV
As a final reminder to close out this post, never forget the source of the blessings in our lives. Every blessing, every good thing is from God. It is to him we owe our thanks and praise for his abundance in our lives.
He is not fickle but steadfast in love. God will continue to pour out his love as an extension of his unchanging character.