I think just about everyone has heard of the Sermon on the Mount…even the non-believer. This sermon, found in Matthew 5, is begun with 8 blessings called beatitudes. These beatitudes are actually principles for us to follow in learning how to please God.
For the next few weeks I plan to look at one of the beatitudes each week and see how it can be applied to each of us. The first four are related to each other in that they show our dependence on God and our need for God. The last 4 Beatitudes are related to each other by showing us as ‘giving’ to others.
The first Beatitude in Matthew 5:3 is "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Amplified Version gives it this way: "Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life—joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!" The poverty spoken of here is spiritual. Without God we are totally helpless.
Until one realizes he or she is poor in spirit, one can not repent; but to repent is to be poor in spirit. It is then that one realizes redemption depends on God alone.
Even after we have repented and received salvation, we are poor, in that we still have a tendency to sin. We have to realize that even as a believer we can do nothing unless we depend on God. If we want to live a spiritual life and a righteous life, we must realize how helpless we are on our own, and depend completely on the Lord.
Being ‘poor in spirit’ is our first step in helping us become a spiritual being. When we are poor in spirit, things of the spirit will become more important to us than the material world.
The poor in spirit know they need God.
My Prayer: Dear Lord, You say the ‘poor in spirit’ is blessed as he is the one who is humble before You. He is the one who realizes that he is nothing in himself, and yet in You he has everything. Here is my heart, Lord. I bow humbly before You; I know that without You I can do nothing. I offer You my worship and my praise. Amen
2 comments:
ooo...perfect timing. I just picked up the bible study book for this coming fall and started looking it over. The first lesson is on King Uzziah and part of the lesson is how his pride became his downfall. His pride took away from the glory of God. One of the questions asked how a person can avoid from falling into the temptation of pride when met with success...and your post reminded me of how important it is to remain humble.
Ohh ! how true, Carol ! as long as we remember how poor in spirit we are ... then we are rich in God!!
A good teaching post !
Thank you !
and thank you for visiting my blog !! I'm happy to meet you!
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