Read: Matthew 5

It’s been one of those months. The boiler broke. The car failed its MOT. My husband’s scooter broke down. I can’t say I have felt especially blessed.

So what’s going on? In times gone by, people would have said that situations such as mine were the result of me having done something that has upset God, and I have brought God’s wrath upon myself.  So when Jesus says “Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are those who mourn…” it would have been quite a shock for those listening. “Really? Those people are blessed? To us it looks like they are cursed!”

I regularly run through a wood and park close to where I live. The field looks spectacular most of the year – the luscious green grass and rolling hills radiate serenity and exude abundance. It is a picture of blessing.

But this morning I was struck by how dry, empty and bereft of life it looked and felt. It hasn’t had any rain for weeks now and the heat of the sun keeps beating down, zapping all evidence of blessing and burning up any signs of hope.

Despite its appearance, not all hope is lost because there is something we know for certain. Rain will come. The laws of geography guarantee it. It may look weak to us now but it is blessed because there is a promise that all will be restored.

I spend quite a bit of my free time with young people who don’t always seem very appreciative, and groups of older volunteers who often have something to moan about. And for what? It hasn’t got me a new boiler, car or scooter. But blessing isn’t a reward for good behaviour. It’s not something we can earn. It’s something that we have already been freely given. We are blessed because whatever we are experiencing now, there is a promise that ultimately God will make all things right.

But more than that is that God also promises to be with us during the troubles now. He doesn’t just see us at the end; he doesn’t smooth out the path so we can go it alone; he cares about us so much that he comes alongside us to help us learn and navigate those troubles together. As I stood this morning on the scorched grass, looking out into the distance where it was greener, I sensed God saying that he, the creator of the universe, was right there with me.