November 25, 2024

Let Them Praise

May 25, 2014 by

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Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love,
    for His wondrous works to the children of man!
For He shatters the doors of bronze
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

Psalms 107:15-16

The hundred and seventh Psalm begins with an exhortation to us.

Give thanks unto the LORD…
Psalm 107:1

And the basis for this thanksgiving is His goodness and His mercy. Two things that we really should be thankful for: the goodness of God to us, and then God’s mercy unto us. How thankful am I for the mercy of God! Were it not for the mercy of God, where would I be today? Surely not here. But, for his mercy that endures for ever (Psalm 107:1).

Now, as we go through this psalm, the first verse exhorts us to praise. But then the psalm goes on and begins to talk about certain people and their condition. And then we find the ‘oft-repeated phrase’ (in fact, it’s repeated about three times, or four times through the psalm):

Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness,
and His wonderful works to the children of men!

verses 8, 15, 21, and 31

Oh that men would really learn to just praise God for His goodness to us. I think that we reflect too little upon God, because I really don’t think that you can seriously reflect upon God without praising and without thanksgiving. When you really start to reflect on His goodness—on His blessings, on all that He’s done—the praises just sort of come.

I think this verse, the very last verse in the Book of Psalms, encapsulates the message of Psalms 147-150.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6

It is both an exhortation and a command for every living creature—everything that draws breath—to praise the Lord. Why is the Lord worthy of the praise of all creation? This is spelled out quite clearly in the preceding psalms (147-150).

There appears, then, to be a progression from all creation to the sanctuary as we go through these psalms. One thing is resoundingly clear, however: the praise of God is a necessary requirement upon every living thing: everything that has breath. Men in their sinful ignorance may mock God, and may deny that He is worthy of any worship. These psalms make it abundantly clear that we are so dependent on Him for all that we have, that even those who refuse to acknowledge Him owe Him everything. These psalms help us see our own position before God. We who consider ourselves self-made, independent, creators of our own destiny, crafters of our own world, are nothing more than helpless children before our Maker. We need Him…and the psalms, the Scripture, the gospel demand that we confess this fact.

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Father, we give You praise and honor for what You are, who You are, and who You shall be as You are great today and forever more. We give You praise for the goodness and mercies that follows us all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your love that is unconditional. We give You praise always. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN!

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Persecuted In The Present Tense

May 8, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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In this last of the Beatitudes, Jesus offers encouragement to those who suffer for His sake.  This Beatitude carries on the thought from the previous one, but this time Jesus makes it personal: not just “those who have been persecuted,” but “you when they revile you and persecute you.”

Verse 10
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 11
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,
and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Clearly Jesus expected His followers to be ill-treated, and He speaks of this ill-treatment in three ways: reviling them, persecuting them, and saying all kinds of evil against them.

Reviling comes when you are insulted or verbally abused because of your faith. The early Christians were mocked because of their belief in the Resurrection. They were called “atheists” because they denied the Roman deities and believed in a God the Roman government did not recognize. The Jews considered them heretics and blasphemers because they identified Jesus as God.

By persecuting I think we can understand Jesus to mean what usually comes to mind: physical abuse, and blatant singling out for “special treatment” on account of one’s faith. This may encompass the other two (reviling and speaking evil of someone), but I think it also brings in beatings, political pressure and punishment, social restriction, and so on. Whenever Christians are denied advancement—either politically, or in the workplace—on account of their faith, or are in other ways treated differently and adversely because they are Christians, persecution is taking place.

Say all kinds of evil against you falsely covers false accusations brought against a Christian to sully his or her reputation, often to justify persecution. In the early church, the Christian sacrament of communion was said to be an orgy, with the participants engaging in illicit sexual behavior and cannibalism. Whether or not this was a genuine misunderstanding of the Christian “love meal,” wherein the symbolic body and blood of Christ is consumed, or a deliberate distortion, it didn’t help the Christians gain favor in the world.

