259 - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit#
259 - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Matthew 5:1-3,
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for starting a new week. You are the one who blesses, the source of strength. As we begin this new week, we wish to draw Your strength, understand Your words, and receive Your power. Please help me to live with Your strength, bless every brother and sister who seeks You. You know their needs, and You provide for them in due time. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Looking at this passage, when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside, sat down, and his disciples came to him. He began to teach them. Regardless of what Jesus' teachings are, you will find that His purpose is to bless us. He teaches us not to lead us to destruction or to die faster.
The purpose of Jesus teaching us is to let us receive His blessings and His strength. Many people have spoken about the Beatitudes and know that this passage in Matthew 5 is very important. Verses 1-12 contain very important words that Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples on the mountain. I have mentioned before that to explain the words in the Bible, we must look at the background of the Bible.
The Gospel of Matthew primarily targets the Jews, and it mentions matters concerning the law. This is especially highlighted in chapter five, which is why it is addressed to them.
There is no such statement for Gentiles, so can we inherit this blessing? Yes, but the way we inherit it is different from theirs. Many people like to refer to this passage as the Sermon on the Mount. The reason it is called a treasure is that it contains many things that are meant to be given to us. It not only tells us about the kingdom of heaven but also teaches us how to live in this world through Jesus. The most important thing is blessing; this word blessing appears nine times in these twelve verses.
Why do people particularly like this passage? Whether you believe in Jesus or not, everyone wishes to be a blessed person. During the New Year or festivals, why do many people post a character for blessing on their doors? Some even post the character upside down, meaning "blessing has arrived!" Why do they post five blessings? Does posting this character guarantee blessings? If that were the case, it would be enough to cover the whole house with blessings.
This character itself does not bring blessings, but there is one person you need to know; He can bestow infinite blessings upon you, and that is Jesus. So whether it is blessings arriving or blessings at the door, you must find out who the source is; He is our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone hopes to be a blessed person, but the hope we have in Jesus Christ is different.
The world hopes to be blessed, but that does not necessarily mean they are blessed. But if you place your hope in Him, you are a blessed person. It is important to know that hoping for blessings is something everyone desires, including many who believe in Jesus. But how many people have truly received this blessing?
Deuteronomy 28 mentions many blessings: you will be blessed when you go out and when you come in, you will be blessed in the land, in the kitchen... everywhere you will be blessed. But why do many Christians not experience this? Where does the problem lie? It is actually related to what they receive. Whether we can inherit this blessing depends on our understanding of Lord Jesus.
Many people, even those who believe in Jesus, believe that our Lord is a blessing Lord, but many do not believe that God is willing to bless them at this time, especially during times of failure, weakness, or discouragement, or when they abandon God, they do not believe that God still blesses them. This is an area we need to adjust. God's blessings to us are definitely not because our behavior is good; otherwise, it would be very difficult for us to receive blessings.
I want to tell everyone: in Jesus Christ, God has prepared for us all kinds of spiritual blessings. These have already been prepared before this world existed. Now that you believe in Him, does that mean you have received this blessing? What you need to do is to transform these spiritual blessings into something visible to your eyes, something that the world can also see. This is the part we need to transform. How did Solomon receive blessings? Was it the result of his hard work? No, it was because he believed that God is a God who blesses, and so he received.
And his blessings were seen by the world, and even to this day, many movies like to use Solomon as an example. They are interested in Solomon's treasures and wisdom. Where did all of this come from? It was given to him by God; he simply had a correct understanding of God. Hallelujah! When you correctly understand the blessings of Lord Jesus, you can easily receive His blessings.
Let’s share the first point: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
First, let’s look at what kind of person is blessed. Last time we said, preaching should be grounded, and faith must connect with life. According to your understanding, what kind of person is blessed? What do they receive to be considered blessed? To be honest, don’t say, “I am most blessed because I have received Jesus.” If you say that, then don’t complain because you have already received.
