02-23-24-ENG.

For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 57:15

To be poor in spirit is to declare spiritual bankruptcy. We all know that a person declares bankruptcy when they are unable to pay for what they have. When they are no longer able to meet their obligations, they will file bankruptcy. Similarly, living according to the kingdom value of being poor in spirit comes through recognizing our total insufficiency to satisfy what is needed in our own humanity to prosper spiritually. The problem is that most of us do not recognize our own spiritual insufficiency. Now, it’s easy to recognize if you can’t pay your bills. But most of us have a hard time realizing we don’t have what it takes to make ends meet spiritually. We can’t cover what is needed spiritually for us to mature, be impactful, access blessings, and prosper in our souls. Unfortunately, most of us believe we are far more capable than we actually are. All that does is keep us on the hamster wheel, spinning and spinning in our spiritual cycles. We stay in cycles of reading our Bibles, attending church, or crossing off our prayer lists, only to discover we aren’t making any progress at all.

But Jesus didn’t start out His sermon by saying, “Blessed are those who cross off their spiritual lists.” No, He started by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). What Jesus says is if we will recognize that our spiritual strength, sufficiency, and abilities are rooted and grounded in Him—because we are poor in spirit—then we will be able to overcome the myriad of things that seem to be coming at us. Whether it’s depression coming at you, or a feeling of defeat, isolation, or grief, or just an overall sense of aimlessness—whatever it is cannot be overcome by you. It is overcome through Christ in you when you recognize His all-sufficiency as King and Lord of all. The world may tell you there’s no hope. It may tell you that you will be depressed or a failure for the rest of your life. It may tell you there is no future for you. 

But what you must remember, if you are poor in spirit, is that the world doesn’t have the last word. God does. And whatever Satan is using to seek to overcome you, God can overcome when you look to Him to do it. Knowing this is true, you should always remember that when God puts you in a situation you cannot fix—no matter how much money you have, or intelligence you have, or power you possess—He is doing you a favor. He is showing you your insufficiency so that you can see the kingdom of heaven at work on your behalf. I know it may be a painful sort of favor. It can also be an inconvenient favor. But when God is trying to get you and me to live with the kingdom value of being poor in spirit, it is a divine favor. Because once we know enough to declare spiritual bankruptcy, He opens His storehouses of provision to meet us where we need Him most. 

Reaction:
In your own words, what does it mean to be poor in spirit? What would you hope is the outcome of living a life that is truly poor in spirit? Describe why you believe God would want His followers to live with a heart that is poor in spirit. 

Prayer:
Jesus, help me have a heart that honors You by being poor in spirit. Reveal to me those areas where I am proud. Show me my own self-sufficiency so that I can be convicted by what I see and recognize how useless it is to count on myself when I have You to depend on. Bless me in ways that I can recognize are truly from You so that I can learn the power of being poor in spirit. In Your name I pray, amen.