Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:3
The kingdom of God is the dominion of heaven and everything it has to offer, including resources, blessings, and relational communion with our Heavenly Father. In the beginning God wanted man to have immediate access to all these things.
When sin was introduced, these “things” began to push God out of His place in the human heart. God’s gifts now take the place of God and this is a destructive substitution. When Jesus called His disciples he said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever will save his life for my sake shall find it.”
The blessed ones who get to possess the Kingdom are those who have rid themselves of every external thing that has rooted in their hearts which possesses them and takes Lordship apart from Jesus. These are the “poor in spirit”. It is an inward state of the heart that parallels the outward circumstances. They are no longer slaves to things. In this place of being free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things. “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God used Abraham powerfully to bless the nations because he lifted his head to respond to the Voice in obedience by surrendering Isaac on the altar. He was a man wholly surrendered, utterly obedient, and a man who possessed nothing. He had to sacrifice His most precious possession, His son. Everything is safe which we commit to God in trust and surrender, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed.
What are the things that take the place in our hearts where God was meant to reign and rule? Name things and people specifically one by one, our gifts, talents, and abilities. This is painful, hard and scary but when Jesus takes His place on the thrones of our hearts, He will no longer need to rival our affections and attention but will then draw us into a deeper place of intimacy and dependency on Him. We will experience a fullness and blessed security knowing that in possessing nothing, we possess everything and it is all safe in His hands.
- Carly Andrews
Matthew 5:3
The kingdom of God is the dominion of heaven and everything it has to offer, including resources, blessings, and relational communion with our Heavenly Father. In the beginning God wanted man to have immediate access to all these things.
When sin was introduced, these “things” began to push God out of His place in the human heart. God’s gifts now take the place of God and this is a destructive substitution. When Jesus called His disciples he said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever will save his life for my sake shall find it.”
The blessed ones who get to possess the Kingdom are those who have rid themselves of every external thing that has rooted in their hearts which possesses them and takes Lordship apart from Jesus. These are the “poor in spirit”. It is an inward state of the heart that parallels the outward circumstances. They are no longer slaves to things. In this place of being free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things. “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God used Abraham powerfully to bless the nations because he lifted his head to respond to the Voice in obedience by surrendering Isaac on the altar. He was a man wholly surrendered, utterly obedient, and a man who possessed nothing. He had to sacrifice His most precious possession, His son. Everything is safe which we commit to God in trust and surrender, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed.
What are the things that take the place in our hearts where God was meant to reign and rule? Name things and people specifically one by one, our gifts, talents, and abilities. This is painful, hard and scary but when Jesus takes His place on the thrones of our hearts, He will no longer need to rival our affections and attention but will then draw us into a deeper place of intimacy and dependency on Him. We will experience a fullness and blessed security knowing that in possessing nothing, we possess everything and it is all safe in His hands.
- Carly Andrews
RSS Feed
