DAY 12 – THE GREAT REVERSAL

In God’s Kingdom, things are opposite to the world. Those who are the least, who are lost and forgotten in the world become favored, loved, blessed, and strengthened in God’s Kingdom.

The Beatitudes are in effect powerful tools that show us how to see life and live it through Kingdom eyes. These are not things that come naturally to us, but if we want a meaningful life and are willing to practice these attitudes trusting the Holy Spirit to enable them, they work in us the complete transformation of a life that is pleasing to God.

In order to embrace and practice these teachings requires humility, diligence, and complete dependence on God, because they are Spirit-enabled qualities.

To recognize our spiritual poverty, to mourn over sin or to be sad in life and to wait on God, to be meek and gentle, thirsty for righteousness, merciful and pure at heart require a completely contrite and humble dependence every moment of every day. To actively work for peace is to follow in God’s footsteps and to be persecuted for righteousness’s sake is to be uncompromisingly committed to God and His will in everything.

We are promised that in the process we will be strengthened; Isaiah 57:15 says: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

The Beatitudes are indeed in-depth training for us as Jesus’ disciples – may we embrace and practice them daily with diligence and endurance.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for the Sermon on the Mount. Thank You for these teachings and for the blessings that come from practicing them. Holy Spirit, I surrender to You to enable me to live and practice these attitudes so that they will be refined in me to the glory of my Savior. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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