Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 20, 2022
Read: Matthew 5:1-12
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. 2 He taught them, saying: 3 “Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 “Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad. 5 “Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth. 6 “Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full. 7 “Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy. 8 “Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God. 9 “Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children. 10 “Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. 12 Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.
Good morning! Blessed are those who claim Jesus, Lord and Savior.
Each morning I click the link for the daily Scripture passage. Some passages are immediately familiar and I get that warm feeling inside as I reread words that I read many times. Sometimes, I discover passages that are less familiar to me, and I embrace learning from new words. Occasionally, I begin to read a passage and think, “hmmm . . This is familiar, yet different.” The authors/editors of the Upper Room use the Common English Bible for their Scripture links. For well-known passages, it is interesting to rediscover the passage in a new way.
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) give us the framework through which we should live our lives. Most of us are very accustomed to the words “blessed are the . . . , for they . . .” The use of happy in place of blessed takes me to a different understanding.
Think about when we are challenged. How do we respond? Maybe we’re discouraged, fearful, or even mad. Neither happy or joyful popped into my mind. Be honest, none of us “want” to be challenged, but we learn to accept that only through challenges do we grow. If everything was easy, we wouldn’t learn the things that we need to learn, so we begrudgingly accept the challenges that we must overcome.
By using the word happy, we move to the next level. “Oh boy, today is the day that I get to climb to impossible heights.” “Yay! Today is the day that I get to give everything that I have worked to earn to someone in need.” “Yippee! I can’t wait to be knocked down again today.” I hope you are smiling as you consider these statements. “Happy are people . . ., for they . . .” This gives us a new perspective as to what it means to live a Christian life.
Blessed are those who joyfully embrace life’s challenges, for they will feast together in heaven.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. Thank you for our blessings. May we consider our challenges as blessings. Help us embrace every moment of our lives with joy. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: No matter what struggles we face, we are never alone.
Be Happy! Pastor Liz