Opposite Ideas
Heart Prep
Father, help me to understand that Your Kingdom and Your mind is the opposite of what this world teaches me.
Matthew 5:4-5 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”
I remember when I was in my early teens I was unsure about what to read in my Bible-- where to start, what to think, how much to read at a time. I mentioned my struggle to my older sister, and she pointed me to Matthew 5, often referred to as The Beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount. When I turned there in my Bible and began reading, I was blown away by this passage of Scripture, so full of meaning and direction for my life. The Kingdom of God is completely opposite from the way things work on earth. Here, people desire happiness, money, power, respect, and prestige. Jesus said that those who mourn, cry, and hurt deeply will be blessed and comforted.
Nobody’s life is easy and nobody’s life is perfect (no matter what it may seem like); we all have troubles and sorrows. But the “mourning” Jesus speaks of here is the “deep regret” for our sin, and for the sin of all those who are rebellious against our loving God; those who are without Christ and without hope. We should pray for them, and witness to the ones around us. We will be comforted in Heaven when we see Christ, our Savior, the Prince of Peace.
Jesus also said, “Blessed are the gentle (meek), for they shall inherit the earth.” The gentle are those who submit themselves to God, His Word, His correction, and His will; who do not take revenge on others, but submit themselves to God, the righteous judge. They use a gentle answer to turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). They are not easily provoked; neither do they provoke others. They are gentle with all those around them. People of this character will also rejoice in the wonders and the beauty of the world that God has made and will inherit the joys that He gives on this earth.
The Bible never tells us that Jesus laughed or even smiled, but it tells us that He wept (John 11:35; Luke 19:41). He was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:6). He wept over the unsaved (Matthew 23:37). He was also meek. And “Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not” (1 Peter 2:23).
“Moses was a man exceeding humble (meek), more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Consider his life as you read the qualities of the meek listed above.
Life Application
What is God saying to me?
Something I want to remember from this is...
How does this change my life and what are my next steps?