“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Before I get to today’s passage, I would like to kind of ponder the scene during the Sermon on the Mount for a bit and the words relayed to us by Matthew, especially during the beginning. What do you imagine the Sermon on the Mount looking like? Obviously we weren’t there and don’t really know the look and feel of the Sermon on the Mount. However, I kind of imagine that Jesus was sitting on a rock or outcropping of some sort. His closest friends and followers were sitting next to Him. These closest friends and followers probably came to the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus. Then, a crowd of people from the general public probably sat out from there. People in the crowd were probably made up of various groups of people. Some may have heard about Jesus and wanted to hear Him speak. Others may have been there in hopes of being healed. Others may have been there to “spy” in order to go back to the Pharisees and gossip about what Jesus said. We don’t know. Yet, when Jesus spoke the words in Matthew 5:3-10, I believe He was probably speaking rather loudly, so the crowd could hear Him. (I don’t think they had a public announcement system back in the day, especially one that could be used on a mountain. I do wonder if Jesus was speaking through a horn or something to help His voice carry or if supernaturally He made it so everyone could hear Him.) Although, when Jesus got to the words in Matthew 5:11-12, I can sort of imagine Him leaning in with a tender loving look on His face and telling his closest followers, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (KJV) Or, maybe He was speaking to the whole crowd, but wanted to reinforce the fact that they would be persecuted if they followed Him, yet they are in good company because the prophets were persecuted. They weren’t alone. Maybe Jesus wanted to reinforce the fact that they will be rewarded in heaven for following Him. When I think of verses such as Matthew 5:11-12, I think of the persecution of the early church and people like Saul who were persecuting the Christians as we read about in Acts 8:3 (KJV), “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” I can’t imagine being persecuted in that way or to the point of death. Can you imagine someone coming into your home and forcing you to jail, not because you did something wrong, but because of your belief in God and in Jesus being the Son of God, the Christ and your Savior? I look at the strength of those who have gone before us who did in fact endure all kinds of evil and persecution for following Jesus, even to the point of death, but didn’t sway in their belief. I pray that I can have that sort of endurance, faith, and belief, under any level of evil and persecution. The most difficult part of this passage for us to understand and live out may be the beginning of Matthew 5:12 (KJV), “Rejoice: and be exceeding glad…”. We, as humans, don’t usually enjoy or feel glad about being persecuted. We don’t enjoy being picked on, abused, talked about, put down, shunned, ignored, or neglected for any reason. We don’t like being hurt in anyway. This way of thinking doesn’t come naturally to the human way of doing things. So, how and why can we think about rejoicing when we are persecuted as followers of Jesus? Well, I would say the first reason why to do it, would be because our Lord and Savior told us to do it. Trusting in God and praying for help in being able to rejoice will be the answer in how we can do it. I noticed that in Matthew 5:12, the prophets are mentioned, whereas they are not mentioned in Matthew 5:10 in almost the same sentiment. Is it because Jesus wanted to relate this important sentiment in a way that they would understand and in the way that would mean something special in the eyes of His very human followers. I can imagine that the Jewish people of the New Testament read the Old Testament and admired the words of the prophets and the fact that they saw those words coming true throughout their history. I can imagine they may have grouped the prophets in a group of godly people. Jesus may be using this thought to show that those who are persecuted for following Him, will join the prophets in the group of godly people. They will be in the heavenly group and not the worldly group. Even more importantly, we will be in God’s family. It is definitely a joyful thought and worth rejoicing in knowing that you are part of God’s family and will be greatly rewarded. God’s Word has many verses encouraging us and reminding us that no matter what sort of hardship, hurt, persecution, and even death we may go through in our earthly lives, it doesn’t compare to the reward we will get in heaven as His followers. (This is one of the reasons we read the Bible, so we can know these verses and remember them in time of need.) Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and your encouragement. Thank you for sending Jesus to us to teach us and to show us the way to you. Help us to stay strong throughout all the evil, hardship, and persecution we endure especially in following your Son, Jesus. Help us to follow His example, and endure no matter what, so that we can join you in heaven as well. I ask you this in His Holy name, Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:11-12 mean to me? *What is the difference between these verses and Matthew 5:10? *What was it like for the prophets and people in biblical times to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake? *Was I persecuted for righteousness’ sake? *If I was persecuted, when and how? How did it feel? How did I deal with it? *Does it help to know that the prophets were also persecuted? *Do I rejoice during times of persecution? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:11-12? Note: If you enjoy this post, you may want to read the posts in The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 3 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 4 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 5 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 6 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 7 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 8 Now, it is your turn. I am thankful you are here and would enjoy reading your thoughts, ideas, comments, and suggestions. Let me know in the comments below or feel free to contact me. If you are finding value, please feel free to share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with family and friends. You may also want to share it with your pastor and church family. Thank you so much for your kindness and support. 