“Blessed”

“God bless you is a common English expression, used to wish a person blessings in various situations, especially as a response to a sneeze, to say that you hope they have good health: “Achoo!” “God bless you.”’

“Said when saying goodbye to someone, to say that you hope good things will happen to them : Good night everyone, and God bless.”

“Bless your heart is a phrase that is common in the Southern United States. The phrase has multiple meanings. It can be used as a sincere expression of sympathy or genuine concern. It can be used as a precursor to an insult to soften the blow.”

“People often say things like "I've been blessed with good health.” That means they were lucky to receive such good things.”

“There is no way to be absolutely certain where the saying “God bless you” comes from but the custom continues into our day.  It is believed that during the plague of AD 590 Pope Gregory I commanded unceasing prayer and to say “God bless you” right after someone sneezed because sneezing was one of the first signs of the plague. It is nearly an automatic response. Ironically, some cultures believe that sneezing is a good sign; a sign of prosperity and health.”

"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin during World War I in 1918 and revised by him in the run up to World War II in 1938. ... "God Bless America" takes the form of a prayer (intro lyrics "as we raise our voices, in a solemn prayer") for God's blessing and peace for the nation.”’

I prefer the blessing as penned in Numbers 6: 24-26, a prayer of Blessing given by God Himself.  A blessing for natural Israel and applicable to spiritual Israel - the people of God - past, present and future: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

If you have the blessing of God, you are truly “Blessed!”   Now that we are blessed, let’s start living and acting like it!    God loves YOU and if you are His you are blessed - Happy Valentine’s Day!

In His Service,                                                                                                                                                                                         Pastor Rodney