What kind of person is truly blessed? Peace, joy, these are indeed blessings. To be more specific, let me tell you something and see if you agree: for a person without children, if God gives her a child, that is a blessing; for a person without wealth, if God gives him various properties, that is a blessing; for a person without status, if God lifts him up, that is a blessing; for a sick person who regains health, that is a blessing. Everything I mentioned has already been given to us; the truly blessed are those whom God provides for at their greatest time of need.
This is what I just mentioned; if you have Jesus, you have the greatest blessing because whatever you need can be found in Jesus Christ, and peace and joy are bonuses. Don’t say, “Lord, please give me peace.” There’s no need to ask; that is a gift from God.
What I just mentioned are standards of earthly people, but Jesus did not use this as the standard for being blessed. Is having many children a blessing? Not necessarily! If the children are disobedient and constantly oppose you, that is no longer a blessing; is having more wealth a blessing? Not necessarily! How many families are in conflict over money, throwing the elderly in the hospital, discussing how to divide the property, and needing to clarify things before the person passes away...
Is having a high status a blessing? Does climbing higher mean you are blessed? The higher you climb, the more eyes are watching you. A small problem could lead to gossip that might ruin your family. All of this is worldly, but in Jesus Christ, God can give you these without the worries that come with them. So don’t look for blessings in this world; it is very difficult to find them. Even if you gain everything, you still won’t be blessed. Why?
Matthew 16:26 states, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
This is where our blessing lies. As I said earlier, believing in Jesus does not mean being disconnected from the world or life. When you receive Jesus, indeed all of this is given to you, but if you do not have Jesus, even if you gain the whole world, you still have nothing. Is this world not God's? Yet how many people think this world is theirs, only to find out later... this world still belongs to God.
We must recognize this: true blessings do not come from the earth but from above. All blessings come down from the Father of lights, so you must look up. When you look up, you will always be blessed. Ecclesiastes says, “Everything under the sun is meaningless.”
If you look at this world, you will truly feel disheartened and hopeless; but when you look up, has God said, “Everything above the sun is also meaningless?” No, it is completely meaningful there. If our gaze is the same as that of the world, we will eventually feel disheartened; if we look to people, we will indeed feel hopeless. But if you lift your eyes to God, you will never be disheartened. Let’s see how the Bible defines a blessed person, what kind of person is blessed.
Romans 4:6-8,
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works: 7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
Have you received this blessing now? How did you receive it? If Jesus had not gone to the cross to take your place for your sins, you could not receive blessings at all. You would have to strive hard like the Jews, diligently obeying God's commandments to earn blessings. Think about the people in this world; are they not in this system?
They must work hard to obtain, sacrificing their time, energy, and everything, but it does not necessarily lead to results. But now you are not under this system, so do not view your life through the lens of that system. David speaks of those who are credited with righteousness apart from works... So, was David under the law of works, or was he within the realm of our faith? In fact, David was under the law; if he truly understood that faith could lead to receiving, he would not have said this. Those who are credited with righteousness apart from works are blessed.
David was punished by God after his sin because he was under that law. Therefore, the world emphasizes cause and effect, which is indeed correct; you reap what you sow. But we are no longer under that law. Why does God call those credited with righteousness apart from works blessed? God no longer looks at your behavior to bless you. Remember this: God does not bless you based on your behavior, but based on Jesus' behavior.
Which of Jesus' actions allows God to bless you? He paid the price for your sins on the cross, died for your sins, and rose again for you. This series of actions allows God to call you blessed. This blessing is very secure; regardless of your behavior, God will bless you.
Some may say, “This is too good to be true.” Our Lord is just that good. If Jesus had not come, we would be like the Jews, struggling and striving, and still not necessarily receiving blessings. But now it is different; God gives you blessings first, and then you strive. Isn’t that much simpler?
