“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20)
Ever had the “poor me” syndrome; come to the end of your rope with everything and everyone; come to the end of your bank account? I have. God brought me up short this morning. For two weeks, I had been struggling with the meaning of “poor in spirit” until The Message’s take on Matthew 5:3 hit home: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule.”
God whispered, “Don’t you realize that when you’re “down in the dumps” you are centered on you? You can’t begin to see Me, My grace or My kingdom at work. We both lose!”
What an eye-opener! I have to come to the end of me to begin to see Him. Only then does His word wash over me, and I can see His kingdom purposes at work on earth, and His kingdom rewards awaiting me in heaven.
“God is all about your death so that His success can be realized through you! This is why the Church is having such little impact - there are too many believers who have not yet died to their old nature so that Christ can live fully through them.” Os Hillman, Primetime 11/02/09
“Father, keep me poor in spirit, with my eyes on you.”
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