Daily Bible Study

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Day 347 Promise 426 Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Everyone wants things to go right. People consider it a blessing to be free from worry and stress. Jesus said our blessings aren’t found in a stress-free life without worry or hardship. It’s found in overcoming the problems and stresses of life. As Christians, many of you can quote the above passage, especially if you went to parochial school or spent your early years in Sunday school. Yet, have you given thought to what Jesus said to the crowd? 1. To be poor in spirit isn’t to expect blessings because you aren’t wealthy, but to expect blessings because your spirit is empty and ready to be filled with the goodness of God. Your readiness and willingness for God to pour into you will be a blessing far greater than wealth and money can buy. 2. Most of you have gone to funerals. It’s a time of mourning and reflection on the person who passed from this life to eternity. Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (KJV) You find comfort in knowing your loved one, friend or acquaintance is with Jesus. That knowledge brings joy instead of sorrow and blessing because you know you will see that person again. 3. Can people call you meek? Being meek doesn’t mean you stand around and allow people to bully you, walk over you as a doormat, or use you for their gain. No, it means standing up for what is right. Jesus told the people what meekness looked like. Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (KJV) The Pharisees and Sadducees hated Jesus because He taught the people the truth from God’s law. He didn’t tolerate money changers in the temple but took a whip to them. He called them out on their vanity, being the first in everything because they felt they were more important than anyone else. A person like that isn’t considered meek, but that is what Jesus said a meek person looked like. Someone who didn’t back down, but stood his ground. 4. Do you hunger after God’s Word? Do you study it to show you are a workman who isn’t ashamed of the gospel? 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. God will fill you with His blessings when you spend time in His Word. 5. Do you show mercy or compassion to those around you? We hear stories every day about people who have gone above and beyond helping their neighbor, being a good Samaritan to people they don’t know. They call it Acts of Kindness. Yet, it is called mercy and compassion and was a way of life when I was young. When you consider others before yourself, you are merciful. When you do it not for recognition or what you can get out of your act of kindness, God will reward you. Being merciful is a way of life that comes naturally to people because it’s the way they were brought up and reflects on their life. 6. Is your heart pure? If Jesus taught on the pureness of one’s heart, it isn’t beyond our capability to be pure. A pure heart is one who seeks the good in others. You know them. They’re always smiling, have kind words, and are helpful. It comes naturally to them. Jesus said they will see God. Seeing God doesn’t mean you will see Him face to face in this life, but it means you will see God’s hand everywhere you go and in everything you do. You will see Him in a smile, the beauty of the earth, a sunrise, or sunset. God can be found everywhere and in everything. 7. Are you a peacemaker? When I think of a peacemaker, I think of my grandmother. She had a way about her that took the fight out of every argument between my father and grandfather. She calmed the storms and brought smiles to faces. I know beyond doubt she was God’s child. Is there someone like that in your life? Are you the peacemaker in your family and among your friends and acquaintances? 8. Jesus then told the people the hardest thing they would hear. God would bless them in their persecution. It’s hard to face persecution. The thought of someone threatening our life for what we believe in is alien to our thinking. Yet, persecution happens all over the world. It started in the Roman arenas when it was considered sport to send Christians to fight as gladiators, be burned as torches, or fed to lions. It continues today. Missionaries risk their lives to go into places where the gospel can get them killed, but they do it because Jesus said the kingdom of God belonged to them. They do it knowing the next breath they take to bring God’s Word to people who don’t know Jesus, could be their last. However, they wouldn’t consider any other way of life. If you had to die for your faith today? Could you? These are God’s blessings, promised to you as His child. They aren’t hard to accomplish. The gospel isn’t hard, but easy. It’s a way of life full of God’s rewards. Jesus told the people what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear, and because He did, they hungered and thirsted for more of what He could give them. Let’s pray: Father, help me live my life with an attitude that serves You and brings You glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 19 July 2020 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.