We are under this law, so it is not that once we believe in Jesus and understand grace, we do not have to do anything. On the contrary, this will generate more vitality and positive motivation. For example, God says, “Do you see that mountain? I have stored a mountain of gold on that mountain; go and dig it up.” When you go to dig, is it painful? Would you say, “I don’t want to go today; this boss is too harsh, making me dig for gold”? That’s not how it works, right? If God said, “I might have buried gold here; it depends on your behavior. If you perform well, you can dig it up; if you do not perform well, you cannot dig it up.” In that case, you would dig for a year, two years... and if you do not find it, what would you say? You would say God is a liar. But now it is not about earning blessings through your behavior; it is that God has already prepared them, and what He says will surely come to pass. Your whole life is about discovering God's blessings and retrieving them, like a treasure hunt.
Without Jesus, our lives would be meaningless, losing motivation and goals. So God tells us here: “You are not under the law of works; you are credited with righteousness and called righteous. You are a blessed person, and God has prepared all kinds of blessings for you.”
The reason we Christians are blessed is that we have a wider path than the world. The world looks at the old almanac and calculates that today is not suitable for travel. Originally, there was a client today, but now they will not go. Today is not suitable for travel; if they travel, the client will be lost. Today cannot be done... You will find that this is similar to the Jewish law, where today you cannot do this, tomorrow you cannot do that... picking a lucky day.
Isn’t our path wider than theirs? For us, which day is a lucky day? Every day is! Every day is a blessed day from God. Why should we still calculate like in the past, thinking today is not suitable...? For us, every day is a good day. We say: In the name of Lord Jesus, every day is a good day, every year is a year of jubilee, because Jesus has changed everything.
In the past, the Jews waited fifty years for a jubilee; now every year is a jubilee. 2017 was a jubilee, 2018 was too, and so on. Every day we are in God's blessings because Jesus has changed everything for you. Without Jesus, we would be under that law. Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. This shows that you indeed have transgressions, and covering sins represents that you have sinned. But God no longer looks at these; He forgives your transgressions and still blesses you, covering your sins and still blessing you.
We should not use the term “covering” anymore because David wanted to say, “I have sinned; if God can cover it, that would be great; just don’t pursue my sins.” Now you are indeed a person who has received such blessings. The Lord does not count as guilty the one whom He blesses, proving that you are indeed still sinning, but God still blesses you.
Some may say, “This kind of teaching is dangerous.” It is precisely this kind of teaching that can lead people away from sin. God does not remember your sins; you will be drawn to God's love and grace, and from then on, you will stay away from evil. Such a person is blessed, and all of this is related to one person: Jesus. His redemption on the cross makes you a blessed person, and this is apart from works; you are blessed. Brothers and sisters, remember: at any time, do not think that God blesses you because your behavior is good, but because God continuously blesses you, your behavior will improve.
God does not look at your behavior but still blesses you and calls you righteous. Unbelievers rely on their behavior to obtain blessings, but we do not; we live by receiving His blessings. When you know this, do you want to know how much God's blessings are? If you do, go back and read the Bible yourself. Because the extent of blessings is recorded in the Bible, and it is related to you.
Psalm 1:2-3,
2 But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
How should we apply this passage? Frequently meditate on God's words, more specifically, meditate on the words of Jesus Christ. Meditating day and night means that whenever you think about God's words, you will be blessed. When you encounter problems, meditating on God's words will give you strength and wisdom, and the rest will relate to our lives.
He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. This uses a tree to describe us. Remember this last sentence: whatever they do prospers. Replace “they” with “I” and say together: Whatever I do prospers. Amen! Is this not the fruit? Exactly! So how do we obtain this fruit? Don’t say, “By following His words, obeying His laws...” It is simply by meditating on God's words. In the process of meditation, you will find that everything about you changes; it is that simple. Meditate frequently, and your behavior will change because of meditating on God's words.
Human behavior is determined by thoughts; how you think is how you act. Therefore, to change your behavior, the best way is to change your thoughts. That is why we often say, renew your mind, use God's words to renew your mind, your actions will be similar to Jesus’. Amen!
