In the continuing saga of the Beatitudes, I present the next in our list of...the merciful (dum dum dum...my dramatic presentation tune!)
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
So, here we are at mercy. Yeah, this is like that moment in Karate Kid, where before Ralph Macchio owns that dude he's fighting at the end of the movie, the kid begs for mercy or something, right? Or it's towards the end of Count of Monte Cristo where Guy Pearce goes to James Cavaziel..."what happened to your mercy?" and he replies, "I'm a count, not a saint!" Great line, wrong attitude? Well, perhaps...nonetheless...this is in fact about actually offering mercy.
So, what does this beatitude mean? Of all Beatitudes I've written of thus far, I found this one to be very self-explanatory, but I'll break it down anyway, because it should be as clear as possible.
First, let's give the great example of who is the epitome of merciful. Clearly, it's Christ. He prayed, even on the cross while being crucified, to give mercy to these people who have persecuted him. If we have anyone to look at to admire and love for this it is Him. Even through all the pain that was caused to Him, he still asked for mercy.
That is just SO amazing. To ask God to forgive those who have wronged you.
And here's the best reason to give mercy...ready? Because God grants it to you. He gives it to you when you're a jerk, yelling at Him because things are not going the way you expected, or when you don't believe in His existence. He offers it to you because God is loving and forgiving. But He gives it because He expects you to give it to your fellow man. As Matthew 6:14-15 states, If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. He also gives it when you repent for your sins.
This should just put you in awe. Why? Because we are in NO WAY that good. I find it hard to even comprehend that level of goodness, that level of forgiveness and mercy. It's hard to comprehend because I can't recall a time in life where I have ever been like that.
God's just simply amazing.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Me...
Lord, I am a sinner.
You are the redeemer.
I accept you into my life.
I ask you find the holes in my heart and plug them with your love and grace.
I pray that you take my pride and destroy it.
So many times I do not allow your forgiveness to come into me.
I block it.
I do so because I feel I am undeserving of your love, undeserving of your grace. My
Lord, bask me in your glory.
Hold me in your arms and hug me.
Vanquish my fears Lord...
You are the redeemer.
I accept you into my life.
I ask you find the holes in my heart and plug them with your love and grace.
I pray that you take my pride and destroy it.
So many times I do not allow your forgiveness to come into me.
I block it.
I do so because I feel I am undeserving of your love, undeserving of your grace. My
Lord, bask me in your glory.
Hold me in your arms and hug me.
Vanquish my fears Lord...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Psalm 139
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night-
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me.
O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can't even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
Oh Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
-------------------------------------------------------
My dear sweet Lord. Guide me...know my heart...take ownership of my soul and guide me Lord. Lead me from sin my lord and forgive me for the times that I do...You know me...every ounce of me. Sometimes I want to hide from you...like Adam and Eve because of shame, but I am glad that is not possible. I'm glad you hold me accountable for my sins Lord and forgive me for all the wrongs I have done. Without you weighing my heart my Lord, I could very well completely drift off into the insanity of this world and pretend not to even know you. I am happy Lord that not only does your hand guide me, but I have friends who encourage the same. If it were not for your love of me and their love of you...I could easily get lost in this world. You are my rock, my wall, the giver of life and creator of love. If I were to sit here and think of all that I have, my instinct might be to want more, but my soul just wants you and to thank you for everything you HAVE given me. May I always hear you in my heart and trust you always...
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night-
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me.
O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can't even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
Oh Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
-------------------------------------------------------
My dear sweet Lord. Guide me...know my heart...take ownership of my soul and guide me Lord. Lead me from sin my lord and forgive me for the times that I do...You know me...every ounce of me. Sometimes I want to hide from you...like Adam and Eve because of shame, but I am glad that is not possible. I'm glad you hold me accountable for my sins Lord and forgive me for all the wrongs I have done. Without you weighing my heart my Lord, I could very well completely drift off into the insanity of this world and pretend not to even know you. I am happy Lord that not only does your hand guide me, but I have friends who encourage the same. If it were not for your love of me and their love of you...I could easily get lost in this world. You are my rock, my wall, the giver of life and creator of love. If I were to sit here and think of all that I have, my instinct might be to want more, but my soul just wants you and to thank you for everything you HAVE given me. May I always hear you in my heart and trust you always...
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Matthew 5:1-13 The Beatitudes (those who hunger)
It's been slightly over a week since I continued my saga of the Beatitudes verses withing Matthew, so tonight I continue with verse 6:
"6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled."
I am pointed to Psalm 11:7 - For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see His face.
This particular beatitude really hits home for me...because I fail it so often. So to help dissect this, a few questions come to mind. What does it mean to be righteous? What does it mean to hunger and thirst for it? And finally, How does one be filled with it?
I've found it hard to come to a good description of what righteousness actually is, so I think, who is it that would epitomize it? And the clearest answer is Christ. We was righteousness. He pleased God in every way while here on Earth and would perpetually stand up for what was right, what was just, and what was virtuous. He was in complete conformity with God's Law. So, since no one is Christ and we are all capable of sin, constantly...what does it mean for US to be righteous. It means that we are in constant thought about God's Law, the Lord's Word. That we are working towards acting as close to Christ as possible. It means that we seek a constant audience with God and that he is there to guide us through himself and the Holy Spirit. I also read something that I believe is an excellent deed. That when a righteous person sins, he finds it so hard to bear the weight of, in his heart, that he'd rather stay far from the sin, then to offend and disgrace his Lord. In addition to, should he sin (which he will, because we're all sinners), he finds himself in dire need to repent for what he did.