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“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? I hope you have been enjoying The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. I look at the Beatitudes as words of encouragement and love spoken by Jesus himself. There is some disagreement as to the number of beatitudes. Some people believe that there are eight beatitudes and some feel that there are nine beatitudes. There are also some who believe that the Beatitudes end at Matthew 5:10 and others who believe that the Beatitudes end with Matthew 5:12. This may cause some confusion in your mind. However, before it does, remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV), “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Instead of feeling confused, pray for understanding. Focus on the message of Jesus, not the terminology of people. So, let’s look at Matthew 5:10. The first part of the verse says, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…”. Persecution can take many forms. It can come in many forms such as in gossip, chiding, outcast, ridicule, put downs, harassment, discrimination, abuse, neglect, or death. Everyone has probably experienced persecution in one form or another at some point in his or her life. I have experienced a number of these forms of persecution. You probably have as well. So, if you are persecuted, is it always for righteousness’ sake? No. I wouldn’t say so. People are gossiped against, chided, discriminated against, abused, and put to death for bad ways as well. For example, just as in the Bible, criminals of today get put to death as well as followers of Jesus. Jesus wouldn’t have specified “for righteousness’ sake” if people were only persecuted “for righteousness’ sake”. People are persecuted for things doing bad things as well, such as following worldly ways, evilness, and criminal behavior. As with the other beatitudes, the encouragement comes in the second part of the verse, “for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven”. I find it interesting that this beatitude has the same encouragement as the first beatitude and the others are different. What about you? For those of you who have read “The Beatitudes Series – Part 1”, you may remember that I wasn’t sure about the meaning of “for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven”. I guess I am still not completely sure. However, with more studying and more prayer, I believe that I do have a better understanding. As Christians who follow Jesus and do God’s will, we are called “brothers” or “sisters” to Jesus (such as in Matthew 12:50). Matthew 12:50 (KJV) says, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” We are also called co-heirs (or joint-heirs) with Christ (as in Romans 8:17). Romans 8:17 (KJV) says, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Therefore, since the kingdom of heaven is God’s and Jesus will reign, we will be a part of it, instead of being cast out and left in Satan’s kingdom. We will be close to God and part of His family, not part of Satan’s group. So, it sounds to me that Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:10, that we are not to be discouraged if we are mistreated for the sake of standing up for what is right and following God’s will for us, because no matter how badly we are treated by the world, we will be loved and rewarded with being part of His family now and forever. This sounds like wonderful consolation and encouragement for withstanding some persecution in the spec of lifespan we may have on earth. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for the encouragement found in all the beatitudes and in Matthew 5:10 specifically. Thank you for giving us something to remember and to look forward to when we are persecuted for doing your will. Help us to persevere during all hardship we receive as a result of doing your will and not to give in to the evil that surrounds us during these difficult times. Help us to keep our eyes on you and be encouraged with our reward. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:10 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:10 mean to me? *What does it mean to be persecuted? *What does it mean to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake? *Have I ever been persecuted? *Have I ever been persecuted for righteousness’ sake? *How did it feel to be persecuted, especially for righteousness’ sake? *What does “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” mean? *How can I better live according to the words in Matthew 5:10? Note: If you haven't already read the other posts in The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations, you may want to read them now. *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 3 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 4 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 5 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 6 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 7 Now, it is your turn. Thank you for being here. I appreciate it. I care about you and look forward to knowing your thoughts and feelings about Matthew 5:10, The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations, the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, or any faith topic. Please, feel free to comment below or to contact me. It is my hope, through the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, to help spread God's Word and to encourage others to read the Bible for themselves, as well as to offer food for thought and better understanding of scriptures. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share with your friends, family, and church group, so they can find value as well. Let's spread God's Word together. Thank you. (And, if we are persecuted, we will be in good company for Jesus was persecuted as well.) And, if you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. 
