Matthew 5:3KJV
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
As I read this scripture, my mind immediately associated poor with money. Money is the be all, end all in this earthly life it seems. I've never had much of it. And it seems like when I do have it, it goes as fast as it comes. But I am learning more and more every day that money is simply a tool. And whether you have it or not doesn't matter to the Lord. It's how you use it that He's concerned with. So applying this scripture in a monetary sense doesn't really make much sense. Surely the Lord isn't saying that only the poor in this world will have heaven as their kingdom? There are wealthy Christians, who love and honor the Lord, as much as the poor Christians.
So I found myself searching the Strong's concordance for the definition of poor and it gave me what you'd expect it to: reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour. Well there I sat. Bumfuzzeled.
"Lord what are you trying to tell me?" I found myself asking.
And as I went about my day I had this scripture on my mind, trying to discern it's meaning. I thought about the times in my life when I've been poor, felt poor, looked poor. And I realized suddenly that my Jesus isn't talking about being monetarily poor but poor in spirit just as the scripture says.
There have been times in my life when I have absolutely been reduced to beggary at the feet of my Savior. I have been so low, so poor in spirit and faith, that I've begged Him to help me. When I lost Lachlan I was destitute of spiritual wealth, stricken with spiritual poverty. The influence that my faith had once held in me was gone. My Christian honour was nowhere to be found. And my position was the lowest of low. It took me years, years, to realize that instead of being rich in faith and Christian spirit, I was asking alms outside the gates of His love.
But blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who recognize their need for God and His Grace. When we can see that we need a Savior, the He is the only answer in our lives, that it is through Him that we gain wealth of love, of spirit, of grace and of mercy, then the kingdom of heaven is ours.
St. Therese of Lisieux said, "There is no joy like that known by the truly poor in spirit." Truth. Never have I known joy like when I found my way inside the gates. No longer was I begging alms outside them, Jesus had reached way down and picked me up and filled my spirit to overflowing.
And all I had to do was ask.
So I found myself searching the Strong's concordance for the definition of poor and it gave me what you'd expect it to: reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour. Well there I sat. Bumfuzzeled.
"Lord what are you trying to tell me?" I found myself asking.
And as I went about my day I had this scripture on my mind, trying to discern it's meaning. I thought about the times in my life when I've been poor, felt poor, looked poor. And I realized suddenly that my Jesus isn't talking about being monetarily poor but poor in spirit just as the scripture says.
There have been times in my life when I have absolutely been reduced to beggary at the feet of my Savior. I have been so low, so poor in spirit and faith, that I've begged Him to help me. When I lost Lachlan I was destitute of spiritual wealth, stricken with spiritual poverty. The influence that my faith had once held in me was gone. My Christian honour was nowhere to be found. And my position was the lowest of low. It took me years, years, to realize that instead of being rich in faith and Christian spirit, I was asking alms outside the gates of His love.
But blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who recognize their need for God and His Grace. When we can see that we need a Savior, the He is the only answer in our lives, that it is through Him that we gain wealth of love, of spirit, of grace and of mercy, then the kingdom of heaven is ours.
St. Therese of Lisieux said, "There is no joy like that known by the truly poor in spirit." Truth. Never have I known joy like when I found my way inside the gates. No longer was I begging alms outside them, Jesus had reached way down and picked me up and filled my spirit to overflowing.
And all I had to do was ask.
When He Reached Down His Hand for Me
Once my soul was astray from the heavenly way
I was wretched and vile as could be
But my Savior in love, gave me peace from above
When he reached down His hand for me
When the Savior reached down for me
When he reached down His hand for me
I was lost and undone, without God or His Son
When he reached down His hand for me
I was near to despair when He came to me there
And He showed me that I could be free
Then He lifted my feet, gave me gladness complete
When He reached down His hand for me
How my heart doth rejoice when I hear His sweet voice
And the tempest to Him I can flee
There to lean on His arms, safe secure from all harm
Since he reached down his hand for me
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