Not only are Christians blessed when they are persecuted, but they should, in fact, rejoice and be glad.  Why?  Because ‘your reward is great in heaven.’

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward [is] great in heaven;
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets [who were] before you.
Verse 12

Note that this is in the present tense.  This means that the heavenly reward that belongs to the ill-treated Christian is not some future hope, but it is a present reality.  Because the Christian is willing to suffer reviling, persecution, and character assassination for the sake of Jesus, he or she is blessed.  And what’s more, the Christian can–and should–rejoice and be glad in the face of such abuse, because God has already granted him or her a reward in heaven.  What is that reward?  Jesus doesn’t say.  But it should be enough to know that the Lord knows what we go through for His sake and, while He doesn’t promise to make life easier here, He does assure us that we already have something infinitely better waiting for us in eternity.

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Lord, we thank You for the reward that is awaiting the children that are being persecuted for Your name’s sake. We trust You in all things! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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Kingdom of God

April 30, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10

This simple petition carries a lot of meaning.  We have already seen in our meditations on the Beatitudes that Jesus often spoke of “the Kingdom of Heaven,” or “the Kingdom of God.”  For him, as for many Jews at that time, it was a future expectation, something to look forward to, a day when the reign of God would be complete, absolute, and apparent to every sentient creature on Earth.  It was a time when oppressed Jews would no longer be downtrodden, but be free to worship God whenever and wherever they pleased.  Their oppressors would be vanquished, and there would be a restoration of some form of theocratic government.  From this perspective, it makes sense that this petition would be coupled with the previous, “May [or “let”] Your name be held sacred.”

However, on the lips of Jesus, this petition means a lot more than just a change of governments. When Jesus teaches us to eagerly anticipate the coming of God’s Kingdom, He appears to mean this on varying levels which we deduce from His teaching elsewhere.

For Jesus, the Kingdom was something that will come at a future time (e.g., Matthew 5:19-20; Luke 21:31; 22:16) but also something that was a present reality.  He proclaimed that the Kingdom has “come near” (e.g., Matthew 3:2 and 4:17) and indeed was the present possession of some (e.g., Matthew 5:3 and 10).  Jesus taught what the Kingdom of Heaven is like—present tense (e.g., Matthew 13:24-53), and who may or may not enter it—again, present tense (e.g., Matthew 19:14, 23; 23:13).

From all that Jesus tells us, I think it’s fair to say that God’s Kingdom is not some kind of hoped for military take-over, as with previous revolts and theocratic kingdoms. Rather, God’s Kingdom arrived with the coming of the Messiah, and the proclamation of the Gospel. Those who are Christians—for whom Christ is Lord and Savior—are citizens in the Kingdom of God, while being residents in this world (1 Peter 1:1 describes us as “resident aliens”–a perfect description of Christians at present). But this is just a deposit—a promissory note anticipating the full payment of the Kingdom in the end times.

At some time in the future, God will call all men to final judgment and the events predicted in the Book of Revelation will come to pass, with Satan and his minions, along with hell, being cast into the lake of fire.  Then God’s dominion will be established totally, with all people under His loving and gracious authority.

You might ask: if God is sovereign, doesn’t He already have absolute power and authority…so what are we asking for here?  I would respond by saying, yes, God is sovereign, and He has absolute power and authority.  He can do as He pleases whenever it pleases Him.  Which means that the state of affairs as they are right now, with the name of God slandered throughout society, and Christians being demeaned and, to varying degrees, persecuted, is part of His plan and is in accord with His timing.  When we pray this prayer, we are not asking for God to establish something that is not currently His, or to gain authority by conquest.  Rather, we are asking the Lord to hasten the day when He executes the final stage of His plan of redemption, when all His elect are called to Him, the present godless age is brought to an end, and He establishes His rule throughout the universe, with Satan, sin, and all that oppose Him set aside permanently.