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Matthew 5:9 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Today, we continue with The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. As we look at the seventh beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount, let us remember that worldly views are not God’s views. We could see the word peacemakers and jump to the wrong sort of conclusions. In the first part of the verse, it says, “Blessed are the peacemakers…”. What comes to mind when you hear the word peacemaker? This may seem like a strange question, but what do you think a peacemaker does? However, the answer may be different than you think. When we think of “peacemakers” we often think about people who try to placate others and keep the peace at all times. They often compromise to “not rock the boat” or to try to get others to do the same. We may think that peacemakers are those who will do anything to keep peace, not rock the boat, and to stop an argument or war. We may think that this type of peacemaker is good. Who wants an argument or a war? We might even think that these types of people are being good and selfless. They are giving up their own wants to please others, to help others, and to keep the peace. Yet, that is a worldly peacemaker, not a heavenly peacemaker. It may be okay to compromise on what color shirt you want to wear or which vegetable you cook with supper. However, God doesn’t call us to compromise our beliefs to bring others peace. If God wanted peace like that, worldly peace not matter what. Jesus wouldn’t have said in Matthew 10:34 (KJV), “Think not that I come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Also, if God wanted peacemakers to have peace on earth as we think of it, He wouldn’t have told the Israelites to kill the inhabitants when He gave them the promise land. So, if God is not calling us to have the type of peace that gives in to others or stops wars and arguments at all cost, what sort of peace is He calling us to make? Actually, I believe that if we research the Holy Bible and pray about it, we will find that God isn’t asking us to encourage a peace between each other, but that he is calling us as Christians and believers to show others how to have peace between them and God. In other words, God is calling us to encourage others to be believers and follow God’s ways, so that they are “for” God and not “against” God. God doesn’t want us to placate others to not rock the boat. He gives us verse like Proverbs 27:17 (KJV) which says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” He wants us to stand up for God’s ways and show them to others. He wants us to correct others if they are doing things against God’s will. He calls us to sharpen each other’s understanding of His will for us. God doesn’t want us to give in to others or plaster them with feel good vanity and half-truths. Does that mean the God wants us to fight fights, start wars, and have arguments? I think that is a question better left to God. I think that we are to still remember to “turn the other cheek” as Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:39. I think we should still leave the vengeance to God as Paul reminds us in Romans 12:19. However, I can’t say whether God is calling us to fight or not. In some cases, like when the Israelites fought for the promise land, they were called by God to fight. Now that we have explored the first part of the verse, let’s look at the second part of the verse where it says, “… for they shall be called children of God.” What are your thoughts on the meaning of being called the children of God? I think there are a few ways to think about the “children of God.” First of all, some translations say the “sons of God.” If we think about Jesus as being the “Son of David” than we know that it was customary back then to think of “son of” as sometimes being a generic or general term for lineage and a member or follower of a certain family or person. (I am not a scholar or a translator, so hopefully I said that correctly.) So, saying that those people who are helping others become followers of God are “children of God” would make sense in the Old Testament sense, because that would put us followers of God and in God’s family. I believe that is the same sort of sentiment that Jesus meant when in Matthew 12:50, he said, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” If by doing God’s will we are brothers and sisters of Jesus, then that means we are children of God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your holy Word. Help us to understand the difference between heavenly peace and worldly peace. Help us to know what we are to do to become peacemakers as in Matthew 5:9. Help us to act in a way that would make us your children. I ask this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:9 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:9 mean to me? *What does it mean to me to be a peacemaker? *What are the differences between worldly and heavenly peacemakers? *What do peacemakers do? *Am I a peacemaker? *What does it mean to be a child of God? *Am I a child of God? *What can I do to better live the words of Matthew 5:9? Note: If you haven't read the other parts in The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations already, you may want to do so now. *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 3 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 4 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 5 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 6 Now, it is your turn. Thank you for being here. I am very interested in hearing your thoughts on peacemakers and God's children, or whatever you feel inspired to say. Please, leave me a comment below or feel free to contact me. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family. Also, if you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content sent right to your inbox. Have a blessed week! 
