October 6
Scripture focus: You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5:3, The Message
Here’s what the authors of Soul Repair write about this interesting and counter-intuitive word on blessings…“That statement [Matthew 5:3] does not match the instincts and expectations nurtured in us by our toxic spirituality, but it appears to be true. Our spiritual poverty is, in the eyes of God, an opportunity for blessing and not an occasion for judgment, shame or rejection. May God be praised. God is eager to bless us even in our spiritual brokenness. And this is perhaps the central theme of this book: even in our moments of deepest spiritual brokenness, when we can see nothing but ruin, God sees opportunities for blessing.”
As we think about what it means to enter into a state of spiritual renewal, we may find ourselves at the end of a long rope of preconceived notions and unfulfilled expectations. Maybe you’ve tried to be really really good so that nothing too terribly bad will happen to you. (Is that spiritual renewal or superstition?)
Perhaps you’ve been more naughty than nice, and therefore you assume that a blessing isn’t in the cards for you. Why bother trying? Do you ever think that you’ve messed up so often and so much that there’s no way God will ever rescue you? (Is that founded in what you know about God or Santa?)
When we make the decision to believe that there is a God and as we arrive at the very difficult conclusion that we did not get the job – we must rethink what it means to live a spiritually renewed life.
Ponder this:
- Spiritual poverty is an opportunity for blessing.
- Spiritual poverty is not an occasion for judgment.
- Spiritual poverty is not shameful.
- Spiritual poverty is not a good excuse for God to do what you fully expect and believe you secretly deserve – reject you.
- Spiritual poverty may leave us feeling helpless and hopeless, but God sees it as an opportunity for blessing.
Be ye blessed!
Recommended reading: Job 36 - 39
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