Blue Peacock (Pavo cristatus) on the sleeping tree, photographed in Heidelberg (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany) by 4028mdk09
Good morning, beloved of God,
A quiet morning with little birds, it is good to be up early before all the craziness of life. We live by train tracks and so I, most of the time, don’t even “hear” the trains going by. In a morning like this, when I hear the worship of God’s creation…oh, I hear it alright.
Today’s verse from BibleGateway…“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! For the Chief Musician; with my stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 3:19 AMP
Before I carry on, I want to let you know about a book that is transforming my financial life and her blog. Her name is Kelly Hancock and her book is called, Saving Savvy and her blog/website is www.faithfulprovisions.com. She has turned my thinking upside down and I am very grateful. I listened to her book in the car and now my eldest is shopping with me and my younger ones are clipping coupons and getting rid of expired coupons…yet all to gear to a life that can be lived generously. And I love that. She doesn’t overwhelm with information. She carefully adds new information..gives solid facts, reviews at the end of each chapter, has wonderful stories to illustrate her points…well, we’ve been already saving it has just been three weeks. Thank You, Lord.
I am a little amused with myself that I choose today to bring up that book with the subject of today’s study…but well, that is the book I have worked through and I did just finish it…you will find this does mean something a little different tho…;)
So today we are back in Matthew 5 focusing in on verse 3
3 Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
Poor: lacking in anything, as respects their spirit, destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ‘s teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)
The root word here means to crouch (ptosso) or to be terrified or to descend and fall to a prostrate place…
in spirit: the sentient element in man, that by which he perceives, reflects, feels, desires, Mat 5:3;
The root word here means to breathe, to blow of the wind…
“Poor in spirit simply means to be a beggar, a pauper in spirit, to know that you have nothing to offer. It is a lowliness which is the opposite of pride.” (Precept Ministries, Sermon on The Mount, p. 12)
Can I get an amen? How often to we realize how little we have and yet that is how God wants us. He wants to be close and near and hold us. Let’s look at some other verses…
Psalm34:18 The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.
Psalm 51: 17 My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
Isaiah 57: 15 For thus says the high and lofty One—He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent [bruised with sorrow for sin].
Isaiah 66: 1Thus says the Lord: Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house would you build for Me? And what kind can be My resting-place?
2 For all these things My hand has made, and so all these things have come into being [by and for Me], says the Lord. But this is the man to whom I will look and have regard: he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at My word and reveres My commands.
Anyone need to hear that today? We started singing this yesterday..actually my son just started singing this out of the blue and I’ve sung it ever since. 🙂 Enjoy.
Well, beloved, thank you for reading this morning. I need to get moving. I will pick up again tomorrow morning.
Pray on. Pray on!
Related articles
- Why Read the Bible? – Day 9 of 32 – Truth of the Word (christlikeministriesnwa.wordpress.com)
- God’s All for my nothing (genesisone.wordpress.com)
- Blessed are the Poor in Spirit (frted.wordpress.com)
- “Acts of Gratitude” (christlikeministriesnwa.wordpress.com)
- Why We are Loved (goldenbible.wordpress.com)
- The Beatitudes: Living a Blessed Life (dailybibleplan.com)
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