The Poor in Spirit

This passage is often misunderstood, because when we who have been raised in a “western,” that is a Greco-Roman mindset, “hear” the word “poor,” we instantly think quantitatively ~ how much? ~ less, rather than more of something.

When we “retrain” our mind to think Biblically, we begin to think relationally ~ not in terms of quantity, but of quality! What is the depth of our intimacy with the Father, our Creator God? What is our love relationship with the lover of our soul, the Lord Jesus, like? How closely are we moving in rhythm with the resonance of the Holy Ghost?

When we realign our hearts to think and relate to G-d in this manner, then we realize that there is no quantitative measure being referred to in these words of the Messiah. Then how do we gauge the relational quality, the condition of our spiritual poverty or our spiritual wealth?

There is only one primary indicator, and in this realm there is no middle ground, no gray areas. At any given moment there is only one person on the throne of our heart. Two cannot sit in this seat of lordship at the same time. One option is that we, ourselves, once again attempt to “call the shots” in our lives, and in every moment that we do so we are inclining toward pride, self-absorption and the sin of rebellion. This inclination toward evil is as old as the Garden and is every bit as seductive in its impulse to have us position ourselves as a god as it was when Satan first spoke it into Eve’s ear and his lie hooked itself into the fibers of her heart.

The other option is to bow before the King of the Universe and joyfully worship Him in spirit and in truth as we gratefully live under the shelter of His wing as He rules and reigns in every aspect of our being and in every thought, word and deed of our lives. It is then that we are, by choice, humble, yielded and still. It is then that we know joy unspeakable and full of glory and live with the peace that passes all understanding.

How do we become so yielded? (to be continued . . . .)