When we encounter problems, we can meditate on God's words. God's words are your strength and help; you are blessed. Consider a problem: what do people do when they encounter problems they cannot solve? Suppose you do not have Jesus, and you encounter a very troublesome issue; what would you do? Before I believed in the Lord, when I faced problems that no one could solve, I found that people could not help me, so I began to seek God. Although I did not believe in God at that time, I still sought God; this is a characteristic of all people.
At that time, I recited every name of the gods I knew. My aunt was a “spiritual medium,” and I knew their names since I was a child. I just did not rely on them; I did not believe and thought she was just mumbling, wondering what was the point of worshiping that. But when I truly had no way out, I knelt on my bed and began to pray to each one. “God of wealth, can you help?” Probably not; he is in charge of money, and that problem cannot be solved. What about the other gods? Forget it; maybe they have the ability. I recited all the gods, but the problem was still not solved.
Today, you do not need to do that; one Jesus is enough. So after you believe in the Lord, you are indeed a blessed person; you will never be disheartened, and you will never say, “I don’t know who to turn to for help.” You will always have someone to rely on, and that is Jesus. Whenever you can rely on this Lord to help you. Amen!
Let’s share the second point: Blessed are the poor in spirit.
The Chinese translation is “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” but in the original Greek, it is actually reversed: “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit.” There is a difference from the Chinese translation; poor in spirit refers to spiritual poverty and not a requirement for moral behavior.
Make sure to remember: The meaning in the original text is not related to your behavior but to your heart. Christians do not need to have good behavior; first, they must have the life of Jesus to correctly understand Him, so that they can produce good behavior. Whatever life you have in your heart, that is the life you will live; this is certain. Every person who truly understands they are blessed and knows their blessings are given to them through Jesus on the cross, not earned through effort, will produce a fruit: humility, understanding their position before God. Do you know your position before God? You are a beloved child of God, but remember: you can never be equal to God.
Some people misquote the Bible, saying, “Great! Since Jesus has accomplished everything for us, I can declare with the Bible, the Psalms say, I am God... I can declare I am God...” Is that right? You are a beloved child of God! If a person cannot keep their position, they will either be extremely self-deprecating or extremely arrogant. If you do not know you are a beloved child of God, you will think of yourself as worthless and despised by the world.
Just like Paul said, “I am the scum of the earth.” What kind of life do you think that would lead to? It may seem humble and poor in spirit, but you would feel inferior to the world. Are there such Christians? The reason they do not dare to share the gospel with others is that they feel inferior to others; others have money, power, and everything. How can they share the gospel with them? You forget your identity. The other extreme is looking down on the world, thinking, “I am a citizen of the kingdom; you are just worldly people.” Looking down on others is also incorrect.
You must maintain your position before God. The greatest problem of humanity is pride and self-satisfaction. Humility is fine; it does not harm the world, but pride can be very harmful. Our greatest problem is feeling full inside; that is the problem. If you feel full inside, you do not need God or people; you may think you have more than anyone else. If that is the case, it is difficult to see God's blessings. This is what the Bible says: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
It is not that God is unwilling to give; it is that they look down on God. Is Jesus powerful enough? But how did the people of Nazareth view Jesus? Why does the Bible say Jesus could not perform many miracles in Nazareth? Was it because His power was small? It was precisely because of the self-satisfaction and self-righteousness within the people of Nazareth that hindered them from receiving God's blessings. If you think Jesus is just your neighbor, or if someone older thinks, “I knew you when you were a child...” can such a person receive His blessings? No. Therefore, a person who thinks they are capable cannot receive God's blessings because they do not recognize God's blessings.
A proud person will try to show off their abilities, strengths, and talents... fearing that others do not know. Even if some people do not have much wealth or high status, they are filled with strength inside; this person is called Jesus. Did Jesus have a high status while walking on earth?
The Bible describes Jesus as gentle as a lamb, like a tender shoot growing from dry ground. When He walked into a crowd, He became unrecognizable. Yet this person possesses the whole world; everything we have comes from Him, and He is very humble. I now tell everyone: once you have the kingdom of heaven inside you, the way you live outside will be the visible fruit of humility. Proud people cannot see the kingdom of God.
