Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven, And whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute wickedness, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent about my sin , my body wasted away Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; My energy (vitality, strength) was drained away as with the burning heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my wickedness; I said, “I will confess [all] my transgressions to the Lord ”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found; Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him. You are my hiding place; You, Lord , protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you. Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bridle and rein to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in and relies on the Lord shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous [who actively seek right standing with Him]; Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
PSALM 32:1‭-‬11 AMP

Yesterday I spent about 4 hours in the ER with my husband, who had been taken there by ambulance from his work. Gratefully, we are all back home again and he is on the mend. But even if he were not on the mend as well as he is today, and even in the ER yesterday when they were trying to determine what was wrong, I was blessed. My husband was blessed. My family was blessed. No, we were not blessed in the eyes of the world. An outsider looking in would not consider an ER visit being blessed. The world will never see such such things as being blessed. Because the world is short-sighted. The world looks at what it can see and feel and touch and hear. But true blessedness does not come from the world; it comes from God.

Look at Psalm 32. It doesn’t say, “Blessed is the man who doesn’t have to go to the ER.” It doesn’t say, “Blessed is the man who has money at his fingertips.” It doesn’t say, “Blessed is the man whose life is picture perfect.” It says, “Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven.” In other words, blessedness is a spiritual position, not a physical experience. No matter how we may feel or what we may see, if we are forgiven, then we are blessed.

Yet we also must remember that even forgiveness is not something we can obtain by earthly means. No one on earth has the power to take away our shame and our sinfulness. No one on earth has the power to save us. The only One with with the ability to forgive sins is God. This means God (and our relationship with Him) is the source our blessedness.

So today, if you have done what David declares and Psalm 32–if you have not hidden your wickedness but acknowledged and confessed your sin to the only One who can wipe it away–then you are blessed. If you have surrendered your heart to the only One with the power to heal it, then you are blessed. And therefore, “when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in]” you. Or as Jesus reminded his disciples and all of us, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).

My friend, being blessed cannot be bought. It can not be earned. And it cannot be taken away. For it is given–given by God to all who call upon Him–to all of you who “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead...” (Romans 10:9). 

Therefore today, don’t let the world and all that is in it determine whether or not you are blessed. Choose it yourself. Choose Jesus.

No, choosing Jesus won’t take away all of the heartache and the pain and the trials that come with life on this Earth, but choosing Jesus does take away your sins. It does wipe away the eternal punishment that awaits those who choose the world instead. And that, my friend, makes you blessed.

Let God write the words of Psalm 32 on your heart today, so that whatever may come your way–whatever trial, whatever temptation, whatever heartbreak–you may sing like David:

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in and relies on the Lord shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness.

And as you do, as you declare your spiritual state of blessedness, you will also sing out like David to all who cross your path:

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous [who actively seek right standing with Him]; Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Shout for joy with me today. Give thanks to the Lord for all the great things He has done. Because if you are His child–if you have acknowledged Him as your Savior, then you are blessed. Truly blessed.