Carina Francke

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-3: "Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!"

With these words Jesus addresses a very important matter in believers' hearts, namely their dependence on God. It entails more than dependency for provision in physical needs. It has to do with our realization that we are dependent on God for a healthy inner man, our spirit man.

To be poor in spirit has to do with one's disposition; one's attitude towards life. It has to do with humbleness - to empty one's life filled with intellect, talents, creativity and competence so that one can be filled with dependency on God to channel these gifts in the right direction.  To be poor in spirit is the denial of the urge to be in control and to rule over others. It is the willingness to submit oneself to His direction and preferred way of living. It is to crown Him as King of one's life.

In short, it is the attitude of Jesus, "..... instead, whoever desires to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be most important and first in rank among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."(Mark10:43-45)

This attitude of heart holds a promise: blessing in and upon your life. From the perspective of Jesus, to be blessed means to experience hope and joy, irrespective of any outward circumstances. It is the happiness that stems from experiencing His favor in your life. It is spiritual prosperity that fills you with the joy of living and contentment because you have the assurance of God's favor and involvement in your life.

A wise person made the following comment: the rivers that fertilize our farm-lands flow in the valleys. If you long for the streams of blessings from Above, you have to trust in the valleys of humbleness.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father I declare my complete dependency on You in every little part of my life. I pray that my spirit, who so often tends to measure swords with Your rulership, will become aware with every breath I take that You are the Giver and Supporter of my life. Amen.