Psalm 1 starts with these four words: Blessed is the man…

Psalms was originally written in Hebrew.  The Hebrew word translated “Blessed” (Esher) can also be translated as “happy,” but the connotation of the word “happy” is not the same as the word “blessed.”  Translating it as “happy” can be confusing.

The word (Esher) is plural in the original language and it can be understood to mean not just one blessing, but blessing after blessing after blessing, or blessings that are eternally sustained by God and increasing.

One old time theologian (and Hebrew expert named Ainsworth) translated the word as “blessednesses.” meaning that is it is like a piling up of God’s good gifts in our lives.

“Blessed” is not just referring to a momentary feeling of delight.  When feelings fade (or when pleasure turns into pain), the righteous person is still blessed.  God still multiplies His gifts in a righteous man’s or woman’s life regardless of their feelings.  Blessedness is happiness and then a whole lot more.

It is a delight in God and a joy in knowing Him despite the difficulty of the circumstances we are faced with right now.  Sometimes I’m faced with a very difficult situation, and there are absolutely no natural feelings of delight in the situation itself, but I am still blessed by God.  God is still multiplying His gifts in my life.  That’s why when people ask how I’m doing, I’ll often respond that “I’m blessed.”