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What does "God bless you" really mean? When I walk through my Sunday school class before teaching, I say to many people, "God bless you." What do I mean?

When I was a boy growing up, my mother would ask Uncle Herman to bless the food before a meal. We would all bow our heads and he would begin, "Lord, bless this food that we're about to partake, and bless the hands that have made it." What do you mean when you bless food?

Biblical Background of "Blessing"

The Old Testament word "blessing" comes from a Hebrew word which means "to kneel," as when people would kneel before a king when making a request. Perhaps they were looking for money, a higher position, honor or some other blessing-some "added value" to their life. By kneeling before the king they were in a sense "blessing" him by honoring him. Of course, in return they hoped the king would bless them. It is in this sense that mere humans can be exhorted to "bless the Lord" and "bless His holy name" (Ps. 103:1)-not that we can give God any "added value," but that we kneel before Him in worship.

So the word "blessed" in Scripture includes so much more than what we imply by the marketing phrase "added value" today. God promised to bless His Old Testament people in countless ways and circumstances if they would but follow him:

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, ... Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand (Deut. 28:3-5,12).

The whole range of blessings included in this concept is so broad that it comes close to the Hebrew word shalom , often translated "peace." However, "peace" is a term much broader and richer than merely not being at war. When God blesses His people-or gives them peace-He grants them a state of being that is at rest, secure and wholly protected in Him. So it's natural that the two words "bless" and "peace" often come together, as in Psalm 29:11: "The Lord will bless his people with peace."

In the New Testament, the word "blessing" comes from the Greek word eulogeo . This term consists of the prefix eu , which means "good," and logeo , "to speak." So when you bless someone, you "speak goodness" into his or her life.

The Importance of Words

This reminds us of the importance the Bible places on the act of speaking itself-the very use of words. Jesus said:

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matt. 12:36-37).

Jesus vested special power in the words of His apostles. After Peter had made the good confession (see Matt. 16:13-20), Jesus promised that "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19).

The Bible concept of the power of words is rooted in the power of the Word of God, by which the worlds were spoken into existence. Of course, as humans, we don't quite have that power! However, our words are a reflection of the power of the Word. Whether we use our tongues to bless or to curse, something of the creative power of God clings to our human speech. Speaking is serious business! Speaking is often the way God makes pronouncements upon us, and there are echoes of His voice of judgment or grace when we speak words over others.

That old saying from our childhood, Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me, is simply false! I hope that one result of this book is that you become more sensitive to the power of your own words to hurt or heal.

The grandest example of the power to bless is the gift of God's Son as He blesses us or speaks good into our lives in the gift of salvation: "God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities" (Acts 3:26).

So when I say to the people in my Sunday school class, "God bless you," I have in mind both the added value of external blessings and something much more rich and full. I do want God to prosper them, and perhaps to give them physical health, or to bless their relationships with others. But in a fuller sense I am "kneeling" before God to ask Him to "speak good" in the lives of these people I love-give more of Himself to them-to bless them in the sense of surrounding them with His presence, mercy, grace and peace and to fill their lives with all good things.

One of the most familiar pictures of Jesus from the New Testament is His blessing children. "[Jesus] took [the children] up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:16). Notice what Jesus did. He was one person speaking good words into the lives of children. What did He do when He blessed them? He was causing them to be happy, to prosper. He was giving of Himself to add value to their lives.

Dimensions of Blessings

There is nothing miraculous about blessing others. A blessing is not a miracle. However, just as ice and water come from the same origin but are different in feel and substance, so a blessing and a miracle are similar. Ice is made up of water, but it is in a different form; likewise a miracle is a blessing from God, but more intense in feel and substance.

The Differences

ò A blessing is good, but a miraculous intervention is much more.

ò A blessing is God's prosperity, but a supernatural deliverance from trouble is much more.

ò The blessing of a fellow believer ministers added value, but when God solves a problem, it is much more.

ò A blessing invokes God's increase, but deliverance from addiction is much more.

These facts about what a blessing is not tell us that there is much more to Christianity than blessing others. However, when God supernaturally intervenes or delivers you from trouble, one of the outcomes of course is that you are blessed by God. All supernatural works of God are a blessing to the recipient. But when God's people pronounce a blessing on someone, it's a much milder work. A blessing is simply one person calling on a sovereign God to add value to another's life.

On a hot, sultry day a golfer suffers heatstroke that leads to a heart attack. He doesn't just need a blessing; he needs a prayer of healing. He needs an ambulance. Another golfer finds his way to the shade of a large tree on a hill where he enjoys a cool breeze. The temperature is reduced from 90 degrees to 80 degrees; that's a blessing. The breeze adds value to his life.

A man who is starving to death doesn't just need a blessing; he needs food. And when something to eat is given to him, he gobbles it down, not thinking of its taste. The food saves his life.

