Blessing vs. Woe
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Luke 6:24
As I look at the list of Woes in this chapter, it makes me think of the story Jesus told about the rich fool. It goes like this: The rich fool’s land produced a great crop so the man made a plan to pull down his current barns and build greater ones to store his harvest. Thinking he was set for life and could spend the rest of his days taking it easy by eating, drinking and being merry. God had a different plan, and that very day the man’s soul was required to give his account for eternity. He learned how foolish it was to store up treasure on earth instead of heaven.
Below is a list of the heart condition needed to receive God’s blessing vs. the heart that will receive the woe. Keep in mind these are spiritual attributes, not physical. These are attitudes that we walk out in life to either receive God’s blessing, if we keep in mind where all blessings come from. The key is to live your live governed by a submitted spirit to God’s kingdom and His way of being successful. Hungry for spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with your Father in heaven. Having a heart of love for the lost so great that it produces an urgency to pray for and lead those who have gone their own way. Knowing that if anyone speaks evil of you it is because you are living life God’s way and it doesn’t make sense to those on the outside.
The complete opposite is true for those who are full of themselves thinking all that they have and all that they are have come about because of their own sweat equity. They laugh at those who appear less fortunate and speak well of those who are seemingly growing in this world’s goods by their own strength. There is no concept of the spiritual life and everything is based on the physical and outward circumstances never considering that there is more coming beyond this world.
Blessing Woe
Poor Rich
Hunger Full
Weep Laugh
Speak evil of you Speak well of you
Now it’s time to consider which one are you? Do you believe that you are rich and successful because of your own labors and hard work ethic? Do you think that you have gotten to the place you have in life by your own efforts? Do you laugh at those who are struggling and don’t work hard to make it in this life. Do you look for the approval of the “successful” in this world as a gage of how you are accepted and fit into society?
Hopefully you have come to the point in life that you recognize there is more going on here than what is seen by the natural eye. You have humbled your spirit and become needy for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to take you through the mind field of the woe’s of life. You are hungry for the heart of God and desire to step into the gifts and callings He has blessed you with. You weep and lament over the condition of the world and seek out the ways that you can help in getting God’s work done here in the earth. You don’t despair when you are sometimes spoken evil of because you do things differently than the majority of the world.
Today I want to encourage you to empty yourself of the “successful” mentality of the world you live in. Humbly yourself before you heavenly Father and make yourself available to partner with Him in rescuing those who are lost and deceived. Become poor and needy for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and direction and ask Him to give you compassion for people who are being led astray. Step into all God’s blessings for your life by taking on a spiritual attitude that is focused on eternity instead of the temporal things we see in this life and use those blessings to bring even more lost ones back to the flock.
Today’s scripture reading: Luke 6:20-26
20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! for indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
The Daily Dose 