Who of us does not feel the need to know that God is blessing us? Only when we are assured of this can we have peace and rest in our souls. Each one of us should ask, "Is God blessing me? Is He blessing our family? Has the Lord blessed us in the past? Will He do so in the future? Is His blessing upon our church and denomina­tion?" Thinking Christians ask such questions and must have an answer. But what is a blessing? In what does it consist?

The word blessing is often used loosely and in a broad sense. When people speak of God blessing America they usually mean that in a very general way God has given good gifts to America, and has shown to the people of our land that He is a good God. But the Scriptural con­cept of a blessing is much more basic than that.

Some people equate blessings with the amount of ma­terial gifts they receive of the Lord for their enjoyment in this life. They have what may be called the "two pile idea". There is a pile of good things, and one of bad things. And as long as the pile of good things is bigger than the one of adverse things they conclude that the Lord is blessing them. But what if the pile of bad things becomes larger than the one of the good things, what then? Should we conclude from this fact that the Lord is not blessing us at that time, at least not as much. Thank God that this is not true.

I recently had a conversation with an older member of one of the churches which I served. This man who had been a leader and elder in the church for years, now is being heavily afflicted. In the light of his present adverse experiences, he told me, "I ask the question, what does it really mean that the Lord is blessing us? Is He blessing me now, in these circumstances?" Such questions he was asking of himself and really also of the Lord. A man who is celebrating his 80th birthday says, "The Lord has blessed me richly." And who would deny this? But what about the Christian who does not reach the age of 80? Is he (she) not being blessed? No one would dare to draw that conclusion. We congratu­late a couple who has their 60th wedding anniversary for the many blessings the Lord has given them. But again, what about many couples who do not have that many years together? What about all those Christians who are widows, who are poor, who are sickly all their lives, or have other physical or spiritual burdens.

I think of the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11.

Others were tortured and refused to be released so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went out in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in de­serts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.Hebrews 11:35-38

With them the pile of good things was comparatively small. But who would dare to conclude that they were blessed only in a small measure? They were heroes of faith, greatly blessed of the Lord.

The question "What is a blessing?" is a very impor­tant one. It is also difficult to answer, perhaps more from a theological viewpoint than from a spiritual and experiential viewpoint. This text is simple and therefore beautiful, "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord." A child can understand something of that.

A true and real blessing depends on God's attitude towards us. He blesses us when He is favorably disposed towards us — in Christ, of course. The Scriptures em­phatically teach that only in Christ is God favorably disposed towards the sinners. From cover to cover they show that only in Christ, the Lord blesses by saving us and giving us His promise and gifts of the Spirit.

This raises the question, "Who are in Christ?" This text says that they are those who "fear the Lord." This implies that by the grace of God they believe in Christ, trust in Him and love Him. The word "fear" has in it the thought of filial love, awe and adoration. With awe they love the Lord who has saved them from their sins in the Lord Jesus Christ. This implies that if we want to know whether the Lord is blessing us or not, we don't first of all look at things, whether the pile is big or small, but that we look at Christ. Do we believe in Him? And do we in Christ fear the Lord?

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. By contrast, this suggests that everyone who does not fear the Lord is not blessed. The Bible also emphatically teaches this. Solomon says that the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but He blesses the habitation of the just.

Also, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.John 3:36

From this text it follows that all those who in Christ fear the Lord are always blessed. They are blessed with all that God gives them, whether material or spiritual gifts. The Christian farmer may and should say, with a big crop, "The Lord has richly blessed me." He sees in this big crop more than mere things. They are gifts from the Lord whom He serves. The couple who has been married for 60 years recognizes that because they are in Christ, these 60 years have been gifts in Christ. And how thankful we should all be when that pile of good things is so big. This the Heidelberg Catechism calls prosperity and tells us that we should be thankful in it.

But the Heidelberg Catechism also speaks of adversi­ty. Then the pile of good things is small. Strictly speak­ing, of course, there is no adversity for the Christian. We can better speak, perhaps, of the bitter good that comes from the hand of the Lord. Then he has to be pa­tient. Then he has to live by faith alone, in the Word and all its rich promises. And he tries never to let go of this basic truth, "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord."

Often Christians can't even see that the Lord is bless­ing them. The opposite seems to be true, and the unbe­liever may receive more blessings than that of the child of God, (Psalm 73). At times like these only faith in the sure Word carries us through.

Remember that when the Lord blesses someone He also gives him His Spirit. And with the Holy Spirit and the Word, He gives abundant blessings of peace, cour­age, joy and security. People who fear the Lord are spiritually rich.

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. These words should be carved into our minds and souls. They are true, God says so. The promises of this truth are sure and real. Believing them we know that Romans 8:28 is also true for us, that "all things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose."

The promise of Psalm 23 is real, that "goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives."

God "will not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly" (fear Him, Psalm 84).

Let Christian children and young people as they face the future in this world live by this word and these pro­mises. And may they be ever more apparent to those who have reached the evening of life, knowing that the end is near.

It's sure, it's true, it's real. Blessed are all those who fear the Lord. God says so.

That we fear Him surely does not mean that we are always faithful. It does not mean that our faith is always strong. It does not imply that we are always on moun­tain tops of faith. It does not assume that we are without sins. But it does mean that we are in Christ, trusting in His righteousness and faithfulness. Fearing Him means that with all of our failures and weaknesses, we look to Jesus alone, the Jesus whom we really love. He is the "Rock," His promises stand. He will never fail His people.

God's people are rich because their God is rich in His love and faithful in His work and promises.