365 Blessings- February 20

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1, 2)

The people of this world consider the rich and the famous as blessed. But that is not true blessedness. If your transgressions are forgiven and your sins are covered, you are truly blessed. A person in whom God does not find any deceit is truly blessed.

Look at Nathanael. Nathanael is another name for Barthelomew, one of Jesus' 12 disciples.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." (John 1:47, 48)

How great if Jesus can say that about each one of us. Jesus plainly said that he did not see any deceit in this man. How wonderful. Nathanael was stunned. How could this man who was seeing him for the first time declare this? Jesus told him that he had seen him meditating on God's Word sitting in the shade of the fig tree.

God sees and knows everything about us. He knows exactly how much guile there is in each one of us. We cannot hide anything from him.

The Apostle Peter exhorts believer’s in this manner:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (1 Peter 2:1)
Look at this verse from the Old Testament;
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. (2 Kings 17:9)

Secretly...and that too against the Lord...How foolish. They were only deceiving themselves.

Let it not be so in our lives and may the Lord help each one of us to be without deceit in our spirit. That will bring us a state of true blessedness.