1. 1 a :  the act or words of one that blesses b :  approval, encouragement

2. 2 :  a thing conducive to happiness or welfare

3. 3 :  grace said at a meal

Approval, encouragement, help, these are not standard definitions that I receive as feedback when I ask people about blessings.  Certainly, we understand the idea of approval associated with a parent consenting to or giving their blessing to a request for the hand of their child in marriage, but for the most part people say that blessings are “good times” or good things that happen in your life.  How did we get away from the idea of blessings being “help and approval” from God?  That would mean that to be blessed is something that depends upon a dispenser of approval, encouragement or help.  The evolutionist would have us believe and are frankly forcing feeding the idea to our children, that life is simply a series of random occurrences.  They would have us give up the idea of blessing originating of being given by a Loving Creator, in exchange for the good luck outcomes of an entitled or lucky society.  If approval and encouragement are the main constructs of a blessing than this requires the subjective review of the recipients behavior and the positive support to continue toward a particular, positive outcome.  Blessings are built upon the sovereign authority of the giver not the wishes and definitions of the receiver.  Even in asking blessings over a meal the speaker is requesting to receive sovereign blessing over the food or participants.

How then are we to understand the blessing of Christmas without a solid understanding of the giver of that tremendous blessing.  Isaiah 9:6-7  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.  In order to fully comprehend the blessing of this passage must now look at the blessing from the perspective of the subjective giver of that blessing.

What is God’s approval, encouragement or help given unto us as the passage implies?  What are the benefits of us being given a child, a son, upon whose shoulder will rest the kingdom and government without end?  Do we really remember or comprehend that the Lord’s Zeal with get all this done?  So here we have approval, God’s approval for a son who is to deliver peace, increase, order, counseling, wonderment, judgment and eternal justice.  We have encouragement for all men in that God is among them and will deliver all the aforementioned blessings.  We also have the help sent to us by God so that we might someday be happy, that some day being based upon our acceptance and understanding of this hopeful blessing.  This blessing is also fulfillment of God’s promises to Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Joshua, David, Israel, the world as well as delivery on the promise to crush satan’s head with the child of the woman, Jesus being the seed of Eve.

Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is a righteous and joyous recognition of the blessings of God upon all men.  Who would not wish to celebrate this approval, this grand encouragement and this help for our salvation, happiness and peace?  Those against this acknowledgement of our blessing should be recognized for this odd behavior and then forgiven for their blindness.  They have blinded to the existence of an Almighty God who approves of His children.  They have been robbed of the encouragement given unto us by our Loving Father.  And they have denied the help offered to all men in our pursuit of peace and happiness.  I pray for the realization of this the greatest of man’s blessings so that all man might have hope in God’s participation in our walk through life.  In Jesus’ precious and wonderful name.