What does it mean to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness? Well, ya know that three meal a day thing? Yeah, this isn't exactly that, although, it does follow the same idea in a sense. Every day of your existence you're gonna get hungry and you're going to get thirsty...and these things need to be satisfied. You'll look for food, or something to drink or both to fulfill this craving. Well, your soul has the same needs...they need to be satisfied by the Lord. Now your stomach can be mislead by the type of foods you eat...if you just filled yourself with sweets and junk, your body will show it. Like your soul. Should you choose to not search for righteousness and instead indulge in the pleasures of this world, your soul will become ill. So crave it...crave righteousness...search for the good food of the Lord. It's satisfying...yum!
Finally, if you search for righteousness with your heart and your soul, you will find that God will fulfill you and guide you through the hard times. The Lord wants to fulfill you, he wants to give you his blessing and if you seek Him, you WILL find Him, just like the story says...
------------------------------------
Lord my God, I do crave you and I realize too, that I don't always...I ask you with ALL MY HEART to bless me and guide me and not only make me aware of when I'm not doing your work, but give me the strength to overcome sin. You are so good and deserving of so much praise and thanks! Please guide me as I walk to follow your Law and be more like Christ.
"6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled."
I am pointed to Psalm 11:7 - For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see His face.
This particular beatitude really hits home for me...because I fail it so often. So to help dissect this, a few questions come to mind. What does it mean to be righteous? What does it mean to hunger and thirst for it? And finally, How does one be filled with it?
I've found it hard to come to a good description of what righteousness actually is, so I think, who is it that would epitomize it? And the clearest answer is Christ. We was righteousness. He pleased God in every way while here on Earth and would perpetually stand up for what was right, what was just, and what was virtuous. He was in complete conformity with God's Law. So, since no one is Christ and we are all capable of sin, constantly...what does it mean for US to be righteous. It means that we are in constant thought about God's Law, the Lord's Word. That we are working towards acting as close to Christ as possible. It means that we seek a constant audience with God and that he is there to guide us through himself and the Holy Spirit. I also read something that I believe is an excellent deed. That when a righteous person sins, he finds it so hard to bear the weight of, in his heart, that he'd rather stay far from the sin, then to offend and disgrace his Lord. In addition to, should he sin (which he will, because we're all sinners), he finds himself in dire need to repent for what he did.
What does it mean to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness? Well, ya know that three meal a day thing? Yeah, this isn't exactly that, although, it does follow the same idea in a sense. Every day of your existence you're gonna get hungry and you're going to get thirsty...and these things need to be satisfied. You'll look for food, or something to drink or both to fulfill this craving. Well, your soul has the same needs...they need to be satisfied by the Lord. Now your stomach can be mislead by the type of foods you eat...if you just filled yourself with sweets and junk, your body will show it. Like your soul. Should you choose to not search for righteousness and instead indulge in the pleasures of this world, your soul will become ill. So crave it...crave righteousness...search for the good food of the Lord. It's satisfying...yum!
Finally, if you search for righteousness with your heart and your soul, you will find that God will fulfill you and guide you through the hard times. The Lord wants to fulfill you, he wants to give you his blessing and if you seek Him, you WILL find Him, just like the story says...
------------------------------------
Lord my God, I do crave you and I realize too, that I don't always...I ask you with ALL MY HEART to bless me and guide me and not only make me aware of when I'm not doing your work, but give me the strength to overcome sin. You are so good and deserving of so much praise and thanks! Please guide me as I walk to follow your Law and be more like Christ.
Christ is Forgiveness...
Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray
each of us has turned to his own way
and the Lord has laid on him,
the iniquity of us all
Forgiveness isn't I'm better this week than I was last week
Forgiveness isn't because I started coming to church
Forgiveness isn't I watched my mouth
Forgiveness isn't I'm not who I was back in college
Forgiveness isn't I read my bible in the morning
Forgiveness isn't I watch this kind of movie and I don't watch this kind of movie
Forgiveness isn't I'm a good person
Forgiveness is owed to and belongs to Christ alone in the cross, purchased for you, right standing before God. Every act of willful or ignorant disobedience was punished in Christ on the cross so that now we stand forgiven by no merit of our own.
all quoted from a Matt Chandler sermon...just fantastic!
We all, like sheep, have gone astray
each of us has turned to his own way
and the Lord has laid on him,
the iniquity of us all
Forgiveness isn't I'm better this week than I was last week
Forgiveness isn't because I started coming to church
Forgiveness isn't I watched my mouth
Forgiveness isn't I'm not who I was back in college
Forgiveness isn't I read my bible in the morning
Forgiveness isn't I watch this kind of movie and I don't watch this kind of movie
Forgiveness isn't I'm a good person
Forgiveness is owed to and belongs to Christ alone in the cross, purchased for you, right standing before God. Every act of willful or ignorant disobedience was punished in Christ on the cross so that now we stand forgiven by no merit of our own.
all quoted from a Matt Chandler sermon...just fantastic!
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