Day 15 · Week 3
Passage: Matthew 5:3–12; Psalm 1:1–3
Memory Verse: Matthew 5:3
Matthew 5:3 (KJV)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The first word Jesus uses in the Sermon on the Mount is “Blessed.” Then He repeats it again and again.
We often use blessed to describe circumstances we enjoy: a good home, enough food, health, friends, or an answered prayer. Those truly are gifts for which we can thank God. But Jesus is about to describe blessed people in surprising circumstances. Some mourn. Some are persecuted. Some hunger and thirst for righteousness.
So Jesus cannot simply mean, “Happy because everything is going well.”
To be blessed is to be in a good place with God—to receive His favor and possess what ultimately matters, even when present circumstances are difficult.
That changes the way we think about a good life. The world often says we are doing well when we have comfort, recognition, possessions, or control. Jesus begins by pointing somewhere deeper.
The Beatitudes will show us the character of people who belong to His kingdom. They are not a checklist for earning God's love. They describe lives being shaped by the King.
As we begin them, we should ask not merely, “Which blessing do I want?” but, “What kind of person is Jesus teaching me to become?”
How is being blessed by God different from having everything go the way we want?
What do I usually use to decide whether I am having a “good” life?
Thank God for His gifts, and ask Him to teach your family to value His blessing more than comfort or success.