When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. Jesus' disciples gathered around him, and he taught them: God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort! God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them! God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want! God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy! God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him! God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children! God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven. God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.
Matthew 5:1-12
These verses are from the Sermon on the Mount and are often called the Beatitudes. They are actions of men that God responds to with blessings from above. Books have been written about each one of them.
But I simply want to remind you and myself that God blesses men! You cannot go through a single day without the blessings of God! Every breath you take is from God. Every sip of water is a blessing from your Creator!
When someone sneezes often they will hear a quick "Bless You" in response. Calling for God's blessings on other people is not uncommon. Even the word "Goodbye" originated as a contraction of "God be with ye" in 14th century English.
God blesses the righteous and those who are evil. It is His power that sustains the life of everyone on earth. There is an old song which encourages you to "count your many blessings." As you go through this day be aware of and immediately thank God every time you recognize a blessing from above!
"Lord Jesus, thank You for being the source of each and every blessing. And may You be praised forever. Amen."
No comments:
Post a Comment