“Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord…That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season…whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:1-3).

Blessing sounds like such a beautiful word, but what does it mean? According to Psalm 1, blessing refers to a believer who is in a position to receive God’s provisions (favor) as an extension of His grace. This blessing can also be lost if we are not “in a position” to receive it.

While teaching my elementary students, I often used an illustration of an umbrella to explain this concept. Imagine a huge umbrella with the word “Blessing” on it. When you are under that umbrella, you receive so many good things from God. Psalm 1 shares that we will flourish like a tree planted by streams of water. We will yield fruit in season-the fruit of the Spirit will pour out of us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…  While under this umbrella, we will prosper.

On the other hand, we have a choice. We can choose to step out from under the umbrella of blessing. For example, we might choose to take the advice of the wicked, sit in the company of mockers, or do other things that God’s Word says are wrong.  In this case, God still wants to bless us, but we are not in the right position to receive it. Therefore, the Psalm says that our path would lead to destruction.

So, how do we get in the right position, so we are under God’s umbrella of blessing? The Psalm says that we should find joy in the teachings of the Lord, study and meditate on God’s Word, and do what is right in God’s eyes. Then we are choosing to be under God’s watch and protection. And because He is such a loving Father, he pours out His blessing on us.

Sometimes we might be under God’s umbrella of blessing but still have hardship. Following God doesn’t mean everything will be easy or that we won’t experience any difficult situations. However, we won’t be alone either. We will be in the arms of the Father who will pour out wisdom, strength, and all kinds of blessings on us, even in the midst of trials.

Of course, it isn’t possible for us to always stay under the umbrella of blessing. We all struggle with sin and choose to walk out from under God’s protection sometimes. However, God gives us the invitation to come back. When we choose to turn from our sin and walk back under God’s umbrella of protection, we are being wise. God will not turn us away. He loves us and wants to bless us.

If you want to have joy, protection, and guidance from God, put yourself in a position of receiving His blessings for you. He loves to give good gifts to His children.