For the past few weeks, I shared Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and the words of the Beatitudes. Jesus lovingly sat on a hillside with His disciples and left them with the promises and truth of the Beatitudes. He began with you’re blessed when and ended each truth with the reward that would follow when persecution, competition and loss threatens to take you down. Jesus left these nuggets to His disciples to teach them the path to following Him is challenging, but the end is always in sight. The gift of love, comfort, and contentment is in Jesus.

The challenge of living a life that honors God comes with times of feeling overwhelmed, uncertain and full of choices. Being a perfectionist, I pre-plan as much as possible so I steer away from the wrong choices. God knows my heart and loves everything about me. But there are times that I branch out on my own. I choose a path going in a different direction because I think I know best. When I find myself lost and floundering, I am always found again in the loving arms of my Father. I just need to call out His name. In the time of being lost and found again, I hear the sweet reminder of truth filling the space of doubt and it sounds like–you’re blessed when.

[Tweet “In the time of being lost and found again, hear the sweet reminder of God’s truth in the Beatitudes.”]

The Message version of the Beatitudes challenges me in new ways. I read words that reassure me I’m blessed when I’m at the end of my rope. Or it is when you’ve lost what is most dear to you that you are fully embraced in God’s loving arms. Each beatitude rings true with a challenge and an answer of finding more of Jesus in the letting go.

Jesus ends His sermon with these words:

Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. Matthew 5:11-12 MSG

In the uncomfortable we find the comfortable. Others may question or seek answers in the mainstream, but as Christ followers we face truth head on knowing He applauds us. We find the truth when…

  • We let go of the rope knowing Jesus is there to catch us.
  • Our broken hearts feel the ache of loss and we find comfort in the embrace of God.
  • We lose ourselves to who we are and in the process find contentment in Jesus.
  • Our appetite is satisfied completely by God.
  • We become care-full when we let others care for us.
  • God teaches us to breathe in sync with Him and aligns our inside world with His outside world.

Each truth shares a part of the whole story that we find in Jesus. Our hearts become full in the push and pull of the world resulting in the satisfaction of Jesus. I spent the last few weeks wrestling with each challenge the Beatitudes brought and speculated how I fit into the truth being taught. Today I know I am better because I took the time to listen and hear His words. But I am a lifelong learner who will grapple with the truth as God molds me and calls me to follow and become more like Him.

[Tweet “We become better when we take the time to listen and hear God’s words. “]

Will you allow God’s truth to mold and challenge you? How will you let God’s Word speak to you today?

Listening to God’s truth!

Click here to catch up on the whole Beatitude series. Thank you for joining me and sharing your own insights.

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