Matthew 3:1-2, At that time, John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!”
This is grammatically similar to our text today; it needs to be reversed. In Greek, it is, “You should repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Some may say, “Aren’t they the same?” When reversed, which comes first? You should repent first, and then you will see the kingdom of heaven. When you repent, you will see the kingdom of heaven.
Why could the Pharisees not see the kingdom of heaven? Jesus was standing right in front of them, but they did not recognize Him or know Him, and they still could not see. Today’s text says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Many people interpret this literally: “If Christians want to be blessed, they must first be poor; when you are poor and destitute, you will be blessed.”
Is this blessed? No, but conversely, when you know you are a blessed person, you will be poor in spirit. Is this not poverty in life? In life, it manifests as generosity, kindness, and abundance. Would you like to live such a life? Then it is simple; first, let your spirit become poor. When you are spiritually poor, you will continually seek God's words. Just be afraid that you are not spiritually poor, thinking, “I already know the Bible; I have memorized it...” You will find you are not poor, and you cannot receive this.
Every day we should be spiritually poor and then read the Bible. Do not say, “I have read this passage before; I have read it many times.” So what? Only when you have a poor heart to view this word can you draw God's power from it and receive the supply of Jesus Christ. When you read it now, a year later when you read this passage again, you will have new insights. Therefore, in front of God's words, always maintain a spiritually poor heart, and you will find you have received the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. This passage says: “You should repent because the kingdom of heaven is near.” The expression in the original text is stronger than in Chinese.
I have mentioned before that Greek has a characteristic; some sentences express a scene. Here it describes a very stubborn person. How can they see the kingdom of heaven? They must let go of all their past stubborn beliefs and suddenly discover God. This is how you come to know Jesus.
If you look at Jesus through human eyes, you will not think much of Him. Nathanael said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He was looking at Jesus through worldly eyes, so he could not see what power Jesus had. But if you are poor in spirit, you will find that Jesus has an endless supply, continually providing for you. When we approach God's words, every time we look, we should have a heart that thirsts for righteousness, an empty heart to receive His words, and you will surely have something to gain.
Let’s share the third point: When a person knows that the kingdom of heaven is theirs, they become humble.
This is not emphasized as: “You must be humble, and then you will be blessed.” No, it is exactly the opposite: when you realize you are a blessed person, you become humble. When you recognize that the kingdom of heaven is yours, you will understand how blessed you are. This matter is interconnected; your blessings come from the kingdom of heaven. So, do you need to understand the kingdom of heaven? When a person truly understands the grace of Jesus Christ, the manifestation is humility.
Let’s first look at Jesus. Does Jesus have the kingdom of heaven? Is He filled with all power, authority, and glory? All of these are in Him. Let’s see how Jesus lived in this world.
Matthew 11:28-29,
28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
This is a very important passage Jesus gives us. Who are the weary and burdened? The people of the world, and also? You must receive the Bible as your own. Do you have burdens now? Then this passage is for you. Come to Jesus, and He will give you rest. Why can He give you rest? Because He is rest. When you come to Him, you automatically enjoy rest because in Jesus, nothing is a problem; isn’t that rest? Why do you lose rest? Because some things are greater than you.
I am gentle and humble in heart describes how He presents Himself in the world. Humility is already within Him, so when the disciples encountered a storm and were frightened, saying, “Teacher! Wake up quickly; we are going to die!” Jesus was not flustered; He had rest within Him. He has it, so He can give it to you. When you have the kingdom of heaven inside you, you can give it to others. You are to take my yoke upon you, which means to work together with Jesus. Learn from me; learn the way of Jesus, and you will find rest for your souls.
Let’s look at another passage, Philippians 2:5-11,
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus first humbled Himself. Being in the form of God refers to the heart; Jesus came to the world in the flesh, yet He had the form of God within Him. However, He did not say, “I am God! You must listen to me; you must obey me...” He never said that. Instead, He made Himself nothing (humble), taking the form of a servant. A servant is different from a master; a servant serves. So Jesus came and continually served... in the appearance of a man. You will find that a person who truly possesses the greatest authority and highest glory displays humility.