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? I have always enjoyed the Beatitudes and pray that you are enjoying reading and pondering The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. In many of the verses of the Bible, we are told if we do this, this will happen. The Beatitudes are no different. As we can see, in this beatitude, if we are merciful to others, we will get mercy. This verse reminds me of Matthew 6:12, where in the Lord’s prayer, we are told that God forgives us as we forgive others. So, what do we need to do to be merciful? What does merciful mean? I do believe that forgiving others is a way to be merciful. Yet, I don’t believe it is the only way to be merciful. I think being merciful encompasses many things. What do you think? I think to be merciful means to be kind to others, to help out when you can, to lighten their load. I also think it means to be sympathetic and empathetic to their feelings and experiences. Being merciful is showing the type of kindness, caring, love, and understanding that we would want others to show, especially if we were struggling and in need. 
When we think about mercy, we can imagine a person struggling to carry a heavy load. The person may be tired, weak, depressed, down, frustrated, sad, overwhelmed, afraid, or any number of things. The load could be a physical load, such as large bags of groceries or difficult manual labor. The load could be children or others who are not cooperating. The load could be an illness or sorrow, a loss of a loved one or an estrangement of some kind. The load could be disbelief and a spiritual void. The load could be anger or division of some sort. The load could be sin. The load could be homelessness or financial worry. It doesn’t matter the load.
The question is… do we help and try to lighten the load in some way? Do we help, give, encourage, heal, forgive, or show any act of kindness, love, or understanding? Or, do we walk away or add to the stress and burden in some way? This situation can be likened, in a way, to the saying, “What goes around comes around.” Yet, in a way, it is different. Although, we can say that if we show mercy to others, God will show mercy to us, unlike the saying, God gives us soooooo much more than we could ever give another. So, in this situation we can say the saying is, “What goes around comes around infinitely better and more than we could ever imagine.” In other words, if we are merciful to others, God will be more merciful to us than we can even imagine. That brings us back to the fact that we are talking about the beatitudes. That is to say, that we will be blessed (happy beyond belief) if we are merciful to others, because if we are merciful, God will be infinitely more merciful and better merciful than we could ever imagine. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love, kindness, and understanding. Thank you for your holy Word and for the instruction you give to lead us to true happiness with you. Help us to be merciful to others, Oh Lord. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:7 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:7 mean to me? *What does merciful mean to me? *Am I merciful? *How am I merciful? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:7? Note: If you haven't already, you may want to read the other posts in the series: *The Beatitudes Series - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series - Part 3 *The Beatitudes Series - Part 4 Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I hope you are enjoying The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. I would be interested in your thoughts and feedback. What are your thoughts? Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up below to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family. Thank you. 
