Matthew 5:1-3
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Devotion
“In the three chapters beginning here, we have the Magna Charta of the Kingdom. This chapter opens with a great revelation of its supreme condition. Character is everything.” – G. Campbell Morgan
The first word of the famous Sermon on the Mount is suggestive, “blessed,” or, “happy.” This shows us that human happiness is conditioned in character. In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, J.V. McGhee divides these three chapters into four divisions:
- Relationship of the subjects of the kingdom to self (Matt. 5:1-16)
- Relationship of the subjects of the kingdom to law (Matt. 5:17-48)
- Relationship of the subjects of the kingdom to God (Matt. 6)
- Relationship of the subjects of the kingdom to others (Matt. 7)
The Sermon on the Mount opens with the Beatitudes. Please note that these are be-attitudes and not do-attitudes. They state what the subjects of the kingdom are to be. So, Jesus begins this most famous sermon by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” This refers to spiritual bankruptcy. Those who recognize their own spiritual bankruptcy will be blessed! The fact of the matter is that we are all spiritually bankrupt. According to Paul, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous, not even one…” Everyone falls short of God’s perfect holiness, but blessed is the man who recognizes this. You see, recognizing our own spiritual depravity is the beginning of spiritual renewal. If you don’t recognize your own depravity, you will not see your need for a Savior.
The kingdom of God is filled with people who recognize their own spiritual bankruptcy. Only the Spirit of God can reveal to a person their poverty of spirit. In recovery programs you often hear, “The first step toward healing is recognizing that you have a problem.” The same is true when it comes to genuine spirituality. Salvation is a gift from God. We cannot boast about what a good person we are. According to the prophet Isaiah, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags,” when compared to God’s righteousness. Therefore, the first character trait in a kingdom-citizen is humility. Humility is to be “free from pride or arrogance.” This kind of humility acknowledges that God is holy, and we are sinful. It is to come off from all confidence in our own righteousness and strength. Blessed are the spiritually humble, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
Questions to Ponder:
Do you recognize your own spiritual bankruptcy? Have you, in faith, accepted God’s offer of mercy and forgiveness through His Son? Is spiritual humility a part of your spiritual DNA?
Prayer Points
- Spend time worshipping God. Hallow His Name.
- Ask the Spirit of God to reveal to you any sin that you need to confess. Sit quietly with Your heart and mind set on the Lord as He searches and reveals. Repent of sins; sins that you are aware of and sins that the Spirit revealed to you. Receive his forgiveness.
- Ask Spirit of the Lord to prune any “branches”, anything in your life that is not pleasing to Him OR areas in your life that could bear more fruit if pruned.
Suggested Prayer
Heavenly Father, You are kind, good, merciful, patient, long-suffering, faithful and true. You are Lord of my life! Thank You for my salvation. You are my hiding place and strong tower. Please hide me under the shadow of Your wings for You give me strength and rest. It is You Who gives me peace and rest for my weary soul.
Lord, grant me clean hands and a pure heart, a steadfast spirit within me. Put me in touch with my spiritual poverty Lord. Open my eyes and open my heart. I ask that You grant me a responsive spirit to Your Spirit of Truth. You know me better than I know myself and You know that I want to be in control of my life. But I surrender myself once again to You because I am Yours.
Remind me Lord that I can trust You. Remind me that You are for me and not against me. Remind me that every act of submission to You is pleasing to You but also good for me, even if I don’t realize it at the time. Help me to trust and bless You even when You give and take away. Remind me in Your Word, in my life and the life of others that You are faithful and good. Remind me that You have a purpose and a plan for everything and that You are after my heart above everything else. Holy Spirit, come love, encourage and breathe into my weary soul. I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.