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 past few weeks, we have been taking the time to break each of these blessings down, so as we finish today, 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."
For last week's devotional, we wrote on the blessings found in persecution. As we wrap up this series, we will take that a step further by adding on the blessing that comes with mockery from others. I don't know about you, but mockery is one of the most (if not the most) annoying forms of sarcasm. Think about it: here you are sharing the things you need to say, but no one is taking you seriously, and they have come to the point where they find it necessary to poke fun at you and what you are saying. Like, come on! How bored do you have to be to find pleasure and enjoyment in mocking believers because they were courageous and considerate enough to share their testimony of faith and redemption with you? That completely boggles my mind to even think that is something believers go through for the truth of the Gospel.
No one likes being lied to or having lies made up about them. I believe that lies are the main root of internal and external destruction in the lives of individuals. Now, you may be wondering what lying has to do with anything we are talking about. This verse talks about how God will bless you when you are persecuted, mocked, and even lied about just because we follow Him. Oftentimes, I believe, to try to dissuade and discourage us from sharing the Good News, others will lie about us, which hurts whether you were prepared for it or not. Thankfully, the hope and comfort we can confide in are this: God will bless you. It's as simple as that, and it's what this whole series has been on! As long as you endure the trials you will most definitely come across as you live out your life for the glory of the Lord, then no evil scheme, no wicked work, and no destructive plans of the enemy can ever have a hold on you. If nothing at all, take this away with you: always remember that you are blessed, and can't nothing take that blessing away from you
Prayer:
Dear God,
I thank You for staying faithful and consistent when it comes to blessing me. Thank You for the hope You give us. I have the power to walk through the valleys of life knowing that You are there beside me, and I have nothing to be afraid of, because the plans of the enemy have nothing on You. I love You Lord.
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!
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