Category: Devotionals

“Blessed are…”

The fourth and eighth beatitudes both speak of righteousness, but in two very different ways. The Greek word translated as righteousness in both of these beatitudes is dikaiosynē. In the context in which this word is used, it basically means meeting God’s standards through adherence to God’s laws. It means doing what is right in the eyes of God so that we can be in a proper relationship with Him.

Righteousness should be the goal of all believers. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says that we should seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness above all of the other needs or desires we may have. In the fourth beatitude (Matthew 5:6), Jesus tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed because they will be filled. Jesus makes it clear that the pursuit of righteousness is important in the life of all believers.

In his first letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul tells Timothy that he must flee the things that can cause him to waver in his faith. Instead, he is directed to pursue godly virtues, the first of which is righteousness (1 Timothy 6:11). Paul reminds Timothy of this in 2 Timothy 2:22, telling him that he must flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, as well as other godly virtues. The apostle Peter also wrote of the need to seek righteousness, telling us that Jesus gave His life for us so that we can turn from our sins and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

God desires that believers actively seek His righteousness, that we hunger and thirst for it. And Jesus has promised us that, when we do, we will not just receive righteousness, but we will be filled to satisfaction with it. Righteousness brings us into harmony with God as we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, live our lives in order to meet His standards and not those of the world. But, there is a cost to living this way. While God rejoices in it, the world does not.

In the eighth beatitude (Matthew 5:10), Jesus speaks of those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. He says that those who experience persecution because they choose to live righteously, in harmony with God’s Word, are also blessed. In the world, those who live according to His Word may be rejected and criticized, and in some cases, even face physical persecution. But they are to rejoice and be happy because they will be blessed by God. Their joy comes from knowing that Jesus has promised the reward of the kingdom of Heaven, eternity spent in the presence of our loving and faithful God. Righteousness comes with a cost, but the end result, the kingdom of Heaven, is well worth the cost. And that is something to be happy and blessed about!

“Blessed are…”

The second and third beatitudes address those who mourn and those who are meek. Like the “poor in spirit,” those who mourn and the meek are declared by Jesus to be blessed (or happy). And just as being poor in spirit seems to be a negative virtue at first glance, so too do the virtues of mourning and meekness. When I am mourning, the last thing that I would consider myself to be is blessed. And when I see the word meek, it brings to mind a lamb or a person who is weak in character and physically weak, as well. So, why does Jesus say that those who mourn and those who are meek are blessed?

When we use the word “mourn,” it is generally to refer to the act of grieving over a loss, usually the loss of a loved one. We mourn because we are filled with a deep sadness, a sorrow that goes deep into our hearts. But, in Matthew 5:4, the Greek word translated as “mourn” in Matthew 5:4 is pentheō, which refers to a different type of mourning altogether. It is the sorrow felt for sin, but not just our own sins. It is a sorrow like that felt by Lot over the lawless deeds of Sodom and Gomorrah, a sorrow that tormented his soul (2 Peter 2:8).

As Lot mourned over the immorality and the wickedness that he observed, we should also mourn over the immorality and wickedness we see in our country and in our world today. We should mourn over the things that we know grieve the heart of God (Genesis 6:6). When we mourn over these things, we are blessed. And, because our heavenly Father is a God of comfort, in our mourning we will receive His comfort.

In Matthew 5:5, Jesus declares that the meek are also blessed. While the world (and some of us, as well) may look at meekness as weakness and not a virtue to be desired, God has a completely different opinion of it. The Greek work translated as “meek” in this verse is praus. This word suggests an attitude of submission to God’s will and purpose. Viewed in that context, meekness is far from weakness. Rather, it is a virtue that requires an inner strength.

The word praus is only used three times in the New Testament, the first time being in this beatitude. The second use of the word is in Matthew 21:5, where it is used to refer to Jesus as “meek” as He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The third time that this word appears is in 1 Peter 3:4, where it is used in commending the person who possesses a gentle (meek) and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s eyes. So, if meekness is not only a virtue which pleases God, but is also a virtue that Jesus possesses, it is truly a virtue to be desired. When we are meek, not only are we blessed, but we also will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are…”

Jesus began His teaching that we now refer to as the Sermon on the Mount by telling us of the rewards of certain godly virtues. He began each of these declarations, which we know as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), by telling us that those who possess each of these virtues are “blessed” or, as it reads in some translations, “happy.” The Greek word used in Scripture is makarios, which translates as blessed or happy. Jesus was declaring to those who possess each of these virtues that they will, in turn, possess blessedness or happiness.

