Rich In God

By Pastor Jeffrey Smith 

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:1-3 NIV

The phrase “poor in spirit” really stands out to me in this verse. Later in his ministry, Jesus told a story about a rich man who went to hell and a poor man who went to heaven. I don’t think that this is a statement about your bank account determining where you spend eternity. Rather, it points to the condition of our hearts. Poor in spirit means that we are absolutely reliant on the love and grace of God. So often, we strive for independence but what if we’re actually supposed to be dependant on God?

Poor in spirit is a posture of total surrender to Jesus. It’s a revelation that you cannot save yourself or help yourself without Him. In fact, I think that being poor in spirit is the only thing that leads to us being rich in God. When we look to Him as our source, He always supplies. Living life His way means that we get filled with His love, strength, joy, and peace. I think we’d all agree that a heart full of the goodness of God is the highest wealth we could ever hope to have.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20 NIV

Jesus longs for relationship with us but for us to share in that fellowship, we must admit that we need Him and let Him in to our life. Maybe you have some areas of your life in which you’re trying to do it all on your own. Maybe you pride yourself in your ability to be strong and not need anyone. Today, you have the chance to move toward being more in spirit and completely reliant on Jesus. This is the way to experience true richness in God. I can assure you, He will never let you down.