In another setting, I may eat a bowl of cereal and milk late at night before I go to bed. The food doesn't save my life, nor is it a miraculous intervention. My wife cuts a few strawberries into my cereal; that's a blessing. A blessing is added value.

A blessing can consist of natural or spiritual added value. Natural added value influences your everyday life, while spiritual added value influences your relationship to God. Because life is so involved, these two factors often overlap each other.

About 25 years ago I began a practice of naturally blessing my wife early each morning. When I wake-usually five minutes to six-I pray the Lord's Prayer before I get out of bed. After I fill the coffeepot and turn it on, I go get the morning paper and have coffee as I read the paper. Before I go to my study to meet God in my quiet time, I fix another cup of coffee-one teaspoon of cream-and take it to my wife in bed. I want to bless her life and begin her day in an enjoyable way. That's natural added value to her life.

When I meet God in my study, I worship, pray and learn from the Word of God. I am blessed there, too-with spiritual added value.

When you sing "Make me a blessing to someone today" are you wanting to make the life of someone happier, easier or prosperous? That's adding natural value because you are making life easier for him or her. But if you have in mind a spiritual blessing, you are singing about wanting that person to be saved or to grow in Christ.

What is a spiritual blessing? The greatest blessing to anyone is the presence of God in his or her life. We attend many worship services where little seems to happen. Then once in a while you sense God's presence in a special way. You worship freely and spiritually. God pours His Spirit into your life (see Acts 2:17). Some call this experience a revival, but for our purposes we will call it the atmospheric presence of God. Like a cool mist on a hot day, you sometimes experience God's presence in a refreshing way.

You are also seeking to refresh others when you spiritually bless them, speaking Jesus' name over them and in them. You want them to experience God's revitalizing presence. And what does His presence do for them? It guides them, illuminates their spiritual understanding, gives them joy and protects them from the evil one. That's God blessing someone with His presence (see "presence-bless" in the glossary).

The Bible says that God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Notice that you get this blessing in Christ . As you hide your life in Christ, He indwells you-"You in Me, and I in you" (John 14:20).

When you say that a sermon was a blessing, what do you mean? Was the message enjoyable, or did you learn something? Maybe God was telling you how to live, how to be a better Christian or how to serve the Lord. That sermon added spiritual value to your life. And what better blessing can you have than God's presence in your life?

Many people bless others by the act of praying for them or by other Christian exercises such as fasting, worship, etc. (see "pray-bless" in the glossary). However, the Bible teaches that there is a definite formal act of blessing another person. It is necessary that we become intentional in the formal act of blessing others (see "speak-blessing" in the glossary).

When you bless others, you are speaking God's blessings to them, over them and in them, whether in the form of natural or spiritual added value. You are calling for a special measure of the presence of God in their lives.

Take-Away Values

ò God can use your spoken blessing on others to give them a special measure of His covenant-love and to add value to their lives.

ò As important as your nonmiraculous blessings are, God can add His mightier miraculous work according to His will.

ò You can invoke both natural and spiritual blessings on others.

ò To be "in Christ" is to be in the place where you can experience all spiritual blessings (see Eph. 1:3).

Three-Step Bible Study

A. Read each Bible passage.

B. Use the question that follows each passage to analyze the passage.

C. Write your answer in the space provided.

1. Deuteronomy 28:3-6,12

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.

In what ways did God promise to bless His people?

1.

2.

3.

4.

2. Psalm 103:1-2

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.

How can a mere human being bless God? (Hint: See page 1 and the meaning of the Hebrew word for "bless.")

3. Matthew 12:36-37

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

How does Jesus emphasize the importance of what we say?

4. Mark 10:16

And He took [the young children] up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

What added value, or other benefit, do you think this act had on the children and their parents?

5. Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

What blessings bring added value to our lives if we are "in Christ"?

1.

2.

3.

4.

Journaling

Keeping a journal will bless you as you work through this book on blessing. Writing down your thoughts in a separate notebook will clarify them. Use the following questions to guide your thoughts and writings.

1. Do you really believe God wants to bless others, and do you believe God will use you to bless others? 2. When people prosper, do you think they are lucky or do you think God has blessed them?

3. Are the good things that have happened to you the blessing of God?

4. Reflect on the usual tone and pattern of your everyday speech as you interact with others. What improvements can you make by recalling Jesus' words in Matthew 12:36-37 about the importance of our language?

Chapter Two

"Let me read from your Bible," a pastor said to a bedridden elderly man who had been confined to his home for over three years. Taking the Bible, the pastor turned to a psalm and read from God's Word. At the end of the passage, the pastor remarked, "Start reading at this psalm and I'll be back next month." When the pastor closed the Bible, the old man's feeble hands reached eagerly for the Bible to clench it to his chest.

"Thank you ... thank you very much." The elderly man grinned like a child with a secret, and he squeezed the Bible to his chest until the pastor left.

Continues...

Excerpted from GOD BLESS YOU by ELMER L. TOWNS Copyright © 2003 by Elmer Towns
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.