TRUE BLESSEDNESS

image source: www.freelyphotos.com

March 24, 2015

This morning I woke up to the song, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. It's a song I've heard before but not one I was overly familiar with. So, I grabbed my ipad, went to YouTube, found the video and listened to the song. Here is a link to the lyrics.

Once the song finished playing, I prepared for prayer and began to speak to the Lord about happiness and that it is generally something that relies on happenings and events, and is often temporary. I was then led to look up the word happy in the concordance. So I opened up blueletterbible.org and proceeded to search for the word happy.

happy (H835: esher)

happiness, blessedness

A. often used as interjection

B. blessed are

LEXICON: happiness, where it is the force of an interjection, O' the happiness of the man, O' happy man. 

from (H833: ashar) 

to go straight walk, go on, advance, make progress

: to pronounce happy, called blessed

LEX: to make straight, right, upright erect...

Interestingly, the word happy, esher, speaks of blessedness; happiness as it is associated and tied to blessedness. The root word ashar speaks of walking straight and upright, to advance and make progress. 

I was then reminded of a blog post entitled The True Measure of Blessedness, which I will include at the end of this post.  

While in prayer, I spoke to the Lord about the significance of walking and how Jesus walked just about everywhere He went, and how we are instructed to walk. I also thought of the narrow way — the way to blessedness (Matthew 7:13-14). 

Whenever I think of blessed or blessedness, I think of Psalm 1: 1-3

1 Blessed (happy happy, how happy, how content) is the man who walketh not in the council of the ungodly nor standeth in the way (path) of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

and I can immediately segue over to Joshua 1: 8

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 

Success, prosperity and/or happiness blessedness hinges upon the law of the Lord which is torah. 

Quite errantly, we have taken the "Old Testament" and tried to make it null and void, as if the "New Testament" somehow replaced the old. But, as I heard someone so eloquently state, "Yeshua and the Word are one, the whole word," from Genesis to Revelation. 

The word says in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to abolish the law (Torah), but to fulfill it. That fulfillment is love. If you love me —  is written as the basis for why we keep His commandments and honor His word.  He gave us the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and by the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit are we to walk according to the commandments of God and be guided by His teaching and instructions outlined in the Torah. The Spirit of God will never contradict the written word of God and will never lead us to walk contrary to His word.

There is a wonderful balance and dynamic between the law (Torah) and the Spirit. Too much of one and not enough of the other is what creates either legalism or what I tend to call charismania (the spirit with no guidelines or basis in the word).

The torah is our instructor, our teacher, the way we come to learn of sin which leads us to repent before a Holy God and desire to be led by His Spirit. Galatians 3:24 says, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. It is what also causes us to understand why we needed a Saviour for immediately we understand our fallenness.

Unfortunately, we've pretty much thrown out the baby and the bathwater and we're left with what the bible terms as lawlessness (torahlessness). 

I was also reminded this morning that the people perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) and that knowledge is directly associated with the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (torah). As a result we don't know how to properly reverence the Lord, because we've discarded the principles (first things).

Because I'm happy is because of blessedness, and blessedness is directly associated with and tied to our walk with the Lord. The bible speaks in so many places about walking upright, walking along His paths and in His ways. The way to the Father is through the Son and it is a NARROW WAY. 

Yet even while I prayed, I saw a vision of that narrow way, and I realized that the narrow way, that confined, tight place is where we are pressed and crushed and broken and purged of those things that will hinder our access to the promised place, the kingdom. 

And finally, as I continued to pray, I saw the narrow way, and at the end, it transitioned into a lush, plush, green and fertile pasture. 

Let us govern ourselves accordingly, REPENT and return to first things. Let us delight in the law (torah) of the Lord and be planted firmly amidst the green pastures and still waters. 

Blessings to you all!

The True Measure of Blessedness

From September 19, 2014 after prayer

My daughter, My daughter, My daughter, come hear what your Father shall speak. O' Beloved, now you see, you see as I see. My people perish for lack of knowledge. Where is the steadfast devotion for Me? They run back to man and the things of this world, as some comfort can be found in what's fallen, in what's faulty. My faithful ones cry out to Me. Many like you desire to come home to Me, for eternity. They despise the things of the world. Stripped and barren, feeling naked and exposed. 

Know this beloved, it is I who have covered and kept you. It is My blood that was shed, and an adequate covering for you. Is there a man who died for the sins of humanity? So why do My people seek the imperfect things of the world as a covering? I Am He who is able to uphold you. It is I who can keep you through the storms, yet My people only call upon Me when trouble comes and go a whoring again as soon as what appears to be a blessing comes. Little do they know that if those mediocre blessings will tear their hearts from Me, how can I ever entrust them with more? 

This is why beloved, those I bless with the riches of the kingdom, access to unlimited favor, resource and blessing must be properly prepared to receive such things for they carry greater responsibility.

Woe unto one who would take from the hand of God  and think it of himself that he's been blessed. Many even now shall suffer loss for such grave error, that became prideful and arrogant and left their heart at the door at the first sign of a trinket of success. 

Am I a God so shallow that My own creation think themselves so crafty? Is it not I who knows the function and intent of every heart? There are some now who let it all go for Me that shall see that every test only qualified them for the next, yet the reward great. I do not take without an intent to give or even replace. While many held onto what I have given them to give, they missed what I wanted to get to them. Because their hearts were hardened and selfishness and greed set in, the flow and movement was held up. Yet, Beloved know that I Am, and My sufficiency endless.

For those who sought for themselves, woe unto you. Yet for those who gave freely, as I instructed, from their little shall receive much. My blessings go far beyond the tangible trinkets the world offers and require you do circus tricks to obtain. I specialize in heavenly and eternal blessings that flow in sync with who I Am; those, My chosen, who will listen to My heart and perform that which I place upon theirs. 

Fret not My beloveds, whom I trained in the valley, for it has only prepared you to sustain in the higher realms. Come up and see, for I will show you great and mighty things, unfathomable things, unknown things. Things held in store for a people made ready to receive. I have not forgotten nor turned aside from my promises. They were in Me, and a covenant for a covenant people. Your labor of love has not gone beyond notice. I hear the heart of every matter. My response will overwhelm you. 

So prepare, be reminded that I Am, for My demonstrations shall pour forth. Who can stop or contain Me? None, I say. The end of all things as they were shall yield the beginning as they should be. I Am the LORD, says God.

Jeremiah 17: 5-8
5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.