“Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: He brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, Even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: The word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him Lord of his house, And ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; And teach his senators wisdom.”
Psalm 105:16-22 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.105.16-22.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 ...