Day 1
Faith Fact:
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How can we be blessed when we are going through tough times?
Read:
Matthew 5:3–4
For the next four days in our family devotions, we will take a look at two of the Beatitudes found in the Sermon on the Mount. Some of them are harder to understand than others. Today, we read that God blesses those who realize they need Him and those who mourn. These two types of people could even be the same person. Think about it: when do you realize you need God the most? It’s when you are in trouble or sad and need His help. You might be wondering, What does it mean for God to bless those who mourn or are sad?
Well, you may not feel blessed when you are sad or mourning a loss, but the Bible tells us in Psalm 34:18 that God is close to those who are sad and mourning. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Our situation may be really bad, but we are blessed because we can use it to grow closer to God in our sadness and pain. God wants to comfort us, and He is with us even when it doesn’t seem like it.
Think about it:
Question 1. What do we call the first statements of the Sermon on the Mount which all begin with the words “God blesses”?
Answer 1. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2–11)
Question 2. According to the Beatitudes, who gives these blessings?
Answer 2. God (Matthew 5:3)
Question 3. What blessing will come to those who are poor and recognize their need for God?
Answer 3. They will be part of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
Question 4. What blessing from God comes to those who mourn?
Answer 4. They will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Do you feel blessed when you’re sad and need comfort?
•When do you feel the closest to God?
•When do you spend the most time in prayer?
•Tell about a time when God comforted you when you were sad or mourning a loss.
Pray about it:
God, thank You for blessing me even when I don’t feel blessed. Help me to remember to take the opportunity to grow closer to You when I am sad. Amen.
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How can we be blessed when we are going through tough times?
Read:
Matthew 5:3–4
For the next four days in our family devotions, we will take a look at two of the Beatitudes found in the Sermon on the Mount. Some of them are harder to understand than others. Today, we read that God blesses those who realize they need Him and those who mourn. These two types of people could even be the same person. Think about it: when do you realize you need God the most? It’s when you are in trouble or sad and need His help. You might be wondering, What does it mean for God to bless those who mourn or are sad?
Well, you may not feel blessed when you are sad or mourning a loss, but the Bible tells us in Psalm 34:18 that God is close to those who are sad and mourning. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Our situation may be really bad, but we are blessed because we can use it to grow closer to God in our sadness and pain. God wants to comfort us, and He is with us even when it doesn’t seem like it.
Think about it:
Question 1. What do we call the first statements of the Sermon on the Mount which all begin with the words “God blesses”?
Answer 1. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2–11)
Question 2. According to the Beatitudes, who gives these blessings?
Answer 2. God (Matthew 5:3)
Question 3. What blessing will come to those who are poor and recognize their need for God?
Answer 3. They will be part of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
Question 4. What blessing from God comes to those who mourn?
Answer 4. They will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Do you feel blessed when you’re sad and need comfort?
•When do you feel the closest to God?
•When do you spend the most time in prayer?
•Tell about a time when God comforted you when you were sad or mourning a loss.
Pray about it:
God, thank You for blessing me even when I don’t feel blessed. Help me to remember to take the opportunity to grow closer to You when I am sad. Amen.
Day 2
Faith Fact:
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How are you blessed when you are humble?
Read:
Matthew 5:5–6
Let’s take a look at the next two Beatitudes in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. It says that God blesses those who are humble and those who hunger and thirst for justice. Those two Beatitudes are quite a bit different from each other. Let’s talk about being humble first. What is the opposite of being humble? It’s being proud. Being humble is about putting others first and not thinking of yourself as better than others. God says that by being humble, we will gain so much more than we would by being proud. In fact, He says we will inherit the whole earth. Jesus didn’t just talk about humility, He taught it for the disciples by being an example. At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17).
Verse 6 is a little confusing because of the words used: “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice.” Jesus didn’t mean those who are literally hungry and thirsty. This verse means that God blesses those who want the right thing to be done. You may have heard the phrase, “Justice is served.” That means that the right thing has been done. God blesses us for wanting the right thing to be done.
Think about it:
Question 1. How did Jesus teach His disciples humility at the Last Supper?
Answer 1. He washed the disciples’ feet. (John 13:1–17)
Question 2. How does God bless the humble in verse 5?
Answer 2. They will inherit the whole earth. (Matthew 5:5)
Question 3. What is the opposite of being humble?
Answer 3. Being proud
Question 4. How does God bless those who hunger and thirst for justice?