We used to have a saying: “The little devil is hard to deal with.” The less capable they are, the more they like to show off. The truly capable ones are usually quiet. You see, big figures are generally more amiable, while those who are not capable often like to show off. I like to explain this using martial arts films; you see those who just debuted, full of flashy moves, but when a master gives them one move, they become obedient. Is Jesus such an existence? He is filled with power, yet He never boasts about His authority and power.
He appeared as a man and humbled Himself. He was obedient to the Father in everything; obedience is a fruit that comes from complete trust in God. Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place. Do you want to have a high position? God will lift you up. Amen! He also gave Him a name that is above every name, glory, power, authority... all of these are in Jesus Christ, and now He has given you all of this.
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, this authority is within you. When a person truly recognizes the authority and power within them, they will be extremely humble. Why does Jesus not joke around casually? Because whatever He says will come to pass. If He jokingly says, “You will die...,” that person will surely not live. Therefore, when you recognize the authority and power within you, you will also become very humble, and your words will no longer be so casual.
Which national leader speaks carelessly? Every word carries authority; a casual remark could spark a war between two countries. Isn’t there authority in our words as Christians? Jesus has already given you this authority; in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, every knee should bow at the name of Jesus, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is why when you do things in the name of Jesus, they can be accomplished; it is not your ability but the power of Jesus within your heart. If you truly recognize God's power, you will become humble.
I once heard a testimony about a sister who believed in Jesus but would say whatever came to her mind, often speaking words that attacked others. One day, while resting, the chickens in the yard started making noise, which annoyed her greatly. She said to the chickens, “In the name of Jesus, you might as well die.”
After saying that, all the chickens in the yard died. From that day on, the sister finally understood what authority was, and she no longer spoke negative words. Still, the same principle applies: when a person recognizes the kingdom of heaven, they become humble. It is precisely because many people do not recognize the kingdom of heaven and do not know they are blessed that they often curse themselves: “I am so hot, I am so angry, I am so annoyed...” Once you recognize this, you will not speak like that anymore, and your behavior will change. Hallelujah!
Additionally, when we recognize God's power, holiness, and goodness, we realize we are poor. Blessed are the poor in spirit; when you know you are blessed and the kingdom of heaven is yours, you will come to a conclusion: I am poor, spiritually poor. You might say, “I have the authority of Jesus; I can heal the sick.” Compared to Jesus' power, you are still poor.
The purpose of Jesus telling you all this is to draw more from you; do not be satisfied with what you have now; there is more. We think that gold in this world is already great, but in the future, in the kingdom of heaven, these will only be trampled underfoot as roads. Think about it; we are poor; no one can boast before the Lord: “I am rich.”
No matter how rich you are compared to Jesus or the future kingdom, you say, “I am in a high position now,” but compared to Jesus' position, whose is higher? In heaven, on earth, and under the earth, every knee should bow at the name of Jesus. When a person recognizes the kingdom of heaven and knows they are blessed, they can humble themselves before Jesus and truly become a humble person.
Let’s look at a passage; I like to use this passage to explain. Peter was once a very simple-minded person, saying whatever came to his mind. When Jesus first called him, he was reluctant, but one day he recognized Jesus and also recognized himself, and he began to follow Jesus. That night, he caught nothing while washing his nets when Jesus found him. After Jesus finished using his boat to preach, He said to Peter, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:5-10, this passage actually marks the before and after of Peter's life change. More accurately, it is Peter's change in understanding of Jesus. You will find that Peter became a spiritually poor person. Let’s look at it: Simon said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”
Initially, Peter was full of himself; he was older than Jesus and was a professional fisherman. So when a person is self-satisfied, they cannot see God's grace. Fortunately, he added, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When your thinking changes, your behavior will change. They let down the nets and caught so many fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
This time they caught more than ever before. After experiencing this, what did Peter see? Why could he fall at Jesus' knees and say, “Lord, go away from me; I am a sinful man!”? Why did such words appear? Why was it not like this at first? He first saw the grace of Jesus Christ and understood the blessings in the kingdom of heaven, realizing he was poor, realizing he was ignorant. Jesus preached, but we do not know what He specifically said, but He must have spoken about the kingdom of heaven, telling Peter what blessings are in the kingdom of heaven...