This means that when we pray for the salvation of our non-Christian friends and family members, we are asking God to extend His kingdom on Earth in this present age.  But we also pray that God will, indeed, shorten the time we have to endure this godless age, and bring about what we so long and hope for.

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Father, we thank You for who You are in us and us in You!  And for Your unconditional love for us in Jesus’ name, we say ‘thank You!’ Amen!

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A PeaceMaker is Meek

April 22, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The “peacemaker” in this Beatitude, quite literally is, “one who makes peace.” It seems fairly obvious what this means: one whose life is characterized by creating harmony and not stirring up contention and strife. However, we know that if the Christian is faithful in his or her proclamation of the gospel, and living out that gospel message, peace and harmony will not always follow in his or her wake.

It isn’t those who seek to bring about the Kingdom of God by war and rebellion that are the sons of God. Rather, it is those who try to be peaceable, who balance an attitude of uncompromising loyalty to God with a desire to live at peace within the situation God has placed them. This attitude is clear if you read the New Testament. Nowhere are Christians ever called to take up arms against their persecutors. Christians are never told to advance the Kingdom of God no matter what physical damage they might do along the way. On the contrary, Christians are told to pray for their persecutors, live at peace in the world, and submit to the God-established authorities!

So, how can we be peacemakers? By exhibiting the love of God to all our brothers in Adam–those who are non-Christians, and perhaps even living lifestyles we find Biblically objectionable. Our goal should never be to upset people, or get people angry; the gospel should be the “rock of offense,” not us! That’s not to say we ignore sin and rebellion against God; but our attitude should be to see the non-Christian come to Christ and have peace with God, not to relish in their condemnation.

And within the church, we should be a community of peace, where we love even those with whom we disagree, learning how to discuss our disagreement–yes, to argue–but with love and respect. We need to recognize our common bond in Christ and in the gospel, and let that be what brings us together in peace.

As we have studied previously, the Beatitudes build upon one another. Therefore, a man who seeks to be a peacemaker humbly seeks God’s grace for his salvation, mourns the destructive power of sin in his life and the lives of others, casts aside his selfish desires in meekness, pursues righteousness passionately, shows mercy to others in light of the infinite mercy God has given him, and seeks a purity of heart that overshadows his entire life. He cannot fathom attaining a level of true peace without living out the first five Beatitudes. They provide support to his peacemaking and enable him to seek and promote peace at the expense of himself because he has been made holy and righteous through humble repentance unto God and living out the Gospel through his own life. Specifically, a man who is a peacemaker is one who is meek, for he has only one concern—which is the glory of God amongst men.

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Dear heavenly Father, make us to be peacemakers at all times to everyone in Jesus’ name. Amen!!!

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Face to Face

April 13, 2014 by

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8

At first, this Beatitude appears to be referring to those who are morally clean—those who don’t defile themselves with impure thoughts, or anger, or other internal sins that wreak havoc on one’s life, and which can make a Christian ineffective.  This is certainly an aspect of “pure” or “clean.”   And if we understand the phrase “see God” in the sense of being in God’s Presence and being able to commune with Him, then certainly, the less sin there is in our lives, the more we are aware of the abiding Presence of God.  It is more often the case that God seems most distant from us when, in fact, we are distant from Him as a result of an impure and hard heart.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,” David cried out in Psalm 51, “And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  This thought of having a “steadfast” spirit, one that is devoted to God, may also be in mind here. David wrote this psalm on the heels of his sin with Bathsheba, which was indeed one of the most dramatic and deep moral failures of a man of God in Scripture.  Not only does David want a clean heart, but he wants steadfastness…the ability to focus on God…to lean on Him at all times, and not be distracted by the temptations of the world.

