“How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: They will be still praising thee. Selah.”
Psalm 84:1-4 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.84.1-4.KJV
Hope for the Poor in Spirit
Jesus began His famous Sermon on the Mount with an upside-down perspective and eight counter-cultural blessings—commonly known as the beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 ESV
To be physically poor is to lack resources or material possessions. The word "poor" might trigger a mental image of someone who can’t pay their bills, can’t break free from the cycle of poverty, or can’t afford food, clothing, or shelter.
So what does it mean to be spiritually poor, and why does Jesus think that’s a good thing?
Those who realize their own spiritual poverty know that, without God, they are spiritually bankrupt. Those who are poor in spirit understand the desperation of their situation—that they can have nothing, do nothing, and be nothing without Him. Those who are poor in spirit recognize that it’s humility, not pride or self-reliance, that’s a ...