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Have you ever been hungry or thirsty? I think we all have felt the feelings to some extent at one time or another. Thankfully, (or unthankfully) many of us have never been in dire straits enough to know the feelings of a desperate hunger or thirst. In the past few posts, I have been pondering the meaning and words of the Beatitudes. Like the others, this beatitude speaks to us about how God wants us to live. More than that, it speaks to us about how to be happy and fulfill God’s will for us. Let’s look at the first part of Matthew 5:6. It says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The words hunger and thirst are more than just a “normal” desire for food or drink. It is more of a craving. Do you get cravings? I get cravings and sadly, they aren’t always for good things. Like, I get cravings for too many sweets or salty foods. They sure are yummy, but not necessarily good for me. I get good cravings too. I want to do God’s will and to live the life God has for me. I want to help others. I want to encourage others. I want to share my faith and encourage others in their faith. I want to teach and learn. These things I crave as well. Think of what crave means. When I crave a certain food, I can eat this or that to try to get my mind off it. I can feel “full” with eating these other things, but somehow, I still don’t feel satisfied. It isn’t until I either give into the desire or stand up to it (through prayer and the desire to do the right thing under no uncertain terms), that the craving feeling goes away. Sometimes, we feel like we aren’t accomplishing or getting the desires of our heart. We want this or that and they seem like good things, but we still aren’t getting them. In those times, we have to ask ourselves if they are “normal” wants or if they are hungers and thirsts. Like when we are truly starving for food, we will often do just about anything to get food. We will work at jobs we wouldn’t necessarily like or consider under normal circumstances. We will eat food that we don’t necessarily care for just so that we can have something in our stomachs. (I am not talking about stealing or anything illegal, but humbling ourselves to do or accept less than we normally would think to do.) So, what does being on the brink of starvation have to do with hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Just like when are stomachs are empty and we hunger for food or thirst for drink, when we hunger and thirst for righteousness we our hearts and minds are empty except for the desire to do God’s will for us. Any worldly desires, manipulations, or feelings we may have had in the past are out of our mind and out of our heart. We don’t have any self-serving thoughts or desires and no alternative motives at all. Instead, we only desire what is right. We desire God’s will for us and for the kingdom of God. Now, we can look at the second part of Matthew 5:6, “…for they shall be filled.” If we empty ourselves from the worldly cares and only seek God’s will for us, then we will feel satisfied. It won’t be just a worldly feeling of being satisfied, but a heavenly feeling as well. Just as all the other Beatitudes lead to not just a “regular” feeling of happiness, but a “heavenly” feeling as well. It goes past emotional thoughts and feelings, but spiritual as well. A spiritual “fullness” isn’t just a feeling of being “full”, but also of being truly satisfied as well. Heavenly Father, Thank you for the Beatitudes. Thank you for showing us the way to true happiness, which is a closeness with you in your kingdom. Help us to hunger and thirst for You and your ways. Help us to pray for others to hunger and thirst for you so that your kingdom grows and others may find a closeness to You as well. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:6 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:6 mean to me? *Have I ever hungered or thirsted? What did it feel like? *Have I ever craved anything? *Have I ever felt “full” without feeling satisfied? *Have I ever felt like I was hoping for good things, but they never seemed to come? Did I look to see if my desires were pure or if I had any alternative motives? *How can I better live the words in Matthew 5:6? Note: If you haven't read the other parts of The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations, you may want to read them here: *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 3 Now, it is your turn. I am thankful you are here. I hope you are enjoying The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. What are your thoughts? Is there anything that you have learned or thought about since reading the series? Please, feel free to comment below so we can all learn from you or contact me. Thank you. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends, family, and neighbors, so they can find value in it as well. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. God bless. 
