The Sermon on the Mount

Chaplain Suzanne Leahy, MAR, CTCA/Western Regional Medical Center

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matt. 5:3, TMB

The Beatitudes may be thought of as conditional blessings. Conditional because you must conduct your life in a way consistent with the spiritual nature, which is acquired, the Bible tells us, when a person entrusts his or her entire life in this world to God through Jesus. When you turn to God and desire relationship with Him in this way, you can expect to experience these spiritual blessings.

Please understand this, "The Beatitudes don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. Being "blessed" by God means the experience of hope and joy, (which is) independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what the cost." (Life Application Study Bible, p. 1773)

Let's look at the first of the blessings:
You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matt. 5:3, TMB

Are you at the end of your rope with no one and nothing to turn to? Have you run out of ways to make things better? Do you have more pain than you can stand, more problems than you can handle? Then, God is speaking to you. He understands everything you're going through, and Jesus would love for you to realize there is nothing you can do. He wants you to understand that He can do everything. God has always wanted you to love and trust in Him. Jesus is telling you here that right now is the perfect time to turn to Him and trust in Him.

At no other time in your life has it made sense to trust in anyone but yourself, for, all your life, you have been strong enough to handle everything. But now, you're at the end of your rope. You just can't do it any more; you have no strength, only God can help you. Think about it -- Jesus is telling you that although this may be a bad time of your life in this world ... in this earthly life, it's a wonderful time in the spiritual world, in the Kingdom of God! It's a time when there's no one and nothing left for you to turn to; you can finally turn to God, because when there's less of you and all the things you want while you rule your life, there's more room for God and His rule in your life! Take heart! You will be showered with spiritual blessings when you turn all your control over to God's care; this is an absolute promise!