Verse of the Day -weekend 3/12

Through the Bible - Job 17-21, 1 Corinthians 7       

 

Good morning,

Today's "Daily Bread" devotional focused on Matthew 5 regarding the beatitudes.  The author wrote, "Jesus chose a mountainside to teach His followers about the characteristics of a life yielded to God.  There He taught them that attitude, not altitude, was the key to having a clear view of the Father."

 

We'll go to verses 7 and 8 for this weekend's verses:

 

Matt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.   NKJV

We often tend to think of "mountaintop experiences" of being those like Peter, James, and John at the mount transfiguration.  Even there they were told, "this is My beloved son, listen to Him".

 

Mark 9:7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him." 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with them.  NLT

 

Have you ever thought of those times of your being brought low as a "mountaintop experience"?  They may not have felt that way at the time, but if we look back in our lives, the period in the valley, or the journey out of the valley may have been when we were closest to God. 

 

I go back to what we've been considering this week.  Abraham brought Isaac to Mt. Moriah.  He wasn't bringing a tithe or a sacrificial lamb.  He was willing to offer God his most prized possession, his son that had been God's promise to him.  He was all in.  Being willing to surrender all to God showed purity of heart.  He showed that He was a friend of God and He was God's friend.

 

Jesus was all in when He offered Himself to the Father at Calvary.  Jesus paid it all.

 

Jesus Paid it All

 

1. I hear the Savior say,
   "Thy strength indeed is small;
   Child of weakness, watch and pray,
   Find in Me thine all in all."
   • Refrain:
     Jesus paid it all,
     All to Him I owe;
     Sin had left a crimson stain,
     He washed it white as snow.
2. For nothing good have I
   Whereby Thy grace to claim;
   I'll wash my garments white
   In the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb.
3. And when before the throne
   I stand in Him complete,
   I'll lay my trophies down,
   All down at Jesus' feet.

 

How are you trying to draw closer to God this weekend?  Is it the perspective of a lofty "altitude" or in the attitude of gratitude and humility before Him?

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Matt 5:1-11

 

The Beatitudes
(Luke 6:20-26)

 

5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

 

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 filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain 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.   NKJV