The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 31 January 2020 – TOPIC: KEY IN

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TOPIC: KEY IN

READ: MATTHEW 5:1-12 (NKJV)5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the [a]earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.*THE MESSAGE:*By human standards, people are said to be blessed when they have access to positions and possessions. This is the standard of the world. However, God’s kingdom and standards for measuring being blessed is different. Every good gift comes from God and any life engagement or value that is not centred on Christ cannot be seen as really blessed. Our Saviour, Jesus, gives eight principles of life that indicate real blessings. Contrary to the view of the world, the beatitude doesn’t promise us pleasure and earthly prosperity. To be blessed here means to experience the hope and joy which come by following the kingdom lifestyle.Look up – your vision will always influence your mission! Do you want to be blessed by the standards of the world or by those set by our Lord Jesus Christ? Take a critical reflection again of the eight beatitudes and use your findings to adjust your way of life. Forinstance, in verse 12, we were asked to rejoice when we are persecuted. Persecution is completely overlooked in most of our teachings today. We are more interested in prosperity and popularity. One thing still remains sure: God cannot change His standards because of our weakness. So do the right thing in the sight of God.*PRAYER:* Bless me, Oh Lord, by Your own standards.