Devotional: The Beatitudes by Jolene Duggan

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." -Matthew 5:3-12

I remember having to memorize the Beatitudes when I was little in Sunday
school, but it was just now that I understood what Jesus was saying. He's not saying that we need to all be wimpy! He's saying we need to be humble, thirsty for righteousness, peacemakers, and many other things.

Why do we need to be that way? Because this world is in need of people who stick out! I can see all of your faces now. I'm trying to blend in! I don't want to be known as someone who is weird, or not accepted by the people of the world. Let me drop the bomb for you. As long as you want to be a Christian, you're going to be different. If you aren't, you need to be! We aren't called to fit in; we're called to be witnesses.

After all, look at all of the benefits! "Blessed are"- that's the way all of the sentences start in the scripture passage. The word "blessed" isn't there to make the scripture look pretty. It's there to show us that if we do what's mentioned we will be blessed!

Now onto the not-so-fun part. I know when some of you looked at the last verses of the scripture your eyes popped open. "Blessed are we who are persecuted..." Persecution isn't and will never be fun. I know I have no idea of the full extent of the persecution some have endured throughout history for Christ. In our lives now, we may not be killed for Christ, but we are ridiculed.

Recently I've been dealing with a girl who doesn't see why I don't listen to secular music. I have tried and tried to tell her that it's a spiritual conviction, but she refuses to stop pressing me about it. I have been reduced to praying for her, that God breaks some of that stuff away from her. Maybe this seems stupid, but in my young life, that is my form of persecution.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be made fun of than brutally beaten. It says that if you are persecuted for Christ's sake, you will be blessed.

And I truly believe that.

Prayer for you today:

Dear Lord, Please help me to understand your word. But more than that, help me to daily live out what I read. Let me be a light in the darkness. And to deal with persecution the way you would have me to. In your name, Amen.