It’s not unusual to hear Chris­tians say “I am blessed” when someone asks how they are doing.

Israel was indeed blessed. When God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, he said, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you” (Genesis 12:2). God promised Israel the blessing of his presence. He promised them the blessing of prosperity. Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. God also promised the blessing of a land for his descendants to live in.

Because Israel had these promises in their past and future, God would not allow Balaam to curse his people. King Balak of Moab thought that the only way he could weaken Israel and keep them from taking his land was to get Balaam to put a curse on Israel. But that would not and could not work.

We too are blessed people. Because of Jesus, the blessings given to Abraham and Israel are ours. God also promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). That promise was fulfilled in Abraham’s descendant, Jesus. In Christ, God is for us; and if God is for us, no one can stand against us. No one can separate us from God’s love or keep us from receiving the eternal inheritance he has promised (Romans 8:31-39). In Christ each of us can truly say, “I am blessed.”