“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” – Jesus, Matthew 5:3
God blesses those who are poor in spirit, πτωχοὶ, ptōchoi, and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs and is reflective of bowing in humility to God.
There’s a beauty of living in His manifested Nearness, His Presence daily. It’s the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46), the kingdom reign being near in which nothing on this earth compares, and from Scripture, it’s contingent upon us; upon guarding or literally placing a filter on our hearts, not entertaining uninvited thoughts to linger in the sacred space of our minds, and stopping to acknowledge Him in our lives. It’s a place many seek and the path consists of self-humility, mercy, and right standing with the Father. Jesus in Matthew 5, refers to happiness, makarioi, mακάριοι, (happy, blessed, to be envied, receivers of the benefits of God’s favor) when he shares of the Beatitudes. Happy, or blessed are those …
A Psalm of David: A Holy Authenticity, a Prerequisite to Dwell in God’s Presence
Psalm 15 ascribed to David begins with asking who may dwell in the sacred tent and live on the holy mountain (Mount Zion was considered God’s Holy Hill, where David first placed the tent for the arc of the covenant in 2 Samuel 6:1-19), or asking, “Who can live in God’s presence”? Dwell or abide in the literal Hebrew is, יִ֝שְׁכֹּ֗ן, yā·ḡūr, and has a meaning of to settle down, abide, or dwell. This Psalm begins with a question and ends with a promise, a Psalm of wisdom with some scholars viewing it as a liturgical song of entrance. The conclusion calls for a response of godliness resulting in wisdom.
God already knows the depths of the heart. The self-humility of examining before the Lord in sincerity is the invitation to His Presence and requires authenticity to lay the motivations of the heart before God. It is usually us who may choose to hide behind false self-protective inauthentic choices in living, but it robs one of the abundant life by not being authentic before the Lord and relinquishing any issues that may need to be exposed. Intimacy is “to know and be known” and to avoid this practice before God can hinder the intimacy available with His manifested Nearness.
The question posed is what God expects of all who desire to live in his presence. Psalm 24:3-4 is also similar for entering into God’s Presence, “Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.” This presence was centralized in the Old Testament, contrasted to living sanctuaries today in hearts that are open to receive His indwelling through the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
God blesses integrity, genuine authenticity of heart, evident in action by what is done or restraining from what is not done. Real love, compassion, power, and living full of grace are found through humility and empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Anything resembling a false security and enabling spiritual pride has the ability to hinder soul nourishing intimacy with the Father. Instead, Jesus calls those who are called by His name to sincere holiness in thought, motivation, speech, and action, which is found in union with authentic humility of heart.
“Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience.
It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent.
If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.
If you are blamed you will not be discouraged.
If they call you a saint you will not put yourself on a pedestal.”
– Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
May we always be encouraged to take the hard steps of self-examination with humility. Just as David prayed, in Psalm 139: 23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. The Prayer of Examen is also a wonderful spiritual formation tool, The Prayer of Examen.
The beautiful irony is that true joy becomes available on the other side of the door through embracing what may be found in the examination through humility. Thankfulness of heart for counting it all good (Ephesians 5:20), even the hardest parts of what is found births a true compassion. God is then allowed to speak wholeness, shalom, into the midst of our own humanity, and allows us a key to enter the kingdom of heaven, the abundant life now, John 10:10 and live with His daily Nearness.