The first declaration of blessedness that Jesus made addresses those who are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). At first glance, the term “poor in spirit” might seem like a negative virtue to possess, yet it is anything but. Matthew uses the Greek word ptōchos in referring to the “poor” in spirit. In the context in which Jesus used this term, it means a quality of genuine humility. A person who is poor in spirit is one who is humble. It is a person who knows that he is not spiritually self-sufficient, one who knows that he must depend on God and not himself. So, another way of expressing the declaration Jesus is making in Matthew 5:3 is to say that those who are humble are both happy and blessed and, because of their humility, they will inherit the kingdom of Heaven.

But, what does it mean to be humble? What does it mean to possess humility? A humble person is one who does not exalt himself above others, but makes himself lower. Humility is basically the absence of selfish ambition and pride. When we are humble, we are not self-serving. We do not do things out of our own selfish ambition or for our own vanity. Rather, we value others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3). A person who is humble lives in harmony with others and does not consider himself too good to associate with others (Romans 12:16). When we are humble, when we display genuine humility, we will be lifted up or exalted by God. But when we exalt ourselves above others, we will be opposed or humbled by God (James 4:10; Matthew 23:12).

To be truly humble, we cannot rely on our fallen nature. We don’t possess the ability to be humble on our own. Instead, we must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. The Holy Spirit dwells in those who have confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and He will help us to develop humility. We must also follow the example of Jesus. We need to have His mindset. Jesus is the perfect example of humility. Although He entered this world in human form, He was also fully divine. But, He did not use His divine nature to His own advantage. Despite the fact that He was by nature God, He became a servant, humbling Himself by putting all of us first. He allowed Himself to be sacrificed for our salvation by submitting to dying for us. And He did not just die any death, but death on a cross, one of the most horrific and humiliating forms of death (Philippians 2:5-8).

We are called by our Creator to be humble, to be “poor in spirit.” He promises that, when we are, we will be blessed and the kingdom of Heaven will be ours.

I once had a coworker who would get a new car every year. He would buy a car, drive it until the new model came out, then trade in the old model for a brand new one. It was out with the old and in with the new. This is how it should be when we have Jesus in our lives. When we are in Christ, when we are following Him and living with Him by faith, we are a new creation. The old person is gone, replaced by the new and improved version. As with my coworker and his cars, it is out with the old self and in with the new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we belong to Christ, when He is Lord of our lives, our old sinful self is crucified with Him. Gone are all of the earthly passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). The old, corrupted self is replaced by the new self, with new attitudes that align with those of Christ. We become who we were created to be (Ephesians 4:22-24). So, what exactly does it mean to get rid of the old self and become the new creation we are meant to be in Christ?

First, it means turning from the things that are a part of our fallen, earthly nature. We must rid our lives of things such as sexual immorality, impurity and lust. We must do away with evil desires and greed (Colossians 3:5). We must also eliminate such things as anger and rage, the desire to cause hurt or harm to others or to speak falsely of them. And we must make sure that what passes our lips is not language that is impure or crude (Colossians 3:8). When we take off the old self and its earthly ways, we begin to become more like our Creator. We reflect the image of the One who created us.

The new self, which reflects the image of God, is identified by virtues such as compassion and kindness. We walk in humility and display gentleness and patience. We are always ready to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us. And, most importantly, we reflect the love of God as we love each other. This kind of love binds us to each other in perfect unity (Colossians 3:12-14). When we love each other, we become one, just as Jesus is one with the Father (John 17:21). This is what Jesus prayed for on the night before He gave His life for us. When we get rid of the old, and put on the new, others will see Jesus in us. And, when they do, they may very well want what we have.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus performed numerous miracles. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind. He even raised the dead to life. In many cases, the people looking for Jesus’ divine healing actively sought Him out, knowing in their hearts that He had the power to heal them. Jesus rewarded such faith by providing the healing that they desired. In providing the healing, Jesus commended them for the faith that they had shown.

When a Canaanite woman came to Him seeking healing for her daughter, Jesus first seemed to turn her away. He told her that He had been sent only for the “lost sheep of Israel.” But this woman persisted in asking for her daughter’s healing, and Jesus granted her request. In doing so, He commended the woman for her great faith and her daughter was healed right there and then (Matthew 15:21-28). When Jesus was leaving Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus called out to Him, calling Him Son of David and pleading with Him for mercy. Jesus restored the blind man’s sight. Jesus then told Bartimaeus that he received his healing because of his faith (Mark 10:46-52).

