Woe is Me

Reading: Matt. 5:3, Isaiah 6:1-5

"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven". 

Matt. 5:3 NKJ

Yesterday we looked at how Jesus used a small child to explain the humble attitude needed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This attitude of humility begins with the realization of our need for God. The NLT Bible puts it this way:

"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him..."  

Matt. 5:3 NLT

How do you do this as an adult? How do you become poor in spirit? I think of what Jesus said to Nicodemis:

"I tell you the truth, unless your are born again, you can not see the Kingdom of God." This really confused Nicodemus. He said, "What do you mean? How can an old man go back to His mothers womb and be born again?" That's not happening, neither will we ever become a child again.

Note: 2/18/24:

We have been watching the Chosen Series. I am really inspired by Episode 7 of the First Season.  The "Nicodemis" character met with "Jesus" at night. It is very Biblical, mostly quotes from John 3 and Psalm 2:12

So how can we have a child like heart and mind set, as an adult? We need to be transformed by renewing our minds as Paul says in Romans 12 "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 12:2 NKJ  In this we become children of God.

What could happen that would change your life forever?

Are there examples in the Bible where this change has taken place? Today we will look at Isaiah. He proclaimed six woes on other people in chapter 5. But in chapter 6 something profound happened that changed his life forever. He saw the LORD! Slowly read the verses below, letting them soak deep into your heart and catch the vision of the glory of God, "see" Him in your minds eye.

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim's... and one cried to the another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!' And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: 'Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.'" Isa 6:1-5 NKJ

When Isaiah "saw" this vision of the glory of Almighty God, he suddenly realized how small and how poor he was in God's sight. He saw his own sin and need for God. How can this happen for you and I?

When you have moments of solitude, in worship, in the word, enter into His presence by coming humbly as a child:

Come to Him as His child, perhaps dirty or hurt 

and in need of His love and care for you. 

See Him as Your loving Father:

(See previous post)

Through the power of His Holy Spirit come to Him and catch a glimpse of who He is... His glory as King of the Universe, yet His tender mercy and compassion for us!!! The creator of the universe came down, became one of us, and died to free us from the captivity of sin and death. Behold who He is and what He has done, behold His glory.

Though we are loved, we are not God. He is God and I am not. We all fall completely short of His glory. (Romans 3:23) Yet we can get caught up in building our own lives, our own monuments of success; much like the people who thought they could build a tower to reach the heavens and make a name for themselves. It is natural to have our thinking conformed to the worldliness that surrounds us. It is like the air we breathe and the reality we see. But God is calling us to allow Him to transform us and renew our mind like it was created to be. He wants to transform our perspective from natural to supernatural. This all begins by "seeing" who He is. We will catch more glimpses of His glory in the posts to follow.

Lord, reveal Your glory to us. Show us where we fall short. Where do You want to move next in my life to transform me in the likeness of Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18)? In the awesome presence of the glory of God  Isaiah saw his own sin, his spiritual poverty and complete need for the grace of God. When we see our own sin and need for God it is a blessing to embrace, the blessing of the kingdom. Be blessed today in Jesus' name, amen.

"God blesses those who are poor (in spirit) and realize their need for Him,

for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."  

Matt. 5:3 NLT