Re: Verse reading–Matthew 5:1-16 (day seven) The wise men worshipped Jesus as the new-born King of Israel. (Merry Christmas!) What experiences should we expect who do the same? We should expect to experience humility (poor in spirit). With small resources, we will have a daily, desperate need for God. We will experience grief (mourn). We will face honestly the reality of our sins and their consequences. We will experience meekness. No more self-determination, we will wait on the Lord and obey Him when He speaks. We will hunger to be right with Him. We will be merciful because we have been “mercied”. We will be pure–only one goal. We will be peacemakers. We will be persecuted. (How ironic these last two are!) The good news? The Kingdom of God is near (available, possible, attainable)! The bad news? It brings many experiences that are negative and/or difficult. To follow this King, we must deny self and carry a cross.
Great post.
Merry Christmas!!