Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

We Come Desperate for You

“Thunderously, inarguably, the Sermon on the Mount proves that before God we all stand on level ground: murderers and temper-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters. We are all desperate, and that is in fact the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God. Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.” – Philip Yancey

My three teenage sons were baptized last month.

Since our move to Texas in January, God has been doing a work in our family that has been an answer to our specific prayer in this season: “God, take us deeper in You.”

We knew that it was a vulnerable prayer to pray. Why? Because “going deeper” in God – knowing more and more of who He is, and responding in daily humility and surrender –  makes us more and more aware of His greatness. And His greatness always reveals more of who we are, reminding us of our desperate need for Him.

It’s a humbling place.

It’s a transforming place.

It’s a broken, turned beautiful place.

As powerful worship continued in the auditorium, large groups of family and friends took turns excusing themselves to witness humble men, women, and children go “all in” through water baptism. Their obedient, outward expression of being “raised to life” in Christ confessed to the world the transformation that had already internally begun in faith. 

Strong men with no longer anything to prove came.

Brave women with years of shame lifted came.

Young children with refreshing, simple faith came.

And tears flowed as I saw the poor and needy come desperate for Jesus…

All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
And all the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holy 

And all will sing out
Hallelujah
And we will cry out
Hallelujah

And all the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
And all who hurt with nothing left
Will know that You are holy

Shout it
Go on and scream it from the mountains
Go on and tell it to the masses
That He is God

• All Sons and Daughters

We come desperate, yet we live in greater hope. We come broken, but we land in an ocean of greater grace. We live in the tension of the now and the not yet, but in Christ ours is the kingdom of heaven.

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matthew 5:1-3

His disciples came to Him. Jesus, we come to You. Oh God, even on our best day, may we never, ever get over being desperate for You…