Blessed are you...Happy you will be!

Blessed are you…Happy you will you be!

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:3-10)

 

A new believer came to me one time, complaining that he had given generous offerings, attended church every Sunday, and forsaken alcohol and marijuana, but the Lord still hadn’t blessed him! He was beyond upset – he was downright angry with God that He would promise something and then not deliver it. After a bit of conversation, I realized that my friend had a total misconception about God and how He blesses people. My friend was after a miraculous financial windfall – he wanted to hit the jackpot – when God was more interested in blessing my friend with a relationship with Himself. My friend wanted to jump through hoops to gain some material blessings when God was offering Himself and every spiritual blessing in Christ – knowing God, loving Him, experiencing abiding joy despite our circumstances, having that peace that passes all understanding, gaining the abundant and eternal life that comes from following Christ.

It is this kind of blessedness – a prolonged state of happiness – that Jesus offered his followers when he said “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” and the rest of the eight Beatitudes in Matthew Chapter 5. Jesus wasn’t telling everyone in the world to do this or do that and I will give you a blessing in return. Instead, he was telling those people who already knew Him, who were already committed followers, that if they would pattern their lives after Him by being poor in spirit, being mournful, being meek, hungering after righteousness, being merciful, being pure in heart, being peacemakers, and even being persecuted that they, like Him, would live under God’s reign, in the kingdom of God, and experience the joy and peace, the prolonged state of happiness that comes from knowing Him and knowing that He is in control of your life.

If you are like me, you might be saying, “Count me in, Jesus. That is what I want for my life. But I’m not sure I even understand everything you are calling me to be and I’m pretty positive I can’t live up to it all the time.”

Thankfully, for both you and me, Jesus knows that and knows us better than we know ourselves. He voluntarily went to the cross and died for the sins of the world – including yours and mine – so that we can be forgiven and can have new life in Him. And He invites us to live this new life free of sin and guilt and condemnation.

With that understanding, that the Beatitudes and the Sermon that follows are not about how to attain salvation but how to live in the kingdom of God, in the new life that Jesus offers all who believe in Him, let’s ask Him to lead us and guide us and reveal truth to us as we look deeper into His sermon, the Sermon on the Mount.

Pray with me: Lord Jesus, I know I don’t understand everything you taught but I want to try. And I know I can’t live perfectly for you, but then you know that too. Please forgive me for my sins, my failings, the things I should do that I don’t, the things I didn’t do that I should have. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Thank you that you rose from the dead and live to intercede for me and help me along the way and that you will greet me with open arms on that day when I will see you face-to-face. I can’t wait to spend eternity with you; in the meantime help me to live for you and be a blessing to others…continue praying as you feel led…




Please use this blog for personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family. However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy Brockett of New Song Foursquare Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. To contact Pastor Randy, email him at randybrockett@yahoo.com.