Matthew 5:3-12 are what are commonly referred to as the Beatitudes.  They are simple phrases, which are the statement of the secrets of the Kingdom of God, hidden for the ages.  For some reason, even to myself, they seemed so hard to understand.  Perhaps it is that they are not taught that often, or looked at as not as relevant, but as I have come to know them, they perfectly describe the man in faith.

There are eight of them, all identical in form, each having four parts.  The word “blessed” is really a compound word meaning “happy” with the equivalent of the prefix “macro-“, so “macro-happy”, or “hugely happy”, or “super happy”, or, simply “Most Happy”.  “Most Happy are” is the first part.  Second we have a group of people.  The verb “are” is always present tense.  The people are happy in these conditions.  Third is the word “for”, meaning “because”.  The people in the condition (#2) are Most Happy  (#1) right then because (#3)…  Because of what?  That’s the place of faith.  Finally, the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven.  #4.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:3

Most Happy are you poor in Spirit because all the resources of Heaven are there, even if you can’t perceive them.  Are you in covenant and obedience to God?  Are things looking harder and harder?  Rejoice!  Deliverance is right there, you just don’t see it yet.  Press your face to the carpet and hold on, because, just before the sun goes down on your head, deliverance will appear.  It’s, if you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on, ‘cuz God’s on His way.  It’s taking that next step, even though you’re shaking with fear and want to quit.  It’s, loving not your life even unto death (Revelation 12:11).  God is close to the broken hearted and a bruised reed He will not break.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Matthew 5:4

Jesus got first things first.  This is the good news.  Anyone can make promises, but only Jesus keeps them all the time.  When we see the end, in the midst of the circumstances, we get happy.  When we know that comfort is coming while we are mourning, and that that comfort will be better than what we lost, it’s hard not to be happy.  The only key here is faith.  Jesus revealed it, and it isn’t just mourning over sin that Jesus is talking about.  Jesus said those who mourn.  The disciples mourned when Jesus left, but they were promised another Comforter was to come if He did.  Whether it’s the loss of a spouse, of a dog, of a job, or a friend, or anything, Jesus said comfort is coming.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5

Most Happy are those who are meek, or gentle, for they will inherit the Earth.  The first and seventh promises are present tense.  All the rest are future tensed.  For the poor in spirit and the persecuted for righteousness sake, the Kingdom is theirs right then, and so they are happy right then.  For those two cases, when you are failing, and when you are persecuted for righteousness sake, you need a right then answer, you need a direct word, you need salvation before you falter.  But, for the rest, sometimes, it takes a little time.  But, the promise is sure, and if the wait is longer, that is alright.  The man in faith is happy now because he knows if he does wait, the earth will be his.  It is not hard to be gentle, but there can be pain in watching things seemingly go to everyone else.  But, there will come a day….  Most Happy.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Matthew 5:6

There is only one condition for the man in faith, and it is most happy.  You are almost always going through something if you are really serious about this walk with the Lord Jesus.  There are alot of people making promises by which they get rich, and promise you the same.  But, Jesus promised these things here.  The man in perfect faith is not peaks and valleys, it is steady growth in the Holy Ghost, and is most happy.  You could be a moderately happy individual before trouble comes your way, before you have to sit there and ache for righteousness, before you had to be in poverty of spirit, before you were meek and merciful.  You could honestly have some level of happiness.  But, Most Happy are you when….  Because!  You see, the deeper the trouble you get yourself into in the Holy Ghost, by His leading, keeping yourself fully surrendered to Him, and fully immersed in His love, presence, and Spirit, staying in that place of humility and prayer, you will find yourself so full of the Lord “soon enough”…  It means, in the midst of the circumstance.  Because you see, whether by the fullness of the Spirit, or merely because of this word, He’ll be there.  While you could be moderately happy before you went through your trial, Most Happy are you when you are hungering and thirsting.  If you’re in faith, you’re a prisoner of absolute happiness.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Matthew 5:7

Most Happy are the merciful.  It’s sometimes hard to see how things could get any better.  I mean, when things are that much worse, that much harder, that much more intense, and you know that the breakthrough from yesterday could not possibly be enough for today’s struggle, relax.  It’s not going to be that, plus some!  Even though you probably can’t ever imagine how wonderful the deliverance is going to be, somehow, someway, God actually IS bigger, better, and more powerful than you can imagine, and you’re going to see it.   And, when you know that you’ll need as much mercy as the next person to get there, knowing that you’ll receive the mercy you bestow, Happy.

 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8

Most Happy are they who are pure in heart because they will see God.  There is no other way to be, other than pure, for the Christian.  It Itself is its own reward largely.  To taste of His Holiness is among the most wonderful things imaginable.  And, in that, Most Happy again, for there will come a day, perhaps like Job at the end of his trials, perhaps like the prophets  in Isaiah 6 or Ezekiel, or perhaps like Saul on the road to Damascus, there will come a day, and all the Earth will flee away, and you will shake like a dead man, or you will go blind like that other, but there will come a day, and that great dread will come upon you and never leave.  It will wrap you like a fog, and invade every corner of your soul.  And you will see you God.  Most Happy seems like an understatement some days, but so does “joy unspeakable” for those who have tasted some.

 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Matthew 5:9

Most Happy are you when you are a peacemaker.  The future says you will be called His child and because of that, no matter the road that takes you on, you are Happy today.  The road of peacemaker makes you different, yet, for your labors, you are set within the family, and called by name.  Most Happy are you in the day you set out, and Most Happy are the days you travel down that road, for what glorious liberty have the sons of God.

 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:10

Most Happy today, right now, are those who have been persecuted for the cause of Christ, for right now, right there in the unseen, belongs to you a Kingdom.  Not for mistakes, not for foolishness, not for heresy, or personal striving and strife, but persecuted for the right thing, in whatever form that stigma comes.  There will be a reckoning, because His righteous laws are being broken.  He stands to act on your behalf.  Most Happy are you to stand there, persecuted, tried, accepted, qualified.  Most Happy are you to lose your reputation, lose your dignity, lose your position, lose your life, because yours is the Kingdom.  It doesn’t matter what it looks like, God is there, and He is true to His word.  If you want the miracles, it had better come either through poverty of spirit or persecution for righteousness sake.  These are the two milestones set up by the Lord.  There will always be some flow according to the Word to heal, but the greatest outpourings ever, and the greater to be seen have been and will always come at this price.  And the greatest by both.  When you are beaten down by every opposition, and when you reach the end of your rope, just start to sing, because it’s beaten.

 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matthew 5:11-12

Most Happy…  Jesus is the only thing to live for.  John 12:25 says that those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it until eternal life.  If you live for today, it’s all you get.  If you live for tomorrow, He will honor you then and here, and you will get persecuted for it.  Don’t forget this produces more Kingdom too!

Jesus laid out the case for faith, the heart of the Father.  The Beatitudes tell the story of the heart of God that longs always to love, loves always to give, and gives all because He is perfect.  He painted the picture of His own heart, to lay down His life for those who would believe, and He invites us all into the path to trust Him in this life.

He will always be there, no matter what the hardship that comes your way.  You don’t have any trouble, all you need is faith in God!  Get your eyes up, and no matter how much it hurts, and remember, God is always good.  If it hurts too much to see at times, remember, what is about to break forth, that you just can’t see right now, is better than any amount of warfare you are enduring in the moment.  You’re not looking at your past breakthroughs to see how good this one will be, you’re looking at a perfect Father, who knows best, and is always in control.

Walk it through with Him, and be Most Happy.