Slideshow image

Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 ~ Matthew 5:3

 

Good morning my dear sister!

May God be glorified in my waking hours today! May He be glorified in your waking hours today too! No matter what time it is, I pray that the Lord wakes us up to His glory every day! Not just to wake our physical bodies from slumber, but to wake up our spirits to be alive and alert to the spiritual truth God has for us each day!

One of the spiritual truths the Lord is bringing before us today is the simple sentence spoken by Jesus written above; ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’  

As news spread about Jesus’ ministry; teaching, preaching and healing the sick, multitudes began following Him wherever He went. The same is true today! People from all corners of the earth follow Jesus after hearing about a loved one’s encounter with Him, or especially if they have experienced revelation of His truth themselves!

As Jesus began speaking up there on the mountain, He seemed to be mainly addressing His disciples, but the multitude was listening too! As part of the multitude today, let’s listen in to His words of wisdom and truth!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

Think about the culture of that day and the means of the people who were attracted to Jesus. Most of them were poor, especially by our standards. Most of them were illiterate and uneducated. Jesus, for the most part, attracted the weak, the afflicted, the hopeless, and the desperate. Jesus ministered to people who were shunned, shamed and cast out from society.

Why were these people hungry for Jesus’ words, but the trained religious authorities and the wealthy “do gooders” did not seem so keen on His teachings? It seems to be a matter of the heart. God’s heart and our hearts! As I read down the list of what Jesus teaches, He talks about comfort/encouragement, gentleness, righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, steadfastness, rejoicing! (Matthew 5:3-12) These are fruits of the Spirit, not works of human hearts. Our own good works are not requirements for heaven. Our hearts centered on obedience to Jesus Christ is the gate.

What is this poor in spirit all about? And this kingdom that we cannot enter by our own will or effort? Even if we set our minds to live a righteous life before God, we tend to get caught up in our own ability to do good or righteous deeds, and then admire what we have wrought. We cannot see the kingdom of heaven because the kingdom that we are building according to our own desires is in the way.

Likewise, we cannot draw close to God with presumption, a cavalier attitude of arrogance or disrespect. It is impossible to see the kingdom of heaven on our own terms. But when we recognize our own desperate plight and the One who can rescue us from it, then we draw close to God in humility and trust. This is being poor in spirit.

That’s not a bad thing in God’s sight! He calls us his children, fellow heirs along with His only begotten Son! (Romans 8:17) A little child is innocent. As children of God, believers are innocent, having their sins washed away in Jesus’ blood.(Rev 7:14) A little child is humble; making their needs known and simply trusting in their provider without question, albeit sometimes with persistence and increasing volume! The believer is encouraged to be persistent in prayer and seeking God’s will.(Matthew 7:7-8) The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these! (Matthew 19:14)

God does not want our life in Him to be difficult. Surely the temptations of the world and persecution endured makes our life in the flesh difficult, but our Abba continually invites us to come to Him as His child and seek refuge in Him. To catch a glimpse of his kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy! To even let our spirits dwell in His spiritual kingdom while our flesh walks this earth. 

In plain english:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule!” ( Mt 5:3 the Message)

“Humble people are very fortunate, He told them, for the kingdom of heaven is given to them!”

(Mt 5:3 Living Bible) 

“Great blessings belong to those who know they are spiritually in need. God’s kingdom belongs to them.” (Mt. 5:3 ERV)

Are you tired out working for the kingdom of God or for your own circumstances? Do you feel that your own strength is not enough? That’s the perfect opportunity to humbly confess to Abba your spiritual poverty and allow Him to impart to you the power of His kingdom! He will fill you with all that you need and even more to share with others!

God bless you, my sister, as you continue to seek and follow after Jesus! Keep loving Him and moving forward! Hallelujah!

With love, your sister, Celeste