Quick Reminders
So, last week we talked through some thoughts from the beginning of Matthew 5.
I never really understood this passage of “Blessed are…. For the shall…” verses, but in my recent study, I learned to see them as a sort of ladder for a life given to, lived for, & hoped rested in God.
I also wanted to remind us to see these not as, “It’s a good thing if you…. For you will be blessed,” but rather, “When you…, you will be blessed.”
PART 1 Recap–Matthew 5
(All emphasis/brackets are mine in verses.)
We already talked about the first three rungs of this ladder last week, in Part 1, but let’s do a quick review.
1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:3)
This one, as we discussed last week, refers to a recognition of our own depravity (our own sin & a realization that our “good” deeds cannot save us—that we need a Savior outside of ourselves—Jesus Christ).
We are blessed in this recognition because we are opened to receive God’s free gift of grace & reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ, allowing us to join the kingdom of God!
2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)
When we realize how wretched & helpless to save ourselves that we really are, it is natural to mourn & to feel grief over how we have mistreated God.
But God doesn’t leave us in that grief-stricken state. He offers us His comfort!
3. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
As we discussed last week, meek means strength/power under control versus timid/pushover. The implications being that instead of self-solving, self-soothing, & self-shielding… we learn to hand over the reins of how our life is lived to God. We give Him control instead of claiming it ourselves.
I also want to remind us that this is a lifelong process of learning to give more & more of ourselves to Him. Give yourself grace, fail forward, & ask for His help in doing it every step of the way!
(To catch more on each of the above three rungs of the ladder, read PART 1/3, here.)
And now that we’re all caught up, we move onto the next few rungs of this ladder:
4. Blessed Are Those Who Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness
“Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
Once we realize our own depravity & need for Jesus Christ, mourn over our sin & wretchedness (& are comforted), & then submit the reins of our life to doing it God’s way… we begin to hunger & thirst for righteousness.
Basically, we get a taste for the goodness in God’s way of life & we want more.
We want to learn more about what pleases Him & honors Him & how He designed it to be. We want to cling to His way!
It doesn’t mean we’ll get it right all the time or even that we will always have the right attitude (I have to pray & ask God for help with a willingness to seek Him sometimes on days when rebelliousness is luring me every other way).
But it does mean that we hunger for it. We thirst for it. We want more of it in our lives!
We recognize that our way led to pain & dissatisfaction & emptiness & we want to be filled with Him in all areas of our lives, to feel complete, loved, filled, purposeful, secure, steady, & healed! Those are the things that come naturally in living a life lived for Him—even in the struggles!
And God promises that we will be blessed because we will be filled!
5. Blessed Are the Merciful
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
Once we have seen God’s mercy & tasted the freedom, the healing, the filled joy that comes in it… naturally, we begin to see others in need of that same mercy & grace that we didn’t deserve either.
(NOTE: This one can be difficult for us (including me) when someone intentionally hurts us. It is definitely an area we should ask God for help with when we want to hold a grudge or a hurt. Trust Him with healing & a right perspective.)
So, being merciful means basically having a forgiving heart. It means recognizing that the other person is equally loved by the same God who loves us SO MUCH.
Be quick to forgive.
Because, when we are merciful to others, God says we will be blessed in also receiving mercy. So, let’s strive to live that way toward each other, shall we?
6. Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
Have you ever wondered how people seem to hear from God when they pray? Well, hopefully talking about this verse will shed some light into that.
When I looked up “pure in heart”, the definition that stood out to me was “undivided.” Basically implying that the more you turn the reins of your life over to God & the more that you crave to learn & live God’s way & the more you seek to extend the same mercy to others that you were given by God… the more your heart will become undivided in its focus to live completely for Him in all things & to look to & turn to Him through every situation or struggle or trial or pain.
He becomes our main focus in life—the way it was always intended to be, like walking together with Him in the Garden of Eden, except now with a broken-by-sin world (in which we need Him all the more).
Oh, how blessed this is… how irreplaceable… how indescribable!
An Undivided Heart Begins to See His Work & Love All Around Us!
You may be intimidated (as I was) over the wording of this “pure in heart” knowing how impure we are… & we may never perfect this in our lifetime, as we still battle with our flesh while on this earth—but as we seek to grow in being undivided, we begin to also recognize God’s voice.
Sometimes it’s a whisper across our heart when we are drenched in sadness, reminding us how loved we are & how capable He is to be our strength in the unrelenting storm.
Sometimes it’s an inner strength & courage (coming from outside ourselves aka the Holy Spirit) when we turn to Him in times of great fear or worry, knowing He can handle anything.
Sometimes it’s a whisper of a verse you memorized once, reminding you of God’s Truth in the midst of Satan’s guilt-saturated shame game that he tries to torment us with our past.
Seek Him in & for All Things
It’s an undivided focus that is grown out of a heart & mind & efforts devoted to God in how we seek Him through prayer & through reading/studying His Word, the Bible.
And when we live that way, we are blessed with seeing God work in the mess. We see His fingerprints in every situation, working it out for our good. We are comforted seeing Him at work all around us, even to the displayed splendor of His majesty in His ever-changing artwork of the sky. We SEE Him everywhere.
And we see Him in His love for those He loves—every person past, present, & future. Angelic facades & outward rebellion & everyone in between. He loves them all.
Shine HOPE
And, in preparation for next week’s grand finale of this life lived for God, that’s where we’ll leave it for this week!
Shine HOPE by realizing your need for Him, mourning your mistakes, being comforted by God, turning the reins of your life to Him, seeking to learn & live His way, being merciful to others as you have been shown mercy, & seek above all to have an undivided heart for God, through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice & the help of the Holy Spirit, through prayer & the study of God’s Word!!
He’s got you, babe.
Coming Next Week
Next week is Part 3/3 of this topic! Woot!
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
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A Note from Michelle:
If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
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Onyx Necklace
Modern hammered brass necklace features 3 genuine onyx drops.
Artisan Information:
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