Matthew 5 - The Sermon on the Mount

Have you been able to keep up with our daily readings?  No?  That's okay.  No worries.  Today we are in Chapter 5 of Matthew where Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount, and I encourage you to read today's chapter as there is so much in here that Jesus taught his disciples and have written down to be shared with us and you can continue to pass this along by sharing with others.

As you read through the chapter, you may want to think of God's world vs. this world that we live in.  Where is your heart?  Matthew 5:3 God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

We can be well off financially but if our heart and attitude are not right, we can be poor in spirit.  Did you hear about the stories last month of people going into some retailers and paying lay away bills for people?  Now those people that generously paid the bills for others are not going to get a tax credit, and we don't know exactly who they are to put their names up in lights.  They were so generous on their own merit, and I can imagine how the people and families felt that received the calls from the stores that their lay away bills were all paid and they can come pick up their merchandise. 

What if we could continue this attitude throughout 2013?  As Christians, we can recognize God as the Lord of our life and think in his terms.  There was a saying a few years ago WWJD (What Would Jesus Do).  We can live this way all through the year not just the Christmas season.  Maybe if we lived our life as Christ exampled, more people would look to Christians instead looking away from us.  We can learn a lot from Chapter 5, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did reading it.  Do you have a verse or verses that jumped out at you?  Please feel free to share them with us.

This is my verse that jumps out at me today.  Matthew 5:44 But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!  Is there someone in your life that just grates on your last nerve?  Maybe they need prayer.  Or maybe you or in my case my attitude and guidance in interacting with that person needs prayer.  Amy use to be my "go to" person.  She had short and simple ways of dealing with people.  You may want to find an accountability partner.  Pray for that too.  God will show you the way. 

Our faces light up when we smile so I hope you can find at least one thing to smile about today.  What a vision for God to see millions of people smiling vs. scowling.  How much sweeter the sound of singing and rejoicing vs.  whining, complaining and yelling.