Day 16 - Spiritual Poverty

by DMWC on January 16th, 2012

THE WORD

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3 (NIV 84)

 

THE APPLICATION

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives His most exhaustive teaching to His disciples - the Sermon on the Mount.  In this teaching, He uses unique imagery to demonstrate the stark contrast between His value system and that of the world.  His audience is primarily filled with commoners  – those who fully understand the challenges of living in poverty.  In fact, you can imagine the eager hope of each listener to hear some new revelation that might miraculously change his or her life and financial situation forever.  It’s no different than the appetites we hold today – a desire to hear the latest inspirational guru, read the latest self-help book, or implement the latest get rich quick idea.  It’s all in hopes of gaining a better life in this world.

However, in His divine brilliance, Jesus takes their worldly values and uses them to teach His spiritual economy.  He says that the disposition of those who have the least in this material world should teach us how we should relate to God in the spiritual world.  He’s talking about supply and demand.  In other words, those who have the least “supply” should also have the greatest “demand”.  

Those who are spiritually poor recognize their desperate need for God.  No matter what quality of life they have currently attained, they understand that their spiritual “supply” can always be increased by an infinitely, inexhaustible God.  So, they “demand” more of Him by taking faith risks that others avoid!  Those who are poor in spirit are most likely to serve others.  Those who are poor in spirit are most likely to offer forgiveness to repair a broken relationship.  Those who are poor in spirit are most likely to give sacrificially.  Why?  Because those who are poor in spirit are desperate to please God!  Like an unemployed man risking his last dollar on a lottery ticket, those who are poor in spirit are most likely to do whatever it takes to unlock more of God’s gracious mercy in their lives!

 

“Listen, my dear Christian brothers, God has chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich in faith. The holy nation of heaven is theirs. That is what God promised to those who love Him.”  James 2:5 (NLV)


THE NEXT STEP

 

  1. How would you grade your current spiritual supply?
    A. My tank is on E! B. Just enough to make it!C. I’ve got a full tank! 
     
  2. Do your daily lifestyle choices support the answer you gave?  Do they reveal that you NEED more of Jesus, or that you WANT more of Him?    
     
  3. Ask God to help you identify ways to specifically position yourself for greater dependence on Him.

 

 

 

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