The Sermon On The Mount is famously known as Jesus' most well-known sermon. This message comes from Matthew 5:3-11, and within that passage of Scripture are nine blessings from the Lord. Those blessings were made to encourage us as believers, and be the turning point to truly look in God as our hope. Over these next few weeks, we will be taking time to break each of these blessings down, so enjoy!
Matthew 5:3-11 NLT
"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers."
The persecution of believers is very prevalent in our current day and age. Even though we don't have to worry about being fed to a wild beast in a Roman coliseum or have to stress over crucifixion (thank the Lord), we still deal with persecution. The way our world is going, Christians are constantly receiving hate and judgment from others who have a stereotypical misconception of believers solely because they think we are these awkward and hypocritical people due to what we believe in, support, and ultimately stand against.
All we are trying to do is love the Lord and then love our neighbors as ourselves. My question is, why is every other religion and belief celebrated and accepted into society, but when it comes to the things of God, being a Christian is now looked down upon and bad? That is not right at all. Thankfully, we know that we serve a God of justice and mercy; God sees, knows, and even mourns upon the trials believers go through for His Name's sake. Nothing goes unannounced, unbeknownst, or unnoticed to Him. The (if you will) blessing that comes with persecution is the inheritance into the great Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus's eternal kingdom is for us, the persecuted and oppressed. I don't know about you, but that gives me quite a bit of comfort in knowing that all of the pain I go through on earth is temporary and has no lasting effect on my eternal hope. Family, be encouraged today to know that there is a great everlasting blessing that comes with persecution.
Prayer:
Lord, please, help me to stay firm in what I believe in. Don't let the hate and persecution of this world get to me, and phase me away from what I know is true. Give me the strength, courage, and intentionality to look more and more like You each and every day.
Amen
Announcements:
Thank you so much for reading this devotional! Here at The Philanthropical Faith, we love staying connected with you! Whether you are a long-time member or a new visitor, we would love to walk alongside you in your faith even better! Feel free to email us at "thephilanthropicalfaith@gmail.com," or chat with us in real-time on the website. You can even find us on our Instagram by searching "The Philanthropical Faith." Every Wednesday morning, we have a "Weekly Worship and Word Session" on our Instagram, that features a short little devotional you can keep with you throughout your day, as well as a worship song to go with it. We cannot wait to see what God does through you as we partner together to bring the world the good news of our Philanthropical Faith.
God bless family!
Comments