“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

This morning I felt the Lord lead me to read what we call “The Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3-10) and I saw these words of Jesus’ in a whole new light, as never before.  I saw Jesus, having all knowledge of what His disciples (that includes you and me) are called to, speaking to them on the mountain (significant in itself) as ones already abandoned to Christ.

Jesus speaks to His disciples then, and today, of a spiritual condition ………..

That dear soul who is abandoned to Christ is BLESSED because he becomes;

One who is poor in spirit – emptied in his own spirit, empty of all else but a longing for a deeper knowing of Christ, even a sense of dryness as the Lord appears to hide Himself for the sake of being sought after earnestly.  Such a one finds himself empty except for what the Lord Himself brings forth into and from his spirit. To this one, the kingdom of heaven belongs – they walk in the reality of their ‘now’ place, seated in Christ, in heavenly places, being in Christ from eternity past to eternity future.  How truly blessed is this one.

One who mourns – mourns and laments for the abandonment of the entire church to God through His glorious Son alone, for the reigning and ruling of Jesus Christ to be made manifest in the lives of others, for the life of Christ the person to be the primary obsession of God’s people.  Such a one finds the comfort of God, He walks with this one and encourages him in his mourning, keeping His faith strong, assuring and comforting Him to believe against all belief that this is the will of God and is fulfilled through the prayers of such a one who bears this burden of the Lord. He is blessed to know the Lord’s heart and know Him so intimately.

One who is meek – holds no sense of self-importance or ambition, has given up on self, no longer defends self, has been subdued and quietened by the Holy Spirit in his life, seeing himself as ‘nothing’ but Christ as ‘everything’. This one inherits the earth, the Lord directs his path and provides him with greater responsibility in this life, to him is given the authority of the name of Jesus to subdue the earth under him. He is truly blessed to walk in such reverence of the Lord and for him, He will experience the new earth spoken about in the book of Revelation.

One who hungers and thirsts after righteousness – strives yet rests in the grace of God, to offer his life as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, as is pleasing to God.  To such a one, transformation comes and his heart is satisfied with the righteousness of the Lord. He is blessed indeed and knows it to be true!

One who is merciful – is willing to bear the cross with others, is prepared to lay down his own soul-life, preferences, for the sake of another from a heart of compassion and grace, seeing them through the eyes of the Lord, even if such another is unkind and undeserving of such grace.  To this one, the Lord is also merciful, full of compassion and slow to anger, sustaining him in His grace, mercy and love, even when undeserved. This one counts himself blessed to share in the character of Christ.

One who is pure in heart – seeks first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, is single-eyed in the purpose of God being fulfilled, sold out to the purpose of God, forsaking all other distractions. To this one, God reveals Himself in the here and now, He makes Himself known to this child, and it is His great delight to do so. This one will see the Lord’s eternal purpose and be given revelation into the heart of God. He is blessed abundantly by the life of God in him and he seeks no other.

One who is a peacemaker – does all within his capacity to live at peace with others, has the courage to be vulnerable in order to bring peace where there is no peace, knows the Prince of Peace and allows the Lord’s peace to rule in his heart, imparting peace to the lives of others by the Holy Spirit. He has walked through trials in his life that have forged the peace of God into his character. This one is called the son of God, as he is a joint-heir with Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace. This one has become like his Father and The Son.

One who is persecuted because of righteousness – righteousness is not popular in the world of Satan, and the one who seeks after it is promised a cost indeed. He will suffer rejection, loss of all kinds and persecution even from fellow believers and those closest to him. But to this one, the kingdom of heaven belongs, because he will see it and live in it, he is blinded by its glory, in the here-and-now, in the spirit, in-time and out-of time, and eternity to come.  How blessed he is to be counted among those who have suffered for the sake of righteousness, he joins the many who have gone before him, a great cloud of witnesses.  

If this is where you are, dear brother or sister, know that you are most blessed.