Blog:FOREST LAKE TALKS

by Jill Duffield, Presbyterian Outlook editor

MATTHEW 5:3-8

Blessed. What does that word mean to you? We may hear “God, bless you” after we sneeze or, in certain regions of the country, “Bless your heart.” Sayings like “too blessed to be stressed” are emblazoned on T-shirts and throw pillows, but in light of this text, what does it really mean to be blessed?

You, God, bless us, with your power to not only be present but to transform our most
painful circumstances. Being blessed does not render us immune from suffering. Being blessed offers us a sliver of light through the cracks, a lifeline in tumultuous waters, the assurance that we are more than our circumstances and immeasurably valued by none other than the Most High God. Amen.