Poor In Spirit

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 

I'm reading Matthew in my Bible-study time. When I came to Chapter 5, I read the beatitudes without really thinking about them. Blessed are...Blessed are...Blessed are...

Then I stopped. God prompted me to look deeper. Has He ever done that to you? You're reading along and, all of a sudden, you feel this voice whisper, "Back up, you missed something." It happens to me a lot.

So I reread verse 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor in spirit. I thought about people who feel despair, deep sorrow, or depression, People who live on the street with very little food or clothes. But I'm not sure that's who Jesus is talking about.  Why would a desperate person be called blessed?

Could it be Jesus is talking about their spiritual condition?

With the help of a couple of my reference books, Matthew 5:3 reads like this:

Blessed (loved and favored by God) are the poor (destitute) in spirit (Holy Spirit) for theirs is the kingdom (righteousness conferred by Christ on believers) of heaven (a consummately perfect region where God dwells).

Hmm. That is a bit more complicated, isn't it? Can we write it more clearly?

Those who identify with Jesus' statement realize they're spiritually poor and seek Him. He shows them favor by covering them in Christ's righteousness and promising them eternal life.

WOW! Now, that's blessed!

What about today? The verbs are present tense; Jesus' words are alive today. The rich promises are there for all of us who believe.

We are poor in spirit. We never quite "make it." There's so much to learn about God. There's so much He can teach us through His Word.  When we're aware of our poverty and open to Him, He fills us more and more.

His favor overflows! 

When we stumble, we don't have to fear. He never says, "You've gone too far! No more forgiveness for you!" We are covered in Christ's righteousness. When He looks at us, He sees us through eyes of love and righteousness. He loves us even as He loves Jesus! We are clothed eternally. We can't ruin this perfect covering, no matter how often we fall!

His love never changes!

We can rejoice because our earthly home is temporary. Our suffering and sorrows are temporary. Clouds might cover our present lives, but the Son reigns eternally. The glory of Heaven beckons us.

Our forever home is secure!

Your turn:
How have God's promises of favor, love, and security enriched your life?