One of the most profound acts of healing by Jesus came when He healed the servant of a centurion. The centurion was not a Jew but a Roman, but he had heard about Jesus and knew that Jesus could heal his servant. Despite the fact that he did not share the beliefs of Jesus and His followers, the centurion’s faith in Jesus’ ability to heal was so great and his respect for Jesus was so deep that he did not feel that he was worthy to talk to Jesus face to face, let alone enter his home. He believed that Jesus only needed to speak the word to heal the ailing servant. Jesus rewarded the centurion’s faith, but what makes this healing stand out from many others is that Jesus was “amazed” by the centurion’s faith (Luke 7:1-10). This is the kind of faith that we all should aspire to, faith that has the ability to amaze Jesus!

Exercise is important in order for us to keep the muscles in our bodies strong. When we neglect those muscles and do not keep them strong, they become weak and can waste away. Just as we need to strengthen our physical muscles through some form of exercise, we also need to strengthen our spiritual muscles through prayer. Prayer is important in keeping our faith strong, keeping us focused on God, and keeping us from temptation. Our spiritual life is only as healthy as our prayer life.

It is God’s will that we pray, not just once in a while, but continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). God wants to hear from us and He wants to speak to us. We need to be in prayer every day, spending time in His presence. Now, there is no magic formula for prayer, just as there is no magic formula for keeping your physical muscles strong. But, there are guidelines that can be followed. In my work as a personal trainer, I created workout plans for people, guidelines for them to follow for strengthening their muscles. In Matthew, chapter 6, Jesus gave us guidelines for exercising our spiritual muscles through prayer.

The first thing that we must do in prayer is to give God praise. Jesus said that we should start our prayers in exactly that way – “Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name” (Matthew 6:9). God is worthy of our praise at all times so, when we want to spend time with God in prayer, we should first offer Him praise. Praise Him for His faithfulness, for His grace, His mercy, and His love. Praise is the first and most important part of effective prayer.

When we pray, we should also ask God for forgiveness. Before we present our requests to God, before we tell Him the things on our hearts, we must be sure that our hearts are right before Him by confessing any sin. When we ask God for forgiveness, when we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins because He is faithful and just (1 John 1:9). But we must also forgive others who may have hurt or offended us. Jesus said that we should ask God to forgive our debts, just as we have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12). When we forgive others, we are also forgiven but, when we harbor unforgiveness, we will not receive forgiveness from God (Matthew 6:14-15).

When we have given God the praise that He deserves and have made our hearts right with Him by confessing our sins, we can then present our requests to Him. We can bring those requests and needs to Him with confidence that He will hear them and will answer our prayers in accordance with His will (1 John 5:14-15). Exercise your body to keep your muscles strong, but also be sure to exercise your spiritual muscles. Prayer is powerful and it is what we need to keep our spiritual muscles strong.  

In 1993, I ran the New York City Marathon, a long and sometimes grueling race of 26.2 miles. After months of training, my goal was simply to finish the race, no matter how long it took and how difficult it might be. I was determined to do this so that I could receive the medal given to all who finished the race. So, early on that November morning, I lined up with thousands of others who shared the same goal. The race began. Buoyed by the encouragement of the other runners, the crowds who assembled to cheer us on, and the friends and family members who came to watch me, I ran easily–at least for the first 13 miles or so. Then it happened. A small blister on my right heel had gotten much larger, slowing me down and making running uncomfortable.

I stopped at a first aid station to have the blister attended to (I would have to do this again later on), then continued my race. At some point in the race, as it had become an unusually warm day for November, I needed to peel off the outer layers of running clothes that I had worn and discard them so that I could continue making my way toward the prize. Then, as I got further into the race, two things happened that made it harder to stay motivated and keep running. First, the number of runners around me decreased. Some had moved ahead more quickly, some had fallen behind, and some had abandoned the race altogether. Now there was less encouragement from other runners. Second, the crowds cheering on the runners became less frequent and smaller in size, so there was less encouragement there, as well. Still, I kept on going, focusing my mind on my goal to finish the race, keeping my eyes fixed on the prize I would receive–my finisher’s medal.

As followers of Christ, our walk of faith is a lot like a marathon. Life can be a long and sometimes grueling race. That is probably why the analogy of a race is often used in the New Testament to describe the journey of faith. Just as I became slowed down by a blister that I needed to attend to and encumbered by my outer layers of running clothes and needed to discard them, the author of Hebrews speaks of throwing off the things that hinder us and the sin that entangles us. And just as I needed to focus on my goal of receiving a finisher’s medal, the author of Hebrews tells us that we need to focus on Jesus so that we can run our race of faith with perseverance and without growing weary (Hebrews 12:1-3). When I ran the marathon, I learned the importance of encouragement from other runners and from the crowds. In our race of faith, we need to encourage and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

The marathon I ran in 1993 was tough. There were times I wanted to give up, but I persevered and finished the race. In the last mile, I was dragging but, when I saw the finish line getting closer and heard the cheering of the crowd there, I managed to sprint across the finish line where I was handed the prize that I sought, my finisher’s medal. When I look at that medal now, I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8. In those verses, Paul talked of finishing his race and receiving a crown of righteousness. In the marathon, I was not the only one who received a finisher’s medal. It was given to everyone who ran and finished. Paul tells us that, in our race of faith, we will all one day receive a prize, a crown of righteousness, when we persevere and keep the faith.