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? As I looked at The Beatitudes and prepared for today’s blog post, I noticed that this is the only beatitude (at least in the Sermon on the Mount) where Jesus says, “shall inherit the earth”. Most of the Bible verses that I remember say, “shall inherit the kingdom of heaven”, so I am wondering if this is significant. There are different thoughts on what that means and to tell you the truth, I am not sure of it’s meaning. Yet, with prayer and God’s help, I will write this post and prayerfully bring meaning to us all. First, let’s look at the first part. Many times, we think of “meek” as shy, timid people, who let people walk all over them. However, in keeping with the rest of the beatitudes, meek has to do with our spiritual wellbeing and way to eternal life. It has nothing to do with how we are to people. It is a submission to God, not a submission to others. Although, when we submit to God, often that means we are also submitting to others indirectly. For example, when we turn the other cheek, we do so because God has called us to do so. God wants to fight our battles for us. He wants the vengeance. He doesn’t want us to take things into our own hands. It shows strength and not weakness to not fight back when we are hurt, angered, or criticized. We are submitting to God, by not fighting back. But in worldly views, it looks like we are submitting to people as well. Now, with an understanding of who is meant by the word meek, we can look at the second part. It is only these people who submit to God that “shall inherit the earth”. So, what does that mean? Well, we know that inherit means to get or receive something, usually after a loved one has passed away. Like it is passed onto us, when someone is through with it or releases ownership. An inheritance is something that is given and gifted to us, many times through a will or rather the will of the person who passes away. God gives us many things both here on earth and also in heaven. It is God’s will that we follow Him, submit to Him, and do His will for us. If we do that, we will get His will. We will receive all the good things he has in store for us, not only here on earth, but in heaven as well. Jesus also tells us that He can give us peace; a peace unlike anything the world can give us. (John 16:33) Is this what is meant, by “shall inherit the earth”? I think, for me, it is best described in Matthew 6:33… “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In other words, if you seek and do God’s will, you will get the desires of your heart on earth (because they will be aligned with God’s will for us) and we will get what God has planned for us in heaven as well. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for showing us the way to You. Thank you for giving us the Beatitudes so that we know what you want for us. Please, help us to not only live according to your words in Matthew 5:5, but also according to your will for us in everything. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:5 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:5 mean to me? *What is meant be the word meek? *What is meant by the word inherit? *What is meant by “shall inherit the earth”? *Why does it say “shall inherit the earth” instead of “shall inherit the kingdom of heaven”? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:5? *How can I better live according to the will of God? Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts? I would be interested in hearing your interpretation and thoughts on Matthew 5:5. I always look forward to the thoughts of others. Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family, as well as on your social media sites. Also, if you haven't already, you may want to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. P.S. - If you haven't already, you may want to go back and read the other posts in The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations: The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. We all have time when we mourn for one reason or another. It may be a loss of a loved one, a pet, a friend, or even loss of something like a job or a home. I have read this verse many times and thought this verse was meant to comfort me during just those times. I thought that if we as humans like to comfort each other in times such as these, then how God would want to comfort us during these times so much more we could do for each other. Even though, I think that many people use this verse for comfort during such mourning, I am not so sure that is really the mourning meant. However, I do think the words in Matthew 5:4 would be comforting for any type of mourning. What do you think? I know, you may be wondering why I don’t think that this is meant for those mourning such as in the loss of a loved one. With research, I have found that there is “godly sorrow” and “worldly sorrow” as in 2 Corinthians 7:10. We also see Jesus’ remark to a man who wanted to be a disciple, but wanted to bury his father first in Luke 9:60, when Jesus said, “let the dead bury their dead.” Earthly death is a worldly concern. It is natural for us to feel some sort of sorrow from the loss. In that instance, the potential disciple was torn between a worldly concern and a heavenly concern. Jesus was telling him to seek the heavenly concern instead. If our decision is between an earthly concern and a heavenly concern, we are always called to focus on the heavenly concern. Jesus didn’t try to comfort and console the man from any sorrow or burial obligation to his father. Jesus wanted him to focus on heavenly things right then and there. Why would Jesus talk about mourning physical death, because he knows for those in the kingdom of God, physical death leads to heavenly life? That is a joyous thing. Again, if we read 2 Corinthians 7:10, we see that it talks about “godly sorrow” as sorrow that leads to repentance. In other words, it isn’t a worldly loss but sin of some sort, like how we feel really bad if we hurt someone or do things against God of which we aren’t proud. We wonder how we could be so unkind and do such a thing to God, to others, and to ourselves. Sometimes, we might feel so bad that we feel down, even be in a funk or depressed. I believe it is this kind of sorrow and mourning that is meant in Matthew 5:4. Also, if we look in Psalms 31:9-10 (KJV), we see King David has written, “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.” King David is crying for help and mercy, because of his iniquity. He knows that he is feeling the way he is due to his own sinfulness. And, God will comfort him with through his repentance. Heavenly Father, Thank you for the comfort you give. Thank you for The Beatitudes to help us understand the earthly verses the heavenly joys and which are important. Help us to appreciate and focus on the heavenly and not the earthly things. