Beloved, the First Commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) is a priority to God, but really it is to be our response to Him. Mathew 5:19: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
We may not have thought about that, but everything is prefaced by THE GREATEST LOVE He has for US! Remember, greatness is determined by Him. “We love because He first loved us” 1 John 4:19. And the Cross is our anchor demonstrating Jesus’ love.
The Beatitudes
from the Sermon on The Mount hinge on this foundational scripture. I think we
can all agree that we are limited in walking out the first commandment, but The
Be-Attitude’s help us understand how to do so. They define the godly
character Jesus values, and the Holy Spirit helps us to grow in.
Why do we need to
know The Beatitudes? The kingdom lifestyle described by Jesus at the
Mount is all about how we receive God’s blessings as He rules and reigns in our
hearts as King and Lord. The Beatitutdes reveal God’s heart and when lived
produce good fruit in our lives. Do you desire to know what He likes, loves,
and wants? We find it, in part, in Matthew 5. We surely want to be pleasing to
God, so there is great reward in pursuing the Be-Attitudes.
It is our
responsibility to know, understand, and apply these scriptures. The Beatitudes
lifestyle is for today and till the end of time. If you’re like me, I saw the
Beatitudes on a surface level only. They confused me, and I focused on only a
few in particular. Going deeper I was challenged to go further into their
meaning. Let’s examine them together…
The Beatitudes in Matthew
5:1-11
“And seeing the
multitudes, He (Jesus) went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His
disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
·
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. (This
is being aware of our spiritual need of experiencing more of God’s presence and
power in our heart and ministry )
·
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
(This
usually manifests itself in prayer but it’s recognizing the gap we feel between
what God has for us and what we are experiencing.)
·
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth. (Meekness
is power under control. It is a restraint on our spirit that causes us to be
aware of our need for wisdom from others.)
·
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness for they shall be filled. (Hunger is key here, to have an
appetite for more of Jesus' righteousness, and increase.)
·
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain
mercy. (Treating
others with a tender spirit when they fail, attack, or disappoint us.)
·
Blessed are the
pure in heart for they shall see God. (Treating others with a tender
spirit when they fail, attack, or disappoint us.)
·
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called
sons of God. (Bringing
peace or healing to broken relationships.)
·
Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Bearing the
stigma and pressures of standing for righteousness.)
·
Blessed are you
when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward
in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Beloved,
we have gone deeper through these incredible scriptures. I hope your heart and
depth of understanding have been increased, and that you are inspired to
prayer. I hope that you are motivated by grace to have faith in God for today, your
future, and for your part in Jesus' plans. He always carves a path for us to
follow because He loves us and wants us to succeed according to Him. Jesus
wants YOU to be blessed and GREAT!
Love, Lydia
Prayer
Lord, as I live my
life, help me continually keep these Beatitudes in mind and spirit. Help me
intentionally live them out. When I fail to do this well, give me strength to improve as your Holy
Spirit strengthens and empowers me. I confess I want this lifestyle to alter my
life in such a way as to purify me and cause me to walk in holiness. I desired
to be pleasing to you, Jesus, by sharing and living this out the best I am able
with your help.
AMEN
