Leaders have a natural curiosity and a penchant for learning. Whether it’s acquiring new skills or a new hobby, we enjoy exploring fresh avenues of growth. For me, some of the most thrilling discoveries are found in the pages of Scripture.
At the outset of this year, I was drawn to Ephesians. I speed-read the first three chapters, then circled back to do a verse-by-verse study. I’ve been happily stuck in Ephesians 1:3 ever since – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Here’s how it happened.
One of my favorite online Bible study tools is Bible Hub Interlinear. It enables you to delve into the Greek and Hebrew meaning of words, plus it’s super easy to use and free. When I pulled up Ephesians 1:3 and looked at the Greek meaning of the first usage of “blessed,” I was astounded.
The Greek word “blessed” in “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” means:
well spoken of, worthy of praise. God is certainly well spoken of and worthy of praise – so nothing too earth shattering there.
But the Bible Helps section offers more distinction: “eulogētós (‘blessed’) is only used of God the Father and Christ (God the Son), showing the Godhead isworthy of all our commitment. Indeed, only God is inherently praiseworthy, deserving every ‘good acknowledgment’!”
How awesome is that – the simple word “blessed,” when used to describe the Father and Jesus, has a Greek version all its own! God is so uniquely praiseworthy, there is a special Greek form of “blessed” used only for Him. On top of that – we’re able to speak well of and worship this God who is intrinsically worthy of praise!
And it doesn’t stop there.
God turns right around and blesses us in the second part of the verse – “(God) has blessed us in Christ...” This Greek word is spelled differently – eulogéō – yet has a very similar meaning: to speak well of, to praise. So, this inherently praise-worthy God is speaking well of us and praising us. Constantly.
Run that through your mind a few times. Especially if you’ve been on the receiving end of some harsh words lately. Or maybe as a leader – or a mom or dad – you express lots of praise for others, but don’t receive much in return. It can go with the territory.
But in God’s territory, in the truth-realm where He lives, He is always speaking well of you, praising you, seeing the best.
Selah. Let that wash over your spirit as you take on the challenges of this New Year.
1. God is intrinsically blessed, spoken well of, worthy of praise.
2. We have the extreme privilege of expressing our worship and adoration to Him.
3. He is constantly speaking well of and praising us.
There’s a never-ending circle of blessing and praise boomeranging from heaven to earth. It’s invisible to the eye, but palpable to the heart. Today, tune your heartstrings to worship God and to receive His commendation of you.
“Today, tune your heartstrings to worship God and to receive His commendation of you.”
- Lisa Hosler
What does it mean to you to have God’s commendation? Feel free to share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.
