20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “ Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
I don't believe the Lord is talking about being poor financially here..There is nothing "blessed" about poverty or being poor. Deuteronomy 28:16-17 says that poverty is a curse NOT a blessing. Jesus came and took that curse, so we could be blessed.
In Malachi 3:10 we are told as long as we tithe, we can expect the windows of heaven to open and poor out blessings that we don't have enough room to contain. We are to be blessed..pressed down, shaken together and running over. Not so we can get rich, but so we can help others. If I'm poor...how could I help anyone?
I believe He is talking about being poor in spirit, or knowing you need what God offers which is the righteousness of God, and the Kingdom of God and all it offers!!
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled.
Again, I don't believe He is talking about being "hungry" in the sense of having no food to eat. He is talking about being hungry for Him, and the things of God...We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness and the things of God...and when we do..He will fill us up.
Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
Only when we come to Him truly sorry and repentant for our sins, will He be able to fill us with joy and laughter because we know we are forgiven and free!
22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
Jesus never promised that we would live a fairy tale life when we come to Him. As we begin to live our lives based on His teachings...the world will hate us because they hate God and His ways.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
When people shun us or make fun of us or treat us badly because we are Christians there is nothing fun or good about that experience. BUT, our joy comes in knowing that even though we live in this world...we are not of this world...
We leap for JOY, because we know we please God, and live according to His ways...They mistreated Jesus and the prophets...and they will mistreat us too. We do share in His suffering for His sake and the Kingdom of God, but we will receive rewards in heaven for the persecutions we endure now!! Hallelujah !!
I love the following scripture...
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
This above scripture can be claimed not only for the nation as a whole, but for you personally..God will set you high above others...in every way.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
Overtake means abundantly!! Pressed down...shaken together and running over!
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
Every where you go!!
4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
Your children, grandchildren and your job and provisions.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Food and provisions..
6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
Anywhere...and everywhere!
7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
People will rise up against us, but they WILL be defeated!
8 “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
Everything we own and do...
9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.
God knows we can't be perfect, but honors and rewards our genuine and heart-felt attempts at obedience...
10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.
And even though we may be mistreated and persecuted the Lord will cause our enemies to fear us because they see the blessings of the Lord on our life.
11 And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
We are to be blessed...overflowing in every area of our lives...
12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
God will cause blessings to rain down on us financially..(so we can be a blessing to others)
13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
As we obey the Lord and follow His ways we will never be defeated...and always come out on top!
14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
As long as we make God and the things of God as the priority in our lives...WE WILL BE BLESSED!
I LOVE THAT!!
Anytime anyone asks me "How are you?"...my response is always.."I'm blessed"...and every time I say that..I am claiming these scriptures in Deuteronomy...it's my way of reminding myself of God's promises....
And if I find myself being attacked in any of these areas I know that satan is attempting to steal, kill and destroy these blessings in my life...but he's a liar..and the father of all lies...so I just put him back under my feet in Jesus name..and say GET THEE BEHIND ME satan "I'AM BLESSED!"
1 comment:
Very good scripture Donna, it sent chills down my arms. Before I became saved I just thought as long as I believed In Jesus I would go to Heaven. I never knew of all the blessings He has for me on this temporary place called Earth. It gives my hope that the rest of my life wont be as misserable as my past. Cause Lord knows i am hungry for Him. I'am so ready to change and the more I know of Him the easier it becomes. I have changed alot just by the little bit I have learned. I cant wait to see what happens when I learn more! Thanks
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