You might answer this question based on the external, flesh and blood, what you see with your eyes and what you feel in your body. If you feel healthy, safe, and secure. If you live in a nice house, wear nice clothes, drive a nice car, see a large number in your bank account. That’s what determines if your blessed or not.

Now I’m not saying those things are bad. God’s will is not physical poverty and sickness. God’s will is that we have more than enough so that we can bless others. In fact the Apostle John writes in 3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in ALL THINGS and be in HEATLH, just as your soul prospers.” God’s word is very clear, His desire for us is not to be sick or be in lack. Psalms 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I SHALL NOT WANT.”

My question is, how do we determine our spiritual health? How do we determine if we’re walking in the blessing of the Lord? The answer to this is not revealed in the good times, through circumstances, when our life is void of any trials or tribulations. The answer is revealed IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS; IN TIMES OF STRESS AND PRESSURE. True growth takes place during times of discomfort. Jesus talks about this in Mark 4 when he tells the parable of the sower. In this parable the sower sows seed on 4 different types of ground. He later explains to His disciples that the seed is the word of God and the ground is our hearts. In Mark 4:5-6 Jesus says, “Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.” In Mark 4:16-17 Jesus explains this verse by saying, “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when TRIBUTLATION or PERSECUTION arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.” Isn’t it interesting that the sun, which provides nutrients and food energy to a tree, can also be the source of destruction and death to that same tree if it doesn’t have a strong root system. Likewise, trials and tribulations in the life of a believer can either produce spiritual growth and strength or cause you to be ineffective and fruitless.

If you want to see if a tree is truly strong and healthy, look at the leaves during times of drought or intense heat. It’s during those times you’ll be able to see whether it has a strong root system or not. It’s during times like these you’ll be able to see whether that root system is connected to a strong source of water. If the leaves begin to wither, it’s not receiving enough water to continue to harvest the sunlight and process it into food energy which in turn limits its growth. The following quote is from an article written online by Razor’s Edge Tree Service:

“If your tree has wilted leaves, pay attention. Leaves are a tree’s farmers, harvesting sunlight and processing it into food energy. But if they’re wilting, they’re not working at their full capacity and the whole tree suffers.

According to this article there are two main causes to leaves withering. One is Heat Stress and the other is drought stress. Each is caused by a lack of water being absorbed through the plants root system. King David writes the following in Psalms 1:1-3:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED IN THE RIVERS OF WATER, THAT BRINGS FORTH ITS FRUIT IN ITS SEASON, WHOSE LEAF ALSO SHALL NOT WITHER; AND WHATEVER HE DOES SHALL PROSPER.”

King David says that the blessed man is like a tree that's planted beside a continual source of water who comes to maturity and bears fruit in season, whose leaves never wither, and whatever he does prospers (grows, is successful, advances, is profitable). This promise is conditional. It’s dependent on the choices we make; what we’re plugged into. According to this Psalm a blessed man does not do the following:

• Fill himself with the counsel of the ungodly.
• Be consumed/ filled by the news (The fear, doubt, and unbelief of this world)
• Be consumed/ filled by the world’s wisdom and philosophy (Being dominated by the physical).
• Taking man’s word over God’s word.
• Stand in the path of sinners
• Walking dominated by your flesh and feelings
• Walking carnally minded
• Living life by your natural senses: what you can see, taste, hear, smell, and feel
• Being a slave of sin
• Sit in the seat of the scornful
• Surrounding yourself with mockers
• Surrounding yourself with those lifted up by pride, despising others; gossips

But does do the following:

• Delights in the law of the Lord
• To desire and take pleasure in the word of God, in His promises, and in His commands
• Trusts in God’s word
• Lives their life according to God’s word rather than man’s.
• Meditates in the law day and night
• Who ponders, imagines, speaks, and studies God’s word day and night.
• Their heart and mind is consumed by the Word of God and their identity in Christ
• They see themselves through the mirror of the Word of God not through the natural mirror looking at flesh and blood.

The water that the roots of our heart should to be drawing from during times of trials and tribulation in our life should be God’s word. His word and His promises should flow out of your mouth during these times like rivers of living water on the inside of us. Jesus said in Luke 6:44-45, “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKS.”

God is never the source of trials, temptations, or tribulations. Those come from the world, the flesh, and the devil. But when trials, temptations, and tribulations come what comes out of your mouth? When sickness comes what comes out of your mouth? When you see lack in your life what comes of out of your mouth? During times of stress and pressure, what comes out of your mouth? Do you take these times in your life as opportunities to resist and stand steadfast in the faith (I Peter 5:9)? James 1:2-4 tells us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience; but to let patience have its perfect work, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We can count it all joy because we have Jesus’ victory. We have access to His promises. We have access to the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. We have access to His authority. We’ve been given His name. We have access to His armor. We have access to the fruit of the spirit. We have access to the mind of Christ. We have access to His faith. Take advantage of what we’ve been given access to, renew your minds to who you are IN CHRIST, draw from the water source of God’s word through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and through patience grow, mature, be perfect and complete; lacking nothing. Speak out what the word says not what the world says.

TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS, AND PERSECUTION WILL EITHER PRODUCE GROWTH AND FRUIT FOR THE BELEIVER WHO IS MATURE AND SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY OR LACK, DESTRUCTION, AND DEFEAT FOR THE BELEIVER WHO IS IMMATURE, CARNALLY MINDED, AND WEAK IN THE FAITH.

BE BLESSED, BE CLEANSED BY THE WORD OF GOD, AND BE FILLED WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US!