Answer 4. They will be satisfied and see the right thing done. (Matthew 5:6)
Talk about It:
•Why is important to know that God blesses us when we do certain things?
•How can you remember to be humble?
•Do you fight for what is right? Why or why not?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for blessing us for being the opposite of what the world sees as blessed. Please help us to remain humble and not allow our pride to get in the way of serving You. Amen.
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How are you blessed when you are humble?
Read:
Matthew 5:5–6
Let’s take a look at the next two Beatitudes in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. It says that God blesses those who are humble and those who hunger and thirst for justice. Those two Beatitudes are quite a bit different from each other. Let’s talk about being humble first. What is the opposite of being humble? It’s being proud. Being humble is about putting others first and not thinking of yourself as better than others. God says that by being humble, we will gain so much more than we would by being proud. In fact, He says we will inherit the whole earth. Jesus didn’t just talk about humility, He taught it for the disciples by being an example. At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17).
Verse 6 is a little confusing because of the words used: “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice.” Jesus didn’t mean those who are literally hungry and thirsty. This verse means that God blesses those who want the right thing to be done. You may have heard the phrase, “Justice is served.” That means that the right thing has been done. God blesses us for wanting the right thing to be done.
Think about it:
Question 1. How did Jesus teach His disciples humility at the Last Supper?
Answer 1. He washed the disciples’ feet. (John 13:1–17)
Question 2. How does God bless the humble in verse 5?
Answer 2. They will inherit the whole earth. (Matthew 5:5)
Question 3. What is the opposite of being humble?
Answer 3. Being proud
Question 4. How does God bless those who hunger and thirst for justice?
Answer 4. They will be satisfied and see the right thing done. (Matthew 5:6)
Talk about It:
•Why is important to know that God blesses us when we do certain things?
•How can you remember to be humble?
•Do you fight for what is right? Why or why not?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for blessing us for being the opposite of what the world sees as blessed. Please help us to remain humble and not allow our pride to get in the way of serving You. Amen.
Day 3
Faith Fact:
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How are you blessed when you give someone a second chance?
Read:
Matthew 5:7–8
We love getting second chances when we mess up, but we don’t always want to give others a second chance when they hurt us. Today, our first Beatitude is about second chances. It’s called mercy, which means forgiving someone when they don’t deserve it. God blesses those who are merciful. God showed all of us mercy when He sent Jesus to die on the Cross for us. We should be merciful because we have been shown mercy. Jesus’ death and resurrection offer us the forgiveness that we never deserved. Because we all sin, we deserve to die and be separated from God forever. But God showed us mercy and will forgive us when we ask. He wants us to show the same kind of mercy to others.
The next Beatitude talks about God blessing those whose hearts are pure. What do you think that means? It doesn’t mean that you have a clean physical heart. When our heart is pure, we allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to do the right things. It also means that our hearts are filled with love for God and others and not hardened by hate. This Beatitude works together beautifully with the last one. When we are quick to forgive and give others a second chance, it shows that our heart is pure and led by the Holy Spirit.
Think about it:
Question 1. How does God bless those who are merciful?
Answer 1. By showing them mercy (Matthew 5:7)
Question 2. What does it mean to show mercy?
Answer 2. Forgiving someone when they don’t deserve it.
Question 3. Why should we be merciful?
Answer 3. We should be merciful because God has shown us mercy.
Question 4. How does God bless those whose hearts are pure?
Answer 4. They will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
Question 5. What does it mean to have a pure heart?
Answer 5. Our heart is filled with love, and we allow God’s Holy Spirit to guide us to do the right thing.
Talk about It:
•Do you want others to forgive you?
•Are you slow or quick to forgive others? Why?
•Is it always the right thing to give someone a second chance? Why or why not?
•What is the evidence that your heart is pure?
•Who do you know that has a pure heart?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for forgiving me and giving me a second chance. Help me to be quick to forgive and show mercy to others when they mess up. Amen.
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How are you blessed when you give someone a second chance?
Read:
Matthew 5:7–8
We love getting second chances when we mess up, but we don’t always want to give others a second chance when they hurt us. Today, our first Beatitude is about second chances. It’s called mercy, which means forgiving someone when they don’t deserve it. God blesses those who are merciful. God showed all of us mercy when He sent Jesus to die on the Cross for us. We should be merciful because we have been shown mercy. Jesus’ death and resurrection offer us the forgiveness that we never deserved. Because we all sin, we deserve to die and be separated from God forever. But God showed us mercy and will forgive us when we ask. He wants us to show the same kind of mercy to others.
