Matthew 5-7
I used to work with a guy who frequently referred to the "Beatitudes." He would say that God needed to bless the people described there because without God's blessing they would be totally miserable in life. I always disagreed with him but just got sick of trying to change his mind. Enough seeds were planted, hopefully, that God will change his mind. Because why would you ever want to live any other way than immersed in the love and greatness that God wants to give to us. The plans He has for us are not of a destitute, hopeless, complaining one where we just scrape by. God plans for as are prosperity, abundance, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, power, and self-control. Those are the things that God wants to give us. BUT, you still need to want them in your life, accept them, and put them to work. Believe it or not, there are people that don't want those things in their life. Because, what would they complain about?
In it's simplest definition, bless means happy. Not happy because of all the things that God might give you, or could give you, but because you have Jesus in your life and nothing will take that away. So, in spite of difficulties, in spite of hardships, in spite of the plans of the devil, happiness oozes from you.
In it's simplest definition, bless means happy. Not happy because of all the things that God might give you, or could give you, but because you have Jesus in your life and nothing will take that away. So, in spite of difficulties, in spite of hardships, in spite of the plans of the devil, happiness oozes from you.
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | This refers to those looking at their own spirit. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. He who wants to be the greatest must become the least. Mourning of the death inside of you. Christ tells us to pick up our cross daily, killing your old self while seeking the mercy of God in Christ Jesus by the Spirit. The meek are those who quietly submit to God. Those whose left hand doesn't know what their right hand is doing. They fast for the benefit of fasting, pray for the benefit of praying, worship for the benefit of worship. They don't do these things so that others will see how pious they are as that will be their only reward. God wants nothing more than our love. With that being true, if we earnestly seek Him, why would He hide? From 2 Chronicles, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Not too much later in His Word, Jesus tells of a slave who owes a huge debt. They figure he owed millions and millions of dollars. That debt was forgiven him. When he was released he found another who owed him $20 and threatened to kill him unless he paid him back. If you want mercy, give mercy. If you want happiness, give happiness. From Matthew Henry: "None but the pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity." Those who love, desire, and delight in peace and recover it when it is broken. Peace is perhaps the greatest fruit of the Spirit, especially in difficult times. As Stephan and Paul both show, even up until the end of their lives, even while being stoned to death or imprisoned for life, happiness does not have anything to do with who you are, but whose you are. |
So, how many of those can you claim in your own life? God tells us that we can have all eight. And if you can have that, but don't, what are you waiting for?