“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 NIV
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Everyone can start here;
it isn’t first blessed are the pure or the holy or the spiritual or the wonderful.
Everyone can be poor in spirit.
“Not what I have, but what I have not,
is the first point of contact, between my soul and God.”
C. H. Spurgeon
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“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Matthew 5:3 NLT
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Jesus wants us to humbly accept that in and of ourselves, we are not enough …
Accepting that there is One who knows us so well,
and knows what we need, even more than we do …
that is becoming “poor in Spirit.”
Maggie Cooper
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“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired]
are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance,
those who regard themselves as insignificant],
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
Matthew 5:3 Amplified Bible
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Precisely where I feel my poverty is where I discover God’s blessing.
Henri Nouwen
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“Great blessings belong to those who know they are spiritually in need.
God’s kingdom belongs to them.
Matthew 5:3 Easy-to-Read Version
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Note, also, with delight,
that the blessing is in every case in the present tense,
a happiness to be now enjoyed and delighted in.
It is not ‘Blessed shall be,’ but ‘Blessed are.’”
C. H. Spurgeon