Reading With the People of God #11 Blessed预览

Focus of the month: (The Beatitudes)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5:3-12

Our Daily Bread

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus is teaching us how to prioritize prayer. After acknowledging the holiness and sovereignty of God we may also now look to our daily needs. Jesus instructs us to ask for daily bread.

For those who were hearing Jesus’ words on the mountainside, reminiscent of Moses bringing God’s Law for a kingdom yet to come, they would have remembered the bread brought by God to the Israelites on their desert sojourn. Manna sustained the people of God daily throughout their journey to the Promised Land. In John 6:35, 48-51 Jesus identifies Himself as the true manna from heaven, the Bread of Life, with a view toward the sacrament when His body will be remembered in the Bread. In this prayer, we are acknowledging Jesus as the sustenance for our daily spiritual life as we live in communion with Him.

Jesus goes on to instruct us to pray; Lead us not into temptation. We must trust God and not ourselves as we make choices. Through the Word, we recognize that the choices before us may not be in our best interest or for His glory. There is an ancient Evil One that would encourage us to choose our will over God’s. We are asking God to lead us away from our own personal will to do His will alone, on earth, even as it is done in heaven.

* Devotional primer contributed by Jinet Troost