Friday, July 10, 2020
Spiritually Bankrupt
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:3–4 nkjv).
Everybody wants to be a somebody, or so it seems. So many people want to be a star, to be out in front, and they think that will make them happy.
Yet Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3 nkjv). In other words, “Happy are the nobodies.” To be poor in spirit has nothing to do with how much you have in your bank account. This is about your attitude toward God.
Here’s another way to translate this: “Happy, or blessed, is the person who sees his or her real spiritual condition.”
And what is your real spiritual condition? You are spiritually destitute. You are spiritually impoverished. You are desperately in need of God.
If you want to be a happy person, it starts with knowing that about yourself. Blessed are those who see themselves as they really are, which is spiritually bankrupt.
Jesus also said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4 nkjv). Here the idea of mourning is being sorry for our sin. It’s mourning over our sin.
We see our condition before God as sinners, but it isn’t a hopeless situation. There is a Savior who died on the cross for me and shed His blood for every sin I’ve ever committed. He’s ready to pardon and forgive us.
The Bible says that “godly sorrow produces repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10 nkjv). So, we must say, “Lord, I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin.”
If you’re really sorry for something, you’ll change. The sorrow the Bible talks about is being sorry enough to change your behavior. You see God, His holiness, and the life that He wants you to live. And you see how far you have to go.
Blessed or happy, are those who mourn over that condition.
Copyright © 2020 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
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In this fantastic 90-day devotional, author and pastor Levi Lusko uses illuminating stories, biblical teaching, and eye-opening surprises about outer space to show kids that they’re never alone because God is always with them. A copy of this beautifully illustrated book will be mailed to you when you make a gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.