Perhaps Peter was sitting nearby thinking, “Hmph! I don’t need these; don’t talk to me about repentance or the rich blessings of the kingdom of heaven... I want fish.” After Jesus finished preaching, He said, “Let down the nets for a catch.” Is it time to apply this? Peter said, “We worked hard all night and caught nothing.” He was relying on his experience, but what was Jesus relying on? What He had just said. Amen!
Your life must change not based on your past experiences or abilities, but based on Jesus' words. How Jesus says it, you believe it, and you will see your life change. Hallelujah!
When they let down the nets and caught two boats full of fish, what did Peter see? When you see miracles and healing... you must see Jesus through these. Do not just see these things; that would be our loss. God is indeed a God who blesses, but you must hold on to God and know that the kingdom of heaven is yours.
Peter fell at Jesus' knees and said, “Lord, go away from me; I am a sinful man!” Is he now recognizing himself? There is another meaning here: “Lord! You forgive me; I truly do not deserve it. I underestimated you in the past, thinking I was better than you. Now it seems I was wrong.” Has he now become a spiritually poor person? If you continually experience the grace of Jesus Christ, you will truly fall at Jesus' feet and say, “Lord! I really can do nothing; please help me!” In every matter, view Jesus this way, and you will experience the great power of Jesus Christ in every matter.
Thus, humility is a fruit; it is the recognition of God's great power, and then you begin to open your heart to God, admitting you cannot do it. When you admit you cannot do it, Jesus will not condemn you; this is different from before people. When you say before people, “I am so lowly; I am so useless...” others may say, “I think you are like that too.” As a result, you feel condemned.
But when you come before the Lord and admit you can do nothing, Jesus says, “It’s okay; I can give you strength.” When a person truly recognizes their spiritual poverty, the kingdom of heaven is theirs. When a person knows their weakness and inability, God will give them strength, and at that time, they will look up to God and pray to God. Therefore, when Jesus looked at Peter, He said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you will fish for people.” Isn’t that comforting? From now on, you will live a more meaningful life; I will let you do greater things.
Brothers and sisters, today if you recognize you cannot do it, God will give you more. If you think you are already capable, you will not receive more. Then they brought their boats to shore, left everything, and followed Jesus. Why were they willing to leave everything to follow Jesus? Because they knew everything they had was given by God. Amen! When you understand the kingdom of heaven is yours, your perspective will broaden. When you know the greatness of Jesus Christ and His grace, you will become humble. Let’s look at Paul’s experience.
2 Corinthians 12:6-9,
6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. 7 Or because of these surpassingly great revelations, therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Today I want to tell everyone: Paul knew that everything in the kingdom of heaven was his, and he had even been to heaven. If we do not have humility or do not recognize the kingdom of heaven, not knowing that everything in the kingdom of heaven is ours, what if a person has been to heaven? That would be something! Giving testimony to others, “I have been to heaven, and it was like this and that...”
Paul was compelled to share this testimony; his purpose was to tell the Corinthians that there is nothing to boast about before the Lord. What we show before the Lord is weakness. You say, “I am strong.” You may be strong, but your strength is weak compared to the Lord's strength. It is good to boast about your weaknesses before the Lord; do not say before people, “I am so weak; I am so useless...” The world may think, “Hmm! I also think Christians are quite useless.” Before the Lord, we admit our inability, and we seek His power to cover us. Amen!
