Daily Devotional
Beggars Before God

December 26, 2016

Matthew 5:1-3 says, “And seeing the multitudes, [Jesus] went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’”

Jesus said that beggars are blessed. Now, who are these blessed beggars? They are not poor because of their lack of financial resources. Nor is he talking about being poor-spirited, that is, going around with a sad expression.

Before a person can enter the kingdom of heaven, he must first admit that in the spiritual realm he is absolutely, totally bankrupt. Not just that he is spiritually poor, but that he is spiritually a beggar before God. When you come to Jesus Christ, you do not strut into His presence. There are no peacocks in heaven. No matter how much you may have in the material, psychological, or social realm, you are totally bankrupt before God. If you don't see that, you will never ever get into the kingdom of heaven. When you come to God you must say, “In my hand no price I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling.” That's where it begins.