Walk Of Life – Day 09, March 2022 – March With The Words Of Jesus Christ
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
March to Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven
“We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful, Zion:
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.”
This beautiful song is a powerful reminder that we are pilgrims on this earth and are journeying to the heavenly Jerusalem. That is our goal, our purpose… this world is temporary, we live well, make a lasting impact, and move on. The Lord Jesus says clearly that the poor in spirit are blessed as they would inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
I have always wondered what this term “poor in spirit” means. For the longest time, I thought this was referring to poverty. Christianity, many preach is a life of prosperity, blessing, and happiness. You have no suffering or sorrow if you live a perfect life…but that is not true. Poor in spirit does not mean that you are trampled upon, think very low about yourself, you are a loser…no it is definitely not that. You are created in God’s image. You are precious and very valuable to Him. Note the term ‘poor in spirit’ or in other words a person who is poor not materially but spiritually. Think of a poor person, he does not have the wealth and funds to go on with his life. He acknowledges he needs help and asks for it.
One who is poor in spirit is not proud, arrogant, and thinks too great of himself. This is one who acknowledges his/her emptiness and realizes that Without Christ I can do nothing. I am who I am because of the Grace of God in me. We admit that we cannot walk this wilderness journey alone. We need the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to lead us. Our culture rejects this truth. The culture believes you are blessed if you assert yourself, are proud of yourself, defend yourself, avenge yourself, serve yourself, or promote yourself. Jesus takes everything we think we know about happiness and turns it upside down.
Measuring Yourself
How do you know that you are poor in spirit. In Mathew 5:45 the Lord Jesus says “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:45). We cannot compare ourselves with this person or that person and boast to be better than them and feel very great about ourselves. Our standard is God the Father and the Lord Jesus. DO we live up to the way Christ lived. Think of His compassion, His kindness, His love, His patience, His forgiveness, His attitude, His love for His people, His love for Jerusalem, His love for the house of God. Measure yourself to Christ and then we will realize how poor and empty we are. We need His wisdom, His guidance to live up to His standards.
The Wonder of Salvation
Salvation is the only way to heaven. It is to acknowledge that we are empty, we are sinners, and we need the grace of God. It is when you are poor in spirit and you come to the cross that you experience His faithfulness in your life.
Jesus told this story: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (Lk. 18:10-13). Which one went home justified? The one who was poor in spirit. When you admit your need for God, he moves you from death to life. We can be honest with God and He will forgive it all. You can have peace and joy wherever you are when Jesus rules in the heart.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3).
