‘One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.’
The Beatitudes
‘“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.’ Matthew 5:3(NLT)
‘‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’’ Numbers 6:24-26(NLT)
‘This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
The Hope of Eternal Life
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.’ 1 Peter 1:1-9(NLT)
‘Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.’ James 1:2-4(NLT)
QUIET MOMENT
Jesus sees all of the people, sits down, and begins to teach. We want to sit down right with them and ask the Holy Spirit to help us hear Him. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is theirs whom are blessed, so this has great significance. When Jesus says that we will be blessed, what do you understand that to mean?
GOING DEEPER
Let’s look closely at the word blessed. The Greek word for blessed is makarios. Basically, it means happy. It is a result of having God’s kingdom reigning within your heart and having God make His face shine upon you (Numbers 6:24-26). The blessed person has a heart full of Christ and not self, a heart full of His love, His peace, and His hope. The blessedness of the Beatitudes is marked by a fullness in Christ regardless of the circumstances. It describes a world that is available to us as we walk in the footsteps of Christ in the midst of this world and all its difficulty, afflictions, heartbreak, and pain.
How can we experience the blessedness described in the Beatitudes even in the midst of difficulties and afflictions? Read 1 Peter 1:1-9 and James 1:2-4. How do Peter’s and James’ perspectives help us with this question?
When we are in Christ, we are of the kingdom of heaven, even though we dwell on planet earth. Describe what your day might look like if you began it truly living and following the principle of being in the world but not of it. What would your day look like or how would parts of it need to change? What and who would be your first priority? Who is the king of the kingdom of heaven? Knowing that, who would you want to serve?
REFLECTION AND PRAYER
In your prayers to the Lord, ask Him to lead you beyond your world and deep into the land of the Beatitudes!
TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART AND BRINGING IT TO LIFE
Choose one truth from today and apply it to your heart. Take it with you throughout the day.
from Jesus, I Need You Part 7