Matthew 5:10-12 Rejoice and Be Glad
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 27, 2019, Matthew 5:10-12
Note 1: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Note 2: After I wrote this devotion, I studied the Beatitudes in more detail at a later date. If you want to listen to what I learned, go to the “Spiritual Commentary on Life” section and click on “The Sermon on the Mount–The Beatitudes.”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Understanding the Text) The first four character traits were about desiring God. The next three were the results of letting God into our lives because of the first four traits. The final two are not traits. In fact, they are not two but one emphasized. These last two blessings are in response to the world’s reaction to the merciful-pure in heart-peacemakers who have received mercy, seen God, and become the sons of God. Satan cannot allow such people to go unopposed in this world. In addition, fallen humans themselves don’t need Satan to push them in order to react with jealousy towards sons of God.
Jesus promises that when there is no safe place in this world for me, there is a home in heaven. When others persecute Christians, the sons of God are part of something greater than the persecutors can comprehend. The believers are subjects in God’s kingdom, in His family, and thus, assured that no rejection or hurt will have a lasting effect on them. Jesus does not promise safety and security from the world. Instead, He predicts that the world will persecute believers and falsely accuse them. He tells us that this persecution is nothing new. It is predictable because it has happened again and again when God sent His prophets into the world. In fact, here Jesus implies that all of His followers are in the same category as the prophets of old. We are all prophets in that we are messengers/witnesses sent from God to tell the world the messages that God has revealed to us.
(Application / Revelation of God) Satan wants us to feel condemned. In contrast, Jesus tells us that when people lie about us and try to hurt us, we should be glad because there is more than the present situation that surrounds us presently here on earth. We are heaven-bound and only staying temporarily in this sinful world. We should be happy rather than depressed when others try to hurt us because of our love for God. Why? Because we are the Sons of God and His representatives. They are not just blaspheming us, but also God. If we are blameless, we can be happy knowing that we are representing our King well. He knows what we are going through because He was persecuted and lied about by sinful men when He was on earth, and even more, He has been lied about and blasphemed from Eden to now. He knows what we are going through.
(Understanding the Text) A Kingscliff sermon on Matthew 5 also points out the idea that the last Beatitudes are in response to the blessing about hungering and thirsting after righteousness and being promised that we would be filled with righteousness. Righteousness involves being merciful, pure in heart, being a peacemaker, and being willing to empty ourselves for others even when persecuted. It is when it is difficult to act righteously that the sons of God are revealed by their desire to continue to be righteous even under trying circumstances.
(Application / Prayer) I never like the last two of the Beatitudes. I don’t want to be persecuted or treated badly; however, I trust my Savior to want the best for me, so I need to follow His teaching here. I pray for the strength and faith to not be dismayed and to rejoice in the uplifting of my Savior. I pray to keep holding Jesus high before the world so that they can be drawn to Him and to not hide His presence but let His light shine out to the world regardless of the consequences to me.