Let me share a testimony. A sister sat in church and prayed for a person with one leg shorter than the other. At that time, she sent me a picture showing one leg was five centimeters shorter than the other. She began to lay hands and pray for her, and after praying, that short leg grew out, and she was even a bit taller than before. When communicating with that sister, she said one thing: “I discovered it was so simple; none of this was the result of my effort, nor was it the result of my declaration or prayer.” Many people are trying hard to declare, right? They pray hard but still do not receive. This is not the result of effort but believing that this is the work of the Holy Spirit, with no personal involvement whatsoever. When they think this way, things come to pass... and continue to happen. Admitting you have nothing and letting God do the work makes it simple.
This sister said, “Lord! Please give me all kinds of gifts; I want to know what my gifts are.” At that moment, the Lord told her, “I have already given you the best gift, which is you are my channel.” This means, “Do not think any gift is impressive; no! You are just my channel. If healing is needed, I will send healing through you as a channel. If comfort is needed, I will send comforting words through you as a channel.” Isn’t that better? We need to broaden our perspective; she always emphasized that we are just a channel...
Have you noticed that every morning when I write my devotion, I often use the phrase: “Lord! I am a channel of blessings”? It is to let you know that we are just a channel. The focus is not on the channel but on what is inside; do not let this channel get blocked. Self-inflation will block the channel; keep it open. “Lord! I can do nothing; please help me; work through me.” That makes it simple.
The more we experience God's great power, the more humble we will become because you will realize that everything in the kingdom of heaven can be drawn upon to help and build others. This grace is truly immense. Luke 15 tells the story of the older son and the younger son, but it emphasizes the father. The older son did not recognize the power given to him by the father and did not know how much the father loved him. The father explained to him, “Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. If your friends need it, you can take a lamb to celebrate and bring them joy; just go and take it.” Today, I want you to apply this passage in your life. If your friends need healing, then draw healing from the kingdom of God and send it to them through your channel. This shows that our kingdom of heaven is abundant.
Isn’t it simple? The more you use God's words this way, the more humble you will become. I am just a channel. Clearly, the younger son understood his father's love, so I believe that after the younger son returned, he no longer boasted; he truly knew that everything he had was given by his father. So, once again, when we understand that the kingdom of heaven is ours, we will become humble. When you know the kingdom of heaven is yours and that you are a blessed person, your blessings do not come from this world but from above. Starting today, speak the right words to yourself, believe you are a channel of blessings, and you will witness God's great power in your life. Amen!
Ephesians 1:3-4,
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
This passage, you can meditate on this week. How to meditate? First, thank our Father God. What has He done? He has blessed us in Christ. Are you in Christ now? How did you enter into Christ? It is not because your behavior is good that you enter into Christ, but because you believe in Jesus, you are already in Christ. When you are in Christ, the Bible says, God has..., meaning He has already given you every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
What are all kinds of spiritual blessings? Whatever you need, God can accomplish for you, and He will do it in the way He deems best. Amen! The world particularly hopes to receive such blessings, and you can ask for these blessings now, and He will give them to you. When did He give them to you? It is because God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world; this is a spiritual matter, and using worldly eyes, you cannot understand this passage because spiritual matters are not limited by time and space.
He chose you in Christ to be holy and blameless in His sight; this is how you appear before our Father in heaven. Everything of His is yours. You are forever holy and blameless before the Father, and you are also beloved by God. When you know you are beloved by God, you can boldly pray to Him for what you need, and He will surely give it to you.
We need to change the third person He and the second person you to I and then meditate on it: Praise be to the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed me in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Just as God chose me in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. This statement proves that the kingdom of heaven is yours; you already possess all spiritual blessings in the kingdom of heaven, and then your behavior will change. Amen!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for letting us understand through these words that we are blessed people, that the kingdom of heaven has been given to us through Jesus, and that I have already possessed all the blessings in the kingdom of heaven. I am a blessed person. When I know I am a blessed person, I become humble and spiritually poor, realizing there are many blessings I have not yet experienced. I am willing to experience Your blessings in my life. Please help me to apply Your words in my life this week, and I wish to be Your channel of blessings. Please use me. Thank and praise You! All glory be to our Father in heaven. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!