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3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3-10
Ever heard of the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)? Many of us have. Some people think these words are an unachievable, sometimes undesirable, list of characteristics believers must have. I mean, really, who wants to mourn or to be persecuted? And how can we ever be pure in heart?
Some go so far as to say it’s a list of characteristics for salvation. I hope not because if so, I’m toast. Literally!
Blessed is a beautiful word. It describes believers as ones who have the favor of God. That sounds wonderful! How often do we think of ourselves as favored by God? If you’re like me, I’m too busy criticizing myself to remember how much God loves me. Take a minute to bask in his love and approval.
Jesus came to turn the world upside down and that’s exactly what He does in this passage. The values described are the reverse of those in our society. In fact, many of them are considered weaknesses. Weak? It’s not easy being drastically different from the world around us. It might be hard but we can draw on God’s strength to help us.
In these verses, God pairs what He desires from us with a promise. It's difficult to live by these values but it’s a little easier if we have a promise to look forward to – in the here and now as well as in heaven. We don’t have to wait until we’re in heaven to enjoy the benefits of living for God.
Over the next few blog posts, we’ll look at these verses and learn how they enrich our lives. I hope you’ll join me!
Now it’s your turn.
Do you realize how much God loves you?
How has God encouraged you in a situation when it’s hard to stand in these values?
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