The Greek translation of Psalm 24 (please check it) uses the same phrase, “pure in heart.”  Here I think we get further insight into the meaning of this term. Notice that the one with clean hands and a pure heart avoids falsehood and deceit.  There is a sense, then, that being pure in heart is more than just avoiding sin.  Rather, it is being devoted to God, and having a life that is His, and that is recognizable as being His.  It is about serving only one Master, not two, and drawing near to God.  The words of James echo this thought:

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:7-8 NASB

What does Jesus mean, then, when He says that the pure in heart “shall see God.”  Wasn’t Moses told that no one could see God and live (Exodus 33:20)?  First, I think there is a present reality to seeing God here, in the sense that those who are pure in heart draw near to God, as James says, and in turn God draws near to them.  But I think there is also a future reality, looking forward to the time when ALL those who have endured this fallen world, who come out the other side beaten and bruised but, by the grace of God, have pure hearts, solely dedicated to God’s word and will, shall indeed stand before His throne and, in a sinless state (on account of the work of Christ), and see Him face to face.

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Dear Father, we thank You for the opportunity to see You face-to-face through the Holy Spirit.  Create in us a clean heart, O Lord.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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The Blessing of Mercy

April 7, 2014 by

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Matthew 5:7

The Beatitudes were not given as commands but as realities for those who are part of Christ’s Kingdom.  We might call them Kingdom-Characteristics or Kingdom-Evidences.  They describe the believer; and, by the same token, they are effective instruments to root out unbelief in the heart and expose an unregenerate condition.  They do reflect attitudes of the heart, but they also explain the way believers will relate not only to God but also to those about them.  Without attempting to slice them too neatly, it does appear that the first four Beatitudes focus primarily on the believer’s relationship with God, while the latter four aim primarily toward others.  All of the Beatitudes have to do with Kingdom Life, and thus each of them will impact all of our relationships.

We speak of having mercy, or showing mercy, or being merciful, but we don’t speak of mercy-ing someone.  Yet mercy is more than a feeling–it’s something that is apparent in our actions.  As Christians, we have been on the receiving end of God’s merciful acts; and so we should be the first to make mercy a characteristic of our lives.

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a king who forgave one of his slaves who owed him a lot of money.  Although the slave had been forgiven a great debt, nevertheless he went out and had a man thrown in prison who owed him a relative pittance.  The king’s retribution against the slave was severe, because the slave was unwilling to show the same kind of mercy he had received.  Jesus told the story in answer to Peter’s question, “How many times should we forgive someone?”  This is how the Kingdom of Heaven operates, Jesus is saying…as much as mercy has been shown to you (and, in Christ, we have been shown greater mercy than we can comprehend), you show that mercy to others.

The previous Beatitudes have referred to blessings poured out upon those who are oppressed, weak, and in need of mercy.  This Beatitude directs those who might be in a position to help such people to show mercy. I think other Biblical teaching, particularly the example set by the early church in Acts 4, indicates that the Christian’s first object of mercy should be those within the Church. Every church has people who are in need of help—whether physical, financial, or spiritual—and the Body of Christ should be willing to help those people.

But then, every church should also look beyond their own walls to the community, and seek ways to show the love and mercy of Christ to those outside the church. And not simply as a tool to get them to come to church. But rather as a genuine, compassionate outreach that God might be pleased to use us to affect people’s lives–that we might be conduits of the Spirit’s blessings to people who desperately need Him. We can’t change people’s hearts but, through our actions, we can demonstrate the love and mercy of the One who can. It just might be that God would use us to draw people to Himself.

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Lord, thank You for Your mercy upon us. Let the Holy Spirit help us show mercy as a sign of love, too. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

March 30, 2014 by

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

Matthew 5:6

This is one of the most important verses in the Sermon on the Mount.  The foundational requirement for all godly living is to “…hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness
and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

(Such hunger was also seen in Moses; see Exodus 33:13, 18.)

If you recall from the Gospels, Jesus’ disciples—and many others—believed the Messiah would be a warrior-figure who would lead His people against the Romans and tear down those oppressors.   He would establish a new kingdom  where the ancient theocracy would be re-established.  You can certainly sense this behind the disciples’ rebuke of Jesus when he would speak of his forthcoming execution at the hands of the Jewish leaders (e.g., Matthew 16:21-23), or their question about the establishment of the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). But we know that is not the kind of Messiahship Jesus had in mind, nor was the kingdom He spoke of one of physical dominion.