The next Beatitude talks about God blessing those whose hearts are pure. What do you think that means? It doesn’t mean that you have a clean physical heart. When our heart is pure, we allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to do the right things. It also means that our hearts are filled with love for God and others and not hardened by hate. This Beatitude works together beautifully with the last one. When we are quick to forgive and give others a second chance, it shows that our heart is pure and led by the Holy Spirit.
Think about it:
Question 1. How does God bless those who are merciful?
Answer 1. By showing them mercy (Matthew 5:7)
Question 2. What does it mean to show mercy?
Answer 2. Forgiving someone when they don’t deserve it.
Question 3. Why should we be merciful?
Answer 3. We should be merciful because God has shown us mercy.
Question 4. How does God bless those whose hearts are pure?
Answer 4. They will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
Question 5. What does it mean to have a pure heart?
Answer 5. Our heart is filled with love, and we allow God’s Holy Spirit to guide us to do the right thing.
Talk about It:
•Do you want others to forgive you?
•Are you slow or quick to forgive others? Why?
•Is it always the right thing to give someone a second chance? Why or why not?
•What is the evidence that your heart is pure?
•Who do you know that has a pure heart?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for forgiving me and giving me a second chance. Help me to be quick to forgive and show mercy to others when they mess up. Amen.
Day 4
Faith Fact:
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How are you blessed when someone mistreats you because of what you believe?
Read:
Matthew 5:9–10
The next Beatitude says that God blesses those who work for peace. Peace is sometimes a hard thing to understand. God wants us all to have peace, but the world can be crazy and unsettled. One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before He died was, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). God wants to give us peace. He wants us to live in peace with others.
In the last Beatitude, Jesus said that God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right. Do you know what persecuted means? It means to be treated poorly or with anger, to be harassed or made fun of because of your beliefs. God’s blessing for someone who is persecuted is getting to be a part of His kingdom. Even though persecution may hurt, all the good things that come from being a part of God’s kingdom last forever! You might be tempted to hide the fact that you are a Christian because you don’t want to stand out or be made fun of. But think about this: How can we possibly help others to know Jesus if they don’t know that we are His followers?
Think about it:
Question 1. How does God bless those who work for peace?
Answer 1. They will be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Question 2. Why would God call those who work for peace His children?
Answer 2. Because they are acting like God acts. (Matthew 5:9)
Question 3. How does God bless those who are persecuted for doing right?
Answer 3. They will be part of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)
Talk about It:
•What stood out in today’s devotion?
•What do you think of when you hear the word peace?
•How can you work for peace, or how can you have peace in your life?
•Have you ever been made fun of or rejected because of what you believe in? What happened?
•Is it hard for you to stand up for what you believe in? Why?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for giving us peace in a world of chaos. Please help me to have the courage to stand up for You and tell others about You even if that means being rejected by my friends. Amen.
Jesus teaches me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How are you blessed when someone mistreats you because of what you believe?
Read:
Matthew 5:9–10
The next Beatitude says that God blesses those who work for peace. Peace is sometimes a hard thing to understand. God wants us all to have peace, but the world can be crazy and unsettled. One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before He died was, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). God wants to give us peace. He wants us to live in peace with others.
In the last Beatitude, Jesus said that God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right. Do you know what persecuted means? It means to be treated poorly or with anger, to be harassed or made fun of because of your beliefs. God’s blessing for someone who is persecuted is getting to be a part of His kingdom. Even though persecution may hurt, all the good things that come from being a part of God’s kingdom last forever! You might be tempted to hide the fact that you are a Christian because you don’t want to stand out or be made fun of. But think about this: How can we possibly help others to know Jesus if they don’t know that we are His followers?
Think about it:
Question 1. How does God bless those who work for peace?
Answer 1. They will be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Question 2. Why would God call those who work for peace His children?
Answer 2. Because they are acting like God acts. (Matthew 5:9)
Question 3. How does God bless those who are persecuted for doing right?
Answer 3. They will be part of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)
Talk about It:
•What stood out in today’s devotion?
•What do you think of when you hear the word peace?
•How can you work for peace, or how can you have peace in your life?
•Have you ever been made fun of or rejected because of what you believe in? What happened?
•Is it hard for you to stand up for what you believe in? Why?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for giving us peace in a world of chaos. Please help me to have the courage to stand up for You and tell others about You even if that means being rejected by my friends. Amen.