Living Waters From Spiritual Paupers

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

• The poor, the paupers, those in poverty of spirit, those who recognise and acknowledge they have nothing in themselves, those with nothing to offer, no strength, no riches, no light, no wisdom, no solution… They have a craving hunger and desperate need for the Spirit of God so that they might have His life, His light!

• THEIR’S IS THE KINGDOM!! To them it is given! To live in the goodness of it! To enjoy it! To share it!

John 7
38 He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive…

• It is those who recognise the utter inability in self; whose hunger for God drives them to confess in their hearts a surrendered dependence on Jesus Christ; who seek to remove any obstacle that hinders the flow of His life… BLESSED ARE THEY! Those who are yielded to Him, abiding in Him, in desperate need of Him and allow Him to live through them. Oh How blessed they are! 

• It isn’t pleasant in the flesh to recognise and acknowledge our spiritual poverty and emptiness. The flesh doesn’t like to be found out and exposed. It’s an ugly, rotting corpse that tries to stay covered up. But there is wonderful joy, liberty and victory when we bring it all to Jesus, when we confess our sin, mortify our flesh, repent of going our own way and seek communion and intimacy with Christ above all. 

• When we acknowledge we are paupers, when we believe on Him, THEN the rivers of living waters flow! And let us believe this!! Stop looking at your weakness, inability and the ugliness of your flesh! Believe on Him!!! Believe His word! Believe in the rivers of living waters! Hallelujah! And let Him flow! 

Psalm 119
27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

• “when you” / “Teach me” / “Give me” / “Make me” / “Incline my heart” / “Turn away my eyes” / “Establish your word”

• It is The Lord who does the work. Just like the psalmist, there will be a complete dependence upon The Lord for His Life. He alone will receive all the glory. There is nothing at all that we can accomplish in our flesh! There is an acknowledgement of our pitiful/powerless/sinful state and the recognition that it is only by Him that we have any hope/life or strength to obey.

• It is such a wonderful encouragement to hear the psalmist pray like this. These prayers are recorded for our example and benefit. We too can have a heartcry for The Lord’s teaching and leading. Oh Lord, incline MY heart… Turn away MY eyes… Make ME go… Oh Lord please do this same work in me!!