So, while it is true that God will establish His people, giving them relief from oppression, and the restoration of justice, God’s plan is much more long-term than we might think. There will come a time when His kingdom will be established, the wicked will be punished, and the oppressed and persecuted will be rewarded for their faithfulness. But it will be in a way that is much more spiritually satisfying.

For that reason, I think it is better to consider this Beatitude (Matthew 5:6) in terms of “righteousness” than “justice.”  And it is ultimately that righteousness before God for which we should hunger and thirst.  It is the deer in Psalm 42 that we should emulate—thirsting after God as the deer thirsts after water.  When He was tempted (Matthew 4:3-5), Jesus resisted the satanic urging to transform the rocks into bread that He might break His fast and reminded Satan that man survives on the Word of God.  Physical needs are easily taken care of—the hungry and thirsty can be satisfied with bread and water.  But if that spiritual longing for the righteousness of God to reign in one’s heart is not present, there’s nothing anyone can do to satisfy that craving.  Only God can do that.  So it is imperative we look to God, yearn for Him and for His righteousness. And His promise is that He will not fail us.

There is no justice outside of God, and to seek after God is to seek after the only One through whom true justice can reign.  And even if we don’t see it in this life, we know He will bring it about in His time when He declares an end to all things.

But more importantly, we should seek after God with diligence.  His righteousness should be our consuming passion.  And we know that when we do this, we will find Him, and we will be satisfied.

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Father, we thank You for when we seek You all things shall be added unto us. This is the promise we have in You…in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Be Humble

March 25, 2014 by

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the meek (those who are humble) for they will inherit the earth. 
Matthew 5:5

The meek are those who are humble and submissive before God.  They are more concerned about God’s Word and God’s people than about what might happen to them personally.  The meek, rather than the aggressors, ultimately inherit the earth.

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
Psalm 37:11

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4

Humility is a selfless regard for the needs and desires of others over your own, and maybe even at the expense of your own.  It is first and foremost looking at others as more important, more worthy, and more significant than yourself.  Instead of saying “I deserve this,” say “Why should I deserve this more than someone else?”  Paul continues on in Philippians 2 to put Jesus forward as the ultimate example of humility and selfless sacrifice.

This attitude doesn’t mean we never try to achieve goals, or advance in the world.  I believe God blesses people with material advancement so that they can be a blessing to others.  Wealthy Christians and successful Christian businesses are in a position to use their wealth and resources for the advancement of God’s Kingdom, and the nurture and encouragement of the Church.  So humility doesn’t mean “not getting on in the world,” but it dictates how we get on—not at the expense of others.  And, of course, our humility must always be in the context of our relationship with God.  We must always humbly recognize God’s ways as superior to ours, and accept our place in God’s decrees.

Another underlying meaning for humble is “the oppressed”—i.e., those who have been humbled.  In this sense, this beatitude mirrors the first (verse 3): the poor in spirit receive the Kingdom of heaven…the humble (or humbled) inherit the earth.  God promised Abraham that he and his children would be heirs of the world through faith (see Romans 4:13), and clearly God had a greater plan than merely the spread of His people over a piece of land. Rather it is the spread of the gospel amongst every tribe, tongue, and nation, where countless numbers of people will receive an eternal inheritance unconstrained by national boundaries.

Think of it in this way: those who humble themselves before God and embrace the gospel…who then consider others more important than themselves…show their willingness to become servants in obedience to the gospel…will become co-inheritors with Christ of eternal life and the Kingdom of heaven.  Does that include you?

