Bible & Prayer Nuggets 0311

First and fourth Beatitudes of Godly Character

 

Bible Nugget  0311 [Matthew 5 v 3 & 6 KJV]

 

³Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. …

⁶Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled..

 

Or as narrated in New Living Translation Bible version

 

³ “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
      for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 

⁶ God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
      for they will be satisfied.

 

A. Poor in Spirit

 

I like to share these two verses amongst the series of verses on blessedness in the sermon by Jesus in Matthew 5. The bible makes us understand that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost [Rom 14:17]. God blesses or is ready to bless those who realize they are truly spiritually wrenched, naked and blind. These are the poor in spirit. For these people, they want to please God and are heaven’s candidates because they realize their utter dependence on God. They reverence God and take his word to heart, have a broken spirit, and a contrite heart and will not hide in their sins but rather humble themselves in repentance Isaiah 66:2 b.

 ………, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

An example of someone poor in the spirit was King David, who said  in his prayer of repentance in Psalm 51:16-17:

¹⁶For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

 ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

 

The poor in spirit will receive the things of God like a little child and will totally empty themselves of pride, arrogance and have no affinity for worldliness. They are ready for personal discipleship with Jesus. Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

They are not lukewarm and want to make heaven no matter what they have to forsake to achieve this. Jesus in his wakeup call to the Laodecian church in Rev 3:15-21 said:

¹⁵I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

 ¹⁶So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 ¹⁷Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

  ²¹To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

 

B. Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Another group God wants to bless are those who hunger and thirst for his righteousness or justice. These are people who want and keep their garments as white as snow until the second coming of Jesus or rapture. They are filled with the spirit of holiness.  They are unsatisfied with their present state and want more of the character of God in their lives. They pant after God. Psalm 42:1-2

 

¹As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

 ²My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

 

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will not compromise their salvation for a morsel of meat or the pleasure of sin; they will not see evil and call it good. They are not self-righteous. Jesus gave an example of two men who prayed to God and God’s assessment of each person. Luke 18:9-14

⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

 ¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

 ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

 ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

 ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

They love personal fellowship with God and other believers: Psalm 84:1-2

 

 ¹How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!

 ²My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

 

Finally, they will not seek for revenge but rather wait for God to promote and honour them. Even before Pontius Pilate Jesus, Jesus showed great piety and restraint. He could have called for a multitude of angels (his servants) to deliver him from death which would be disobedience to the absolute will of God to save mankind by his death and resurrection. His character before Pilate is worth emulating.

 

Let’s read the account in John 18:36-37

 ³⁶Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

 

 

 

 ³⁷Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

 

 No wonder King David in worship prophesied  of Jesus in Psalm 45:6-7:

 ⁶Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

 ⁷Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 

Do you want to see these two godly characters in your life.  Hunger and thirst more for the character of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit will help you as you seek these godly virtues and he will fill you with his power. John 7: 37-39

³⁷In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

 ³⁸He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

 ³⁹(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

 

Prayer Nugget 0311

 

Holy Spirit infilling Prayer:

1. Oh Lord fill me with your Holy Spirit. Soak me, drench me, and saturate me with your presence and power in Jesus Name.
2. Oh LORD give me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Let my soul pant for your righteousness like the deer pants for streams of water in Jesus Name.
3. Purge my heart with your precious blood Lord Jesus. I empty myself of every form of pride. I embrace you with my whole heart. I cast all my burdens on you in Jesus name.
4. Lord, make your righteousness to run deep in my heart. Holiness and godliness will be my desire all the days of my life in Jesus Name.
5. Lord, let your kingdom reign in every area of my life. Make me a model Christian and form the character of Jesus in my life in  Jesus Name. Amen.