love of God – The Commonplace Notebook

What Does It Mean to Be “Blessed”?

“I know that if we _______, then we’ll be blessed.”

“God will bless us as long as we _______.”

“I will…open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

That’s all great—but what is a “blessing” exactly? And with the vagueness of its description, how do these promises help us at all? Or do they? What are general “blessings” (not of the specifically catered Priesthood blessing kind) good for if we have no idea what they are?

The Heartbreaking Truth

“I love you.”

What do these words mean? Well, depending on its context, the answer to this question varies. The word “love” could be attributed to the interior decoration of a person’s house, signifying deep admiration and approval. On the other hand, it might refer to the Greek Narcissus speaking to his own reflection, a high school student expressing appreciation for a close friend, a mother nurturing her children, Leonardo DiCaprio whispering to Kate Winslet aboard the Titanic, or King David from the Bible singing psalms about his supreme creator. Perhaps the word sometimes—even often—means nothing at all.