Dearest Readers,
I’m late in posting this week! I hope our exercise in “poor in spirit” has been going well. Let me know in the comments what worked and what didn’t. We have a lifetime to get it right, so be patient with your progress—just as patient as God is! Maybe this week’s Beatitude can help.
Matthew 5:4 (Amp)
“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].”
The Blessing of Comfort
I remember times when I felt terribly ashamed of the word sin or sinner. The fact that Jesus gave His life for me made me feel even worse, and I would hide from God because I felt like He could never love me. Those were my pre-Bible days before I knew what God’s Word actually says. God knows we’re not perfect and He still loves us. Nothing we could ever do will make Him stop loving us because that’s who He is—love! In fact, our imperfections are one of the reasons He gave us the gift of Jesus.
The second Beatitude teaches us that forgiveness and grace are part of God’s character. He doesn’t want us to carry around guilt or shame—or hide from Him—because that’s when we need Him most! It’s interesting that Jesus’s first Beatitude was to become “poor in spirit,” and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. We’re human, so we are not perfect, and we are going to make mistakes. We need to recognize that we need God before we’re truly ready to let Him guide us.
The Burden of Sin
Sin can be complicated! Sometimes, we hold onto shame or guilt, like I did, and it weighs us down. Other times, we might not think about it at all and fail to recognize we’re doing something wrong. Both of those can make life harder than it needs to be, and we can miss out on the good things God has planned for us. One simple thing to keep in mind is in our Vibe Song of the week: “love God and love people.” If we stay focused on those two things, God can guide us into great things and keep us free from the burden of our mistakes.
Matthew 22:34-40 (Amp)
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Loving God and loving people sums up everything in the Ten Commandments (which you can read here: Shining the Light) and the commandment Jesus gave us—loving God above all things and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus’s message is so important that it’s in three other places: Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, and John 13:34. Keeping those two things as our compass can help us stay on track!
Repenting
Repenting is the finishing touch, and it gives us a fresh start. It’s about being honest with ourselves and God when we make mistakes and taking responsibility for our actions. It can be tough, but it’s an important step. It’s also about being genuinely sorry for our mistakes—not so we can walk around with heavy feelings of guilt, but so we want to do things differently next time and make things right. Repenting lets God in, so He can guide us into being the best person we can be. The amazing part is that He is always ready to forgive us. That’s where the blessing comes from; our heavy burdens are lifted, and we’re comforted by God’s grace and forgiveness.
We’d Love to Hear from You
We’re learning together, so we want to encourage you if you need it and be inspired by your experiences! Wishing you a great (short) week ahead. Remember that God loves you, and we do too!
Bible Verses
Isaiah 43:25 (ICB)
I, I am the One who forgives all your sins. I do this to please myself. I will not remember your sins.
Hebrews 8:12: (Amp)
For I will be merciful and gracious toward their wickedness, and I will remember their sins no more.
Psalm 86:5 (Amp)
For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our sins, sending them away, completely letting them go forever and ever]; And abundant in lovingkindness and overflowing in mercy to all those who call upon You.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (ICB)
Then my people, who are called by my name, will be sorry for what they have done. They will pray and obey me and stop their evil ways. If they do, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.
Acts 3:19 (Amp)
So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day];
2 Peter 3:9 (ICB)
The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change his heart and life.
