Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion - October 20th - Matthew 5:3

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Today’s verse is the first of the so-called beatitudes. Before we launch into it, we need to be clear what Jesus meant by the kingdom of heaven, because it’s an expression He often used. To put it simply, the kingdom of heaven comes where God is allowed to be in control and, amazingly, that can happen in our lives today. That’s why Jesus encouraged us, in the Lord’s Prayer, to pray for His kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of heaven gives us a preview of what heaven itself will be like, and it is, by definition, life at its very best. Jesus declares that the people who possess this wonderful kingdom of heaven are those who are spiritually poor. The word used here for ‘poor’ in the original Greek language speaks of absolute poverty or destitution. Jesus is saying that the way into the kingdom of heaven is to understand that, spiritually, you’ve got nothing to offer apart from empty hands. We need to come to Jesus in absolute weakness knowing that we are totally dependent upon Him. It reminds us of the time when Jesus said that the only way to enter His kingdom is by becoming like a little child (Matthew 18:2-4). The moment arrogance and self-confidence creep in, we spoil everything. From first to last we are dependent on our loving and gracious heavenly Father. He can be depended upon to give us only the best. Question Where have you seen the kingdom of heaven come on earth? Prayer Lord God, help me depend totally upon You so that in my life Your kingdom will come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen