Already Blessed

Revelation 19:9 says, “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”

If you have put your faith in Christ, you are already blessed. Right now. Today. In this moment.

That’s what this verse implies. It says those who are invited to the ‘marriage supper of the Lamb’ (that celebration when Christ returns to make all things new) — those who put their faith in him — are already blessed.

It doesn’t say “blessed are those who are at the supper.” It says, “blessed are those who are invited.” Blessed, we can say, because of what is promised to be theirs, because of who is promised to be theirs in full — God himself. Blessed because he already has us and we already have him, though not yet in full.

Though if we’re living on earth right now, we’re not at that celebration. That time hasn’t come yet. And given the circumstances of our times, it probably doesn’t feel like we’re living a blessed life right now.

Yet, the declaration, the promise, of this verse is that we who are invited to that celebration, are already blessed. Right now. Today. In this moment. Because of who and what is promised to be ours. Because of what cannot be taken away from us.

Consequently, we are not left waiting for the circumstances in our world to bless us, to give us fulfillment and life and joy (though we pray they would improve dramatically). Rather, we carry this future blessing with us into our present moment. We go into our circumstances, not lacking blessing, not seeking blessing, but as those who are already blessed.

If I am one who has put my faith in Christ, I carry this blessing with me wherever I go.

I carry it into my work. I carry it into school. Into my relationships. Into my home and neighborhood. Into my church and my community. Into situations and circumstances that disappoint and frustrate me. Into my conflicts.

I go into all these situations not lacking blessing, but carrying it with me. Already under my arm, bundled up and held tight. I go into the circumstances of my day — every day — as a servant and wedding guest of God, already blessed. Not as a servant of myself in desperate need of blessing from some other wedding.

I do need to seek out the blessing of a wedding between prosperity and my finances. The blessing of a wedding between peace and my relationships. The blessing of a wedding between flourishing and my work. I carry blessing with me and need no invitation to such weddings to be blessed.

This is not to say we shouldn’t grieve the circumstances that hurt us. Sin and brokenness are still worth grieving. They are still grievous to God’s soul and ours. But it is to say that if we are going into our circumstances looking for blessing, then we are looking for something God has already tucked under our arm. We are trying to go out and buy a gift he has already given.

When we know this — that we are already blessed — and start to live like it’s true, we become more buoyant in the face of daily life. We become more buoyant in the face of adversity, frustration and pain. Because the things that bring adversity, frustration and pain into our lives do not have a hold on the source of our blessing. The source of our blessing is unassailably beyond their reach — in a future they did not make and cannot change.

So let the blessing that is already yours, that is already tucked under your arm, go with you into your life today. Let it help you open your hands and your heart. For you do not go into the day empty handed. You go as one already blessed.