Our Father, who knows what we need before we ask and to whom we have seen your power and glory in our lives, we seek you to comfort our waste places and make the wilderness of our lives like Eden; fresh, renewed, and healthy.
Where there is desert in our heart, transform it into a thriving garden so that joy, gladness, thanksgiving, and song will be found in us.
Thank you for your steadfast love that is better than life. We bless you with every breath and lift our hands in praise to You!
(Matthew 6:8; Psalm 63:2-4; Isaiah 51:3)
Worshiping our amazing Father with all of you today,
Lisa
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:2-12 NIV)
A while back I was reading through Matthew and had so much fun “re-discovering” truths and precious nuggets that I sometimes just skim through or take for granted. One of those precious truths is the word “blessed”. According to Warren Weirsbe, blessed was a powerful word for those in Jesus’ day. To them it meant “divine joy and perfect happiness”. The word was not used for humans; it described the kind of joy experienced only by the gods or the dead. “Blessed” implied an inner satisfaction and sufficiency that did not depend on outward circumstances for happiness. So in a sense verse 2 of Matthew 5 could say, “Divine joy and perfect happiness for the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Weirsbe goes on to explain that the beatitudes describe four attitudes:
1. our attitude toward ourselves (v.3)
2. our attitude toward our sin (vv.4-6) When I read those verses, the word “meek” jumped out at me. I found out that the word was used by the Greeks to describe a horse that had been broken. It refers to power under control. Gives a whole new perspective on that word, doesn’t it?
3. our attitude toward the Lord (vv.7-9)
4. our attitude toward the world (vv.10-16) The Pharisees thought they were conserving God’s word, when in reality they were preserving it; “embalming it so that it no longer had life!” (Weirsbe)
Sometimes I can be like the Pharisees. I get so concerned about obeying the letter of the law for the sake of the law instead of obeying out of love for my Lord. The difference between being a Pharisee and a follower is the attitude and motivation behind our actions. It all comes back to our hearts.
I encourage you to re-read the beatitudes closely. Maybe stop and examine one or two of them closely. You now have a better understanding of the word “meek”, but what does it mean that the “pure in heart” will see God? What does a pure heart look like? Act like? How can one possibly achieve one? (Hint: power of the Holy Spirit) Or what does it mean to be a “peacemaker”? Is that the same as a “peacekeeper”? And why do you think they are called “children of God”? Have some fun “treasure hunting” in the Scriptures today! I can promise you, you will find something of value and worth!
Worshiping (and treasure hunting) with you today!
Lisa
“Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Here I am.’
‘Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.’
The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ‘Stay here with the donkey,’ Abraham told the servants. ‘The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.’
So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, ‘Father?’
‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied.
‘We have the fire and the wood,’ the boy said, ‘but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?’
‘God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,’ Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’
‘Yes,’ Abraham replied. ‘Here I am!’
‘Don’t lay a hand on the boy!’ the angel said. ‘Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.’
Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means ‘the Lord will provide’). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’
Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.’ Genesis 22:1-18
I’ve always struggled with this passage. God promises Abraham many descendants, takes what seems like forever to make good on that promise, and then asks Abraham to give up that promise by killing his one and only son. My struggle is that if put in the same situation, would I obey without argument like Abraham or would I fight and argue and plead for the life of my son? Would I love and know God so much that I would trust Him and know He was doing what was best for me? For my son?
God and I have these conversations quite often. I know God has my best interests at heart and He sees the whole picture, but my feeble, weak heart argues that there has to be a better way. It doesn't make sense. I don't want to do it that way. I think I know better than God. Oh to be like Abraham and just trust without argument that God's plan is perfect.
So, maybe we have to ask the question, “When faced with life’s challenges, are we going to waste time arguing with God about His ways or trust Him knowing His ways are better than ours? My prayer is that we get to know our God so well and follow Him so closely that no matter what He allows in our life or challenges us to do, we will trust Him with complete confidence.
Here’s some great wisdom and insight from my friend, Brenda:
“Picture Isaac on the sacrificial altar. Now contemplate this. Sometimes what we think is going to kill us is actually where we find our salvation.” Brenda Storms
I love it! It may be hard to see in the midst of troubles, but I pray we would trust God enough to know He is bringing about good in what may seem like a complete mess. Whatever God asks of you, He will supply what you need so go ahead, obey with confidence, because He is loving you through it and bringing about something wonderful! "I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.'"(Psalm 31:14)
Worshiping with you today,
Lisa
Our Father, who knows what we need before we ask and to whom we have seen your power and glory in our lives, we seek you to comfort our waste places and make the wilderness of our lives like Eden; fresh, renewed, and healthy. 