A look around this planet on which we live gives testimony to the God who created it all. When you look at the vast and wonderful variety that exists in both plant and animal life, the majesty and splendor of mountain ranges, the vastness of the oceans, and the incredible complexity that exists in all of this, it is hard to believe that it all came about by accident. Nature itself is probably the best proof that there is a Creator, and that Creator is God.

God created the heavens and the earth and all of their incredible variety (Genesis 2:1). With no need for words, the heavens and the earth shout out the work of His mighty hand (Psalm 19:1). God’s eternal power and His divine nature are evident in all of creation, so evident that people really have no excuse not to believe that there is, in fact, a God (Romans 1:20).

Creation also gives testimony to God’s faithfulness. This stood out to me today as my wife and I drove around our neighborhood. As we drove, I looked at the flowers and the trees that have begun to bloom as we move through the spring. Flowers that have not been seen since last spring are once again springing up from the ground, just as they do every year. Buds and flowers have begun to appear on the trees, soon to give way to leaves of green, just as they do every year. Birds have begun gathering twigs to build nests for the eggs that they will soon lay, just as they do every year. These are things that we can count on and they testify to the faithfulness of the God who created them.

God’s faithfulness is something that we can count on. His faithfulness is so vast and so great that we are told in Psalm 36:5 that it reaches to the skies. God’s faithfulness is never-ending. It goes on and on, from generation to generation and, just like the earth that He created, His faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 119:90).

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus was asked by His disciples about His second coming and the end of the age. They wanted to know when it will happen and what the signs will be (Matthew 24:3). Jesus told them that there will be many different signs. Many false prophets will arise, some even claiming to be the Messiah. These deceivers will lead many people astray, even some believers (Matthew 24:5,11,24).  There will be wars and rumors of wars as nations turn against each other. Natural disasters, such as famines and earthquakes, will occur in many places throughout the world (Matthew 24:6-8).

In addition to these signs, Jesus gave the disciples other signs that will signal His return and the beginning of end times. The one thing He did not tell them was when all these things will occur. He told them that no one knows the day or the hour on which He will return, except for the Father (Matthew 24:36). For this reason, He gave the disciples, and all of us as believers, instructions that we must always be ready for His return (Matthew 24:42-44). On a day and an hour known only to God, Jesus will return. His first order of business will be to gather to Himself all those who have persevered in the faith, all of the elect, both the dead and the living in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). And this is why we must be ready.

Now, being ready for that day does not mean having a bag packed and ready to go. It is a spiritual readiness. It means that we must be steadfast in living lives that are pleasing to God. We must avoid the sins that separated us from God before we gave our lives to Christ. God calls us to avoid impurity and strive to live lives that are holy, set apart to Him (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). As he taught us, we must remember to love one another (1 Thessalonians 4:9). We must persevere in the faith, always keeping Christ in our hearts and minds so that we become more and more like Him. When we do this, we will be ready when that glorious day of His return arrives.

The first and greatest commandment that we have been given by God is to love Him with all of our hearts, souls, and minds (Matthew 22:37-38). The second commandment is just like it. We must love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). If we do not love our neighbors – the people around us – then we can’t possibly love God. After all, we can see our neighbors, but we can’t see God. So, if we don’t love the people around us who we can see, how can we possibly say that we love God, who we cannot see? (1 John 4:20)

Scripture makes it very clear that our love of others is important to God. And just as important as loving others is serving them. We serve God because we love Him and because this is what is required of us (Joshua 22:5). For the same reasons, we must also serve the people around us, our family, friends, neighbors, and even total strangers. When we serve others, we are serving God.

In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus spoke of the importance of serving others. While this parable refers to believers who remain on earth after the tribulation, its message also applies to all of us now. Jesus makes it clear that when we serve others, even total strangers, we are also serving Him. When we feed the hungry, when we provide drink to the thirsty, and when we clothe those who are in need, we are doing these things for Him. When we provide hospitality to others (especially strangers!), when we take care of the sick, and when we visit those in prison, we are doing these things for Him. Acts of service to the people around us are acts of service to God. Serving others means serving God.