Today is a beautiful, warm Saturday where I am right now here in Bradenton, Florida.  February 26th, still winter in many parts of our great, huge country.  So it seems to me that what is real for me is not real for others.  A wonderful science program last night on the advances in computers stated that people can not sense or accept reality other than what they have at the moment.  I think that is one of the greatest things of our modern society... giving us more and more the capability to see, feel, taste, even live outside of our own immediate reality.  We see the turmoil in the world, we see the effects of climate change, we see the poverty of others, we can taste the many different foods of the world... and so it is with God, it seems to me.  


We become aware of God by His grace convicting us of His reality. Eventually we are led to a point where we are
"poor in spirit" and acknowledge that we need God's love.  God in his mercy then helps us as we "mourn" our lost state, wait, here it is in God's own words:



Mat 5:2  And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, 
Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 
Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted. 
Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth. 
Mat 5:6  Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled. 
Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy. 
Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God. 
Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God. 
Mat 5:10  Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 
Mat 5:11  Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. 
Mat 5:12  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 
Mat 5:13  You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men. 
Mat 5:14  You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 
Mat 5:15  Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. 
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. 

One of my epiphanies is that this wonderful passage applies to each of our journeys to God... to reach God as He allows us to feel His Grace and Love.  You have to reach a "poor in spirit" point in your sorry state, that is you must acknowledge that you can not do this by yourself.

Then you must mourn, regret, grieve over your lost condition.

You then meekly, not with self pride or ego, go to Jesus.

Your hunger and thirst for salvation, truth, and love can only be fulfilled by the Holy Spirit's work in your heart... a change that allows you to Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  By the grace of God, and the loving work of the Holy Spirit you will be saved and cleansed and brought into the love of God.

Accept Jesus and you will have peace.  I didn't say you won't have troubles, but you will have Peace, within yourself and with God.  

Then you can be Merciful to others, treating them with love.

Then you can witness for Jesus through your changed life.

Then you can make peace instead of war and other human horrors.

But be ready for the world to attack you.  The world does not like God's children.  So you must walk in God's grace and love each moment of each day and night.  

May you be blessed to be His.  May you have God's love.

Be poor in spirit today, mourn your losses and lost way, hunger and thirst for salvation, ASK JESUS TO BE YOUR SAVIOR, and you will be filled.

God bless you always.