For the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at The Beatitudes. Here we find Jesus teaching the principles of the kingdom, His Kingdom. These are principles to help guide our daily lives.
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3, NLT)
In his book, The Good Life, Dr. Derwin L. Gray explains it this way:
“Being poor in spirit means to see your spiritual bankruptcy so that you can make room for the treasures of Christ.” (from page 28)It is those who feel their spiritual need every single day. It is those who only have utter confidence in the provision of and from God. Recognizing our need and our utter inability to provide or change our circumstances, we humbly come before Him and in our state of humility, we find Him willing and waiting to dwell with us.
”The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One says
this: I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are
contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and
revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” (Isaiah 57:15, NLT)
Recognizing ourselves as poor and in need, then moves our hearts to see how Jesus responded to those in need – He often fed them, healed them, forgave them, sat down and visited with them.
Jesus Himself became poor for us:
“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he
could make you rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, NLT)
Jesus became the model for us. By His self-sacrifice, giving up the riches of heaven to experience being poor on earth, He was able to make us rich with His blessings here on earth.
As we recognize ourselves as poor and see what we have received from Him,
we are better able to love the poor and care for the vulnerable.
we are better able to love the poor and care for the vulnerable.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
We must be empty ourselves in order to be filled with his grace.
ReplyDeleteYes and amen!
ReplyDeleteJoanne,
ReplyDeleteJesus gave it all up for us. He had everything, but gave it up to be self-sacrificing and so that we, who are spiritually bankrupt, could indeed be rich in every way! Beautiful!
Blessings,
Bev xx
And in being rich in every way, we can then bless others.
DeleteI've always loved that verse in Isaiah--that thou8ght God is high and holy, he dwells with the humble and contrite. What grace!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing when we truly stop to think about it.
DeleteI'm so very grateful for the riches of God's grace that fills my emptiness.
ReplyDeleteso grateful He fills me when I recognize my need for Him. beautiful reminder. You have inspired me to reread the Beatitudes again today <3
ReplyDeletemariel