GOD IN MY PAIN

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

How many of us are poor in spirit?  If being poor in spirit is like being financially poor as when we do not have enough money to meet our needs, then how can Jesus encourage us to become that way and promise us that “the kingdom of heaven is ours?”  If we are blessed because we are “poor in spirit” it must be something good that we should desire.

To be “poor in spirit” means we have come to an honest understanding of who we are when we invite God into our lives.  We recognize that we are powerless to do life on our own.  We no longer deny our past offenses but choose to humbly admit the exact nature of our wrongs and ask God for His forgiveness.  We then turn our will and life over to the care of God and wholeheartedly follow Him, trusting that He will provide the strength we need to seek Him in all our ways. 

Don’t love the world’s ways.  Don’t love the world’s goods.  Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.  Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father.  It just isolates you from him.  The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.  (I John 2:15-17 MSG)

When we are “poor in spirit” we will humbly live in the grace and favour of God.  We will be thankful for all that God has done for us. When we fail, we will not be fearful to come to Him because we know that God is slow to anger and rich in love. If we are truly sorry for the wrongs we have done and confess our sin before Him, we will receive God’s forgiveness and never condemnation.  We are truly “poor in spirit” when we admit that if any weakness existed in God, it would still be stronger than our human strength.  We are “poor in spirit” when we remember that every breath we take comes from our awesome God and choose to live gratefully in His presence.  We know we are “poor in spirit” when every moment of every day we rely on the goodness of God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that without You I can do nothing.  I desire to be poor in spirit so that I can be rich in Your unfailing love and care for me. May my life be changed and renewed as I represent my birthright as a child of my Abba  Father.  Amen