Daniel Bramlett

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” What? Simply put, your reward is coming. Your happiness will not be found by investing yourself in stuff here. This goes for any of these blessings. To those who are mourning: you will not find comfort by replacing the mourned relationship with another relationship. To those who’ve been hurt: you will not find mercy or peace by hurting someone else. To those who are hungry for the things of God: you will not be satisfied by seeking Him through any other source that what we’ve got right here. You can explore the earth and not find the satisfaction you will uncover in the Word of God.

So what about the Kingdom of Heaven? It will not be given to the ready, the achievers, the militarily strong, the rich, the polished…the Kingdom of Heaven is waiting to meet those who cannot go another step on their own. This is the prostitute who met Jesus with tears, anointing His feet with a years’ worth of perfume. She probably had a little bit of money, but on the inside she had almost nothing. When Jesus spoke to her she gained everything: “Your sins are forgiven.” Where are you on that spectrum? Are you sitting broken in plenty, wishing for something deeper, something more? Maybe you’ve recently lost a lot and the load has put you on the ground. Are you hungry for righteousness; for divine strength; for the ability in God to stand? Or maybe you’ve just recently heard those words: “Your sins are forgiven” from the mouth of the Savior. Maybe it was the first time they reached your ears. Maybe you know the blessing Jesus is talking about here because it still rests on your back; it’s still in your mouth and in your heart.

I can’t think of a single individual who does not fit this spectrum. Everyone from the poor in spirit, to mourners, to the meek, to those whose desire to see God’s presence in their life is so strong, probably because He is their last source of hope, to the merciful, to the pure in heart or those who want only one thing: to see God work in their lives, to the peacemakers, to the persecuted. This sweeps every walk of life. It is no respecter of class, race, gender, or position in society. It is an open category for sinners. If you find yourself desperate, Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is waiting on you. If you find yourself satisfied in any other area than Christ, listen, your reward has already been given. You have no need of Heaven.

I think sometimes we want the best of both worlds. We want to have our way here, as good as it gets here, and we want to be able to shape our eternity. That’s just not the way it works. The whole “last will be first” mentality doesn’t apply to those who grasp everything here on earth. Something tells me there aren’t a lot of single parents reading this and grasping for success. You’re just trying to survive the day. Something tells me there aren’t a lot of people with marital problems who are striving for success. You’re just trying to figure out how to get a breath before you go under again. Something tells me the shift worker, the teacher, the gas station attendant, or the welder isn’t trying to rise to the top. You’re just trying to make life make sense. These words are for you. DON’T GIVE UP! Seek Jesus first and He will BLESS YOU! You are not forgotten.

Blessed are the broken, for they shall be put together again…in Christ.