Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: Part 1
So this year, on Tuesdays, I have been studying the Beatitudes. If any of you read my book reviews, you know I read this amazing book on the Beatitudes a couple months ago. It was called "Momentum" by Collin Smith. I highly recommend the book. I am now rereading it slowly on Tuesdays and trying to let it soak in. I want the concepts of the Beatitudes to sink deep into my heart and to change me.
"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for they shall see God." This is the first step, the first thing that must happen before any of the other Beatitudes can be exercised in my life. Do you know that this is the only Beatitude with a promise in the present tense?
So what is poor in spirit? In a nutshell, it is humility. It is recognizing that apart from God, I have nothing, I am nothing, and I can do nothing. This is not a "I can't do anything, ask someone else" mentality. It is recognizing that God gives the abilities that I have and without His help, I am nothing.
It is hard. I like to do things and take the credit for it, thank you very much. I like to be independent and be responsible for doing my own thing. But that is not how this Beatitude works. I must fully depend on God for everything.
The next question is how can we see God in the present tense? How can heaven be found here on earth? Have you looked around lately? Doesn't seem so heavenly. There are constant murmurings of unrest. There are terrorist attacks. Young fathers die, leaving widows and tiny children. How can this Beatitude be true. The last part of Isaiah 57:15 says this. God speaking, "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit." God will dwell with the humble. God with us, that is our taste of heaven on earth.
Thomas Watson says, ""If the hand is full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold." I must come to God empty-handed. "Empty-handedness will release you from the idea that God owes you." Collin Smith.
God owns us, He does not owe us. He has done so much for us, there is nothing we can do to fully repay that debt except to live in humility and complete dependence on God.
More points on this coming later.
"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for they shall see God." This is the first step, the first thing that must happen before any of the other Beatitudes can be exercised in my life. Do you know that this is the only Beatitude with a promise in the present tense?
So what is poor in spirit? In a nutshell, it is humility. It is recognizing that apart from God, I have nothing, I am nothing, and I can do nothing. This is not a "I can't do anything, ask someone else" mentality. It is recognizing that God gives the abilities that I have and without His help, I am nothing.
It is hard. I like to do things and take the credit for it, thank you very much. I like to be independent and be responsible for doing my own thing. But that is not how this Beatitude works. I must fully depend on God for everything.
The next question is how can we see God in the present tense? How can heaven be found here on earth? Have you looked around lately? Doesn't seem so heavenly. There are constant murmurings of unrest. There are terrorist attacks. Young fathers die, leaving widows and tiny children. How can this Beatitude be true. The last part of Isaiah 57:15 says this. God speaking, "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit." God will dwell with the humble. God with us, that is our taste of heaven on earth.
Thomas Watson says, ""If the hand is full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold." I must come to God empty-handed. "Empty-handedness will release you from the idea that God owes you." Collin Smith.
God owns us, He does not owe us. He has done so much for us, there is nothing we can do to fully repay that debt except to live in humility and complete dependence on God.
More points on this coming later.
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