Blessed
Scripture Reading: Psalm 49:16-20
I’ve noticed that people put the hashtag “blessed” on social media posts typically about some financial or professional success. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with that. I applaud anyone who attributes good gifts to God. But I do think it is important that we consider how we should gauge and rank blessings.
We tend to define blessings in the categories of health and wealth. Again, please do be grateful for every good gift. But note what the Psalmist said in Psalm 49. “For though, while he lives, [the rich man] counts himself blessed…his soul will go to the generation of his fathers…”
The problem this Psalm is dealing with is the seeming contradiction of the wicked and their wealth. Why do wicked people become wealthy? Human reason and logic would suggest that wicked people should be suffering for their wickedness. Wealth and ease of life don’t seem to fit. Of course, the Psalmist isn’t suggesting all wealthy people are wicked or all poor people are righteous. He is specifically dealing with the issue of those who are wicked and wealthy.
They count themselves blessed. And it might be that people who have true faith, who are committed to righteous living, who seek to honor Christ with their lives don’t find themselves “blessed” in their health or wealth. The Psalmist is pointing out that we shouldn’t judge blessedness on these few fleeting days on this earth. At the end of life, our earthly bank accounts all go to zero.
There is a financial news site called Zero Hedge. Their tag line is “On a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.” Good point. Carry that idea out a little further and you realize that on a long enough timeline everyone’s net worth drops to zero. Job put it this way, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return.” Echoing Job, Paul wrote, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
The Psalmist is reminding us to not put too much stock in judging the blessedness of a person’s life by the size of their house, the balance of their checkbook, the model of their car, or the health of their body. Those are all reasons for a believer to give thanks, but they aren’t necessarily signs of God’s blessing or favor on a person’s life. To put it another way, these things aren’t sure signs that God is pleased with your life.
To know what a blessed life looks like read the Sermon on the Mount not the balance of the bank account.