We all want to live happy lives. Happiness is dependent on what happens – our circumstances. Joy is far deeper and is not so dependent on our outward circumstances. It is a blessing from God. Real love is often hard, inconvenient and costly; but true happiness only comes to those who care about others at some cost to themselves.

‘Blessed’. It means to be the privileged recipient of God’s favour, and to be fortunate and happy because of it. The Amplified Bible describes it as being ‘happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions’ (Matthew 5:3, AMP).

We are all blessed by a saviour (‘God my Saviour’, The promise to fill the hungry with good things – the promise of God’s blessing to satisfy our spiritual hunger with his provision – applies to us all.

The life of God’s people literally revolved around the presence of God. It was the key to their identity, their successes and their blessedness.

May our blessings or any circumstances spontaneously turned into worship.