Father, we thank You for the right Word at the right time.  Make this Word be alive in our hearts.  Make us conscious of our weaknesses and quick to give credit to You, Father, and others for what we accomplish.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

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Comfort

March 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

To mourn is—
1. to grieve over our own weakness in relation to God’s standard of righteousness and His kingdom power.
2. It is also to mourn over the things that grieve God, to have our feelings in sympathy with the feelings of God, and to be afflicted in our spirits over the sin (Acts 20:19).

So those who mourn are comforted by receiving from the Father “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Paul told the Christians in Rome, “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Disciples face sadness for many reasons.  Discipleship is not about always being happy.  It’s about following the path of Jesus who was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).  He surrendered His rights to bless others.  He surrendered His life to forgive the very ones crucifying Him.  He saw through the facades of His culture and felt the real needs of people whether they were ill, possessed, or simply blind to the truth.

To be a Christian—a disciple of Jesus—means to care about people, their problems, and to “weep with those who weep.” But such mourning means comfort. Our sufferings, hardships, and struggles will melt away in the eternal light of God’s Presence and His grace.  Our heartbreak for those broken in our world will be replaced with rejoicing when many we have loved join us at God’s side eternally.  Those who mourn—who are deeply sad—they will be comforted!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is full of mercy.
He is the God of all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble,
so that we can comfort other people any time they have trouble.
We can comfort them with the same comfort that God gives us.
We share in the many sufferings of Christ.
In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

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God of comfort, we thank You for You comfort us when grieved and when mourning. With the same comfort we get from You, let us reach out to Your people we are living with on earth; may they find comfort through us.  We pray that with Christ in us all will be well!  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

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Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

March 9, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent. For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words. ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him Devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 6—the Beatitudes. Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.” To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’ Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are! Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions, and we pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be preparing your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection! ✞ ♥

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

This verse is one of the beatitudes which Jesus delivered as part of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount.”  This sermon is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7.

The word “blessed” here also means “happy” (Greek: makarios).  Each one of the Beatitudes starts with this affirmation that those who fulfill the description are blessed, or have a sense of deep joy and satisfaction (or, at least, they should).  To all appearances, these people should not be happy at all—they are ‘poor in spirit’—and should, in fact, be angry and upset.  But Jesus is pointing to a deeper joy that comes from being one of His people while enduring these situations (note in verse 2 that Jesus is addressing “His disciples”).

I think Jesus is drawing a parallel here between being physically poor and being spiritually poor.  The physically poor have no resources at all.  They don’t have a kingdom, perhaps even barely have a place to call home, and, some food on the table. Dire economic circumstances are not usually a time for joy and celebration.  Likewise, spiritual poverty means that you have nothing spiritually of any worth. You have nothing to offer God that would make Him consider you worthy of His attention, or of His blessing.

But Jesus says that those who are in this spiritual condition ARE recipients of the “Kingdom of Heaven.”  This is like saying that the physically poor actually own an entire realm—riches, land, and titles beyond comprehension.  I think by this He intends that those who are lacking in spiritual resources actually have at their disposal all the resources of Heaven.  Their spiritual cup actually overflows, and they should feel rich.

But I don’t think that’s ALL that is meant.  From other places where Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven, I believe this is shorthand for the Church: a realm occupied by those who trust in Christ; one that is as yet invisible, but will one day be revealed.

I think we should also consider “poor in spirit” to be the condition that Jesus looks for in those who would come to Him. Not only are Jesus’ followers those who lack spiritual worth in themselves, but they then are completely reliant upon God for their spiritual well-being. Because we recognize our spiritual poverty, we look to Christ to fulfill our needs. We lean on Him alone to supply us with all that makes us worthy to receive the riches of the blessings of God’s Kingdom.

Those who are in Christ, and are “poor in spirit” should rejoice, therefore, that we have a Savior and Redeemer through whom we have peace with God, and by whom we are spiritually worthy to stand in the presence of God and take our place in His Kingdom.

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Blessed Father, we thank You for You speak to us in a way we cannot comprehend. You are a Faithful God. Bless us as we continue meditating on Your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen!!

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