I shared with you last week that I feel the Lord leading me back to a particular section of scripture. In preparation for this, I asked you to send me a one-word description of how you are feeling at this point in your life. Many of you responded and I am so thankful for your participation.
Some of the same words were sent from multiple people, but I only listed the word once. The words I received were:
Seeking Content/Peaceful
Joyful Blessed
Forgiven Stressed
Trusting Renewal
Acceptance Mediocre
Hope Content
Apprehensive Loved
Struggling Hopeful
Grateful Reset/Restart
Regretful Unlikable
Exhausted Confused
We are humans made up with many emotions and I realize that our “word” can change depending on the day and what is happening to us and around us. Oftentimes, our circumstances can change in an instant, and we can go from feeling hopeful to feeling exhausted, from feeling blessed to feeling stressed.
I’ve been wondering lately why my “word” seems to change even though the God I serve never changes. If I am supposed to be striving to look more like Him, and if I want others to see Him in me, does that mean my “word” shouldn’t be based on my emotions? Should it be based more on my all-powerful God and His abilities and less on my own frailties?
These questions have taken me back to the Beatitudes which are found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Here we find Jesus teaching on a mountainside. Matthew 5:1-2 tells us He was teaching his disciples, but it seems there were crowds of others listening in, because at the end of the sermon it says in Matthew 7:28, “When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching.” Many were there that day to glean from Jesus’ wisdom and I can’t imagine what it must have been like to sit at His feet. It makes me wonder how intently I would have listened if I could have been there. Would I have been too preoccupied with my own problems to grasp what He was saying? Would I have spent my time thinking His words were meant for someone else and not for me?
Fortunately, Jesus’ words were written down and we can now make the decision as to whether we will learn from what He shared that day on the mountainside, or whether we will figure the Beatitudes don’t pertain to us. So next week, I will begin to share with you my findings concerning the first Beatitude and how it might give you and me more insight as to what our walk with Jesus should look like. I’m looking forward to diving into these verses with you to see if what we find affects our “word”.
The Beatitudes
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven, for in the same way
they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
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