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The idea of “blessing” is not much in vogue today. People want “the good life” more than “the blessed life.” The “good life” is a long, pleasant life with lots of nice stuff. You gain it for yourself through your own effort and some good fortune. The good life is prosperity and... Read More →

Happy are the persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:10) That’s one way of translating what Jesus says in the final “beatitude,” and it points to a central teaching of the Bible – happiness is found, not in our outward circumstances, but in our connection with... Read More →

“Blessed are the pure in heart,” said Jesus, “for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) What is purity of heart? “Purity of heart is to will one thing,” said the Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard, in a classic book by that title. Our problem is that very often we will more than... Read More →

Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes—“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7)—speak directly to what is desperately needed in our time. From Nice, France, to Istanbul, from Dallas to Baton Rouge, we see a world torn with resentment, hatred, and violence—a... Read More →

The words of Jesus, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), gain heightened relevance in the face of the terrible violence that we have been witnessing, from the Middle East to Dallas. But how can you be a peacemaker when it seems that people never stop fighting? The Bible... Read More →

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12) What does a nation look like that is blessed by God? The Bible lifts up two key features: a nation that is blessed will be godly and good. Concerning godliness, the Scriptures are clear that it is only through trusting... Read More →

What are you seeking in life? “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,” said Jesus, “for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) To “hunger and thirst” after something means much more than to just have a casual interest; it means to be focused, passionately and... Read More →

Can a time when we are feeling low in life become a time of blessing? Jesus said that it is just such a time when we may especially experience the blessing of God. In the Beatitudes, the eight “blessed are” sayings that begin the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew,... Read More →

One of the foundational stories of the Bible is when God says to Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you . . . so that you will be a blessing . . . and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” [Genesis 12:2-3] What does it mean to be... Read More →