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:4 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:4 mean to me? *What message is God giving me through Matthew 5:4? *What kind of mourning do I think is meant in Matthew 5:4? *How do I feel when I read Matthew 5:4? *What can I do better to appreciate and live according to Matthew 5:4? Now, it is your turn. I am so glad you are here. I hope you are enjoying The Beatitudes Series. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. I am interested in your thoughts, ideas, prayer requests, suggestions, questions, and more. Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends, family, and church members, so they can find value in it as well. Thank you. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog and other faith content by email. Thank you. God bless. 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I enjoy reading the Beatitudes, which was part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. (You can read more about the definition of Beatitudes on Wikipedia here.) They are encouraging and inspirational words that gives us the map to true happiness. So, I thought that I would do a series on the Beatitudes. I pray you are blessed by it. Speaking of blessed, what does it mean to be blessed? Some people use it every day, but do we really know what it means? I have heard the word blessed be defined as another name for happy. I have read somewhere else, that it is more than happy. I guess, I think of it as being more than happy, more like a spiritual happiness instead of a mere emotional happiness. The first beatitude is found in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So, what does that mean? What does poor in spirit mean? I have researched it, thought about it, and prayed about it. I am still not sure if I know what it means for sure. What makes the most sense to me is that people who put believe that without God, they would be nothing. In other words, people who are poor in spirit don’t put their trust and belief in themselves, but in God alone. Recently, I wrote a post about being self-made or God-made, which also reminds me of this concept. Many people like to say that they are self-made, that they learned things and did things because of their hard work and determination. Worldly people in society believe this is a good thing. Yet, it is when we know that we are reliant on God and can’t do or be without Him, that we gain more than we know. Many of us have heard the saying, “you are full of yourself.” Again, that would be like the self-made person. That person thinks he or she is great and can do this or that so wonderfully, etc. To me, the poor in spirit would be just the opposite. The poor in spirit would be more like an infant crying for a parent’s help or a child asking questions and asking for help. However, instead of asking each other for help, we rely on God to give us all that we need. To me, the second half of this statement is a bit more difficult to understand, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I have read where that could mean God’s kingdom on earth. The words “theirs is” get me the most though. That usually means it belongs to you, as in ownership. Yet, it is easier to understand if it is that you are a part of it, not owner of it. I think we all have our own thoughts and ideas on the kingdom of God. We take what we read and come to our own conclusions. I guess for me, I can understand Matthew 5:3 if I look at it like, if people think they rely on themselves, they won’t get closer to God. They will rely only on themselves and won’t get closer to God or His kingdom. Yet, if people know they are nothing with out God and reach out to God, trust Him to be their provider and Father, know that He is their creator, then people will be closer and among those in the kingdom of God. Then, if we think about being part of the kingdom of God, we will be blessed beyond measure. We will feel and be happier than we can even imagine. We will enjoy the peace Jesus can give us, the joy of being with our Heavenly Father, and so much more. Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to us to give us the message of the Beatitudes. You are so loving and merciful; that you want to give us every chance and guidance you can to show us the path to you. I thank you and praise you for that. Help us to be poor in spirit, so that we may gain your kingdom. I ask you that through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Matthew 5:3 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:3 mean to me? *What is my definition of blessed? *What do I think “poor of spirit” means? *Am I poor of spirit? *What do I think “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” means? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:3? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful that you are here and would like to know your thoughts as well. Please, comment below or feel free to contact me. Also, if you have an idea or request for a topic, I would really enjoy knowing that as well. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family. And, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content by email. |
Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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