At His Feet - Part 2

Along the Journey

Jesus began His Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, Christ's ideals for every Christian. The Beatitudes are qualities that every Christian needs and Jesus declares that those who possess these qualities are blessed.

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 sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Today I am challenged by the 1st verse, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (according to one commentary, this would be the opposite of proud or haughty). Am I prideful? Do I do things for credit? Do I let my right hand see what my left hand is doing? Or, am I humbled by the grace of God? Do I realize my need for Him. Do I know that I can do absolutely nothing on my own power but can do everything with His?

What about you? Wouldn't it be great if, when we look in the mirror during our morning routine, the mirror would reflect the condition of our heart along with the condition of our skin and hair? How much easier it would be to keep the condition of our heart what Christ desires for our hearts if we had regular "heart checks." It sure is easy to slip into the pattern of trying to accomplish things on our own and then feed off of the accolades. But, does this glorify God... or ourselves?

Satan is tricky. He wants us to believe that we have our own power and that we don't need Jesus. Friends, we know that this is just a pack of lies. The life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone.

To Think About: How about a challenge? Let's check our pride at the door and do something in Jesus' name this week. Leave a small gift for someone, but in secret. Pay someone's electric bill, in secret. Pick up leaves in someone's yard while they aren't home, in secret. You get the idea! Let others see God's glory by allowing Him to work through us. It's humbling to realize that He doesn't need us at all. But... isn't it awesome that He allows us to come along for the ride?

Sweet Blessings,
LeAnn