Prayer Closet
 
        But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  Matthew 6:6
 
    Have a place for secret prayer, Jesus had select places for communion with God, and so should we.  We need often to retire to some spot, however humble, where we can be alone with God.
 
    "Pray to thy Father which is in secret."  In the name of Jesus we may come into God's presence with the confidence of a child.  No man is needed to act as a mediator.  Through Jesus we may open our hearts to God as to one who knows and loves us.
 
    In the secret place of prayer, where no eye but God's can see, no ear but His can hear, we may pour out our most hidden desires and longings to the Father of infinite pity, and in the hush and silence of the soul that voice which never fails to answer the cry of human need will speak to our hearts." (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 55, 56)
 
Reflection:  In your quiet time with God, share with Him all of your worries and cares.  He knows your problems, so in talk to Him about them, He will give you the needed answers and the courage and strength to follow through.

Love Your Enemies
 
        But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.  Matthew 5:44
 
    While we were yet unloving and ungodly in character, "hateful, and hating one another," our heavenly Father had mercy om us.  "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercies He saved us" ( Titus 3:3-5).  His love received, will make us, in like manner, kind and tender, not merely toward those who please us, but to the most faulty and erring and sinful.
 
    The children of God are those who are partakers of His nature.  It is not earthly rank, nor birth, nor nationality, nor religious privilege, which proves that we are members of the family of God; it is love, a love that embraces all humanity.  Even sinners whose hearts are not utterly closed to God's Spirit, will respond to kindness; while they may give hate for hate, they will also give love for love.  But it is only the Spirit of God that gives love for hatred.  To be kind to the unthankful and to the evil, to do good hoping for nothing again, is the insignia of the royalty of heaven, the sure token by which the children of the Highest reveal their high estate. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 75)
 
Reflection:  There's too much evil surmising and back biting in the world today, even within our own families and churches.  If we would be like Christ, we will learn to love the sinner but hate the sin.

 Anger
 
        But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.  Matthew 5:22
 
    Through Moses the Lord had said, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart....Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Leviticus 19:17, 18).  The truths which Christ presented were the same that had been taught by the prophets, but they had become obscured through hardness of heart and love of sin....
 
    The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan, and it led him to put to death the Son of God.  Whoever cherishes malice or unkindness is cherishing he same spirit, and its fruit will be unto death.  In the revengeful thought the evil deed lies enfolded, as the plant in the seed.  "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15). (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 55, 56)
 
Reflection:  His example is for us.  When we are brought in conflict with the enemies of Christ, we should say nothing in a spirit of retaliation or that would bear even the appearance of a railing accusation.  He who stands as a mouthpiece for God should not utter words which even the Majesty of heaven would not use when contending with Satan.  We are to leave with God the work of judging and condemning (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 57).  Today, let's ask God to help us surrender our feelings of hatred or revenge, and to give us His love for our neighbor.

Fulfill the Law
 
        Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  Matthew 5:17
 
    The law given upon Sinai was the enunciation of the principle of love, a revelation to earth of the law of heaven....God had revealed the purpose of the law when He declared to Israel, "Ye shall be holy men unto Me" (Exodus 22:31)....
 
    It is the Creator of men, the Giver of the law, who declares that it is not His purpose to set aside its precepts.  Everything in nature, from the mote in the sunbeam to the worlds on high, is under law.  And upon obedience to these laws the order and harmony of the natural world depend.  So there are great principles of righteousness to control the life of all intelligent beings, and upon conformity to these principles the well-being of the universe depends.  Before this earth was called into being, God's law existed.  Angels are governed by its principles, and in order for earth to be in harmony with heaven, man also must obey the divine statues.  To man in Eden Christ made known the precepts of the law "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7).  The mission of Christ on earth was not to destroy the law, but by His grace to bring man back to obedience to its precepts." (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 46-48)
 
Reflection:  True happiness and harmony in life is only to be found in following God's ways.  Rebellion always brings discord and strife.

Let Your Light Shine
 
        Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 5:16
 
    As the sun goes forth on its errand of love, dispelling the shades of night and awakening the world to life, so the followers of Christ are to go forth on their mission, diffusing the light of heaven upon those who are in the darkness of error and sin.
 
    In the brilliant light of the morning, the towns and villages upon the surrounding hills stood forth clearly, making an attractive feature of the scene.  Pointing to them, Jesus said, "A city set on a hill cannot be hid."  And he added, "Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house" (R.V.).  Most of those who listened to the words of Jesus were peasants and fishermen whose lowly dwellings contained but one room, in which the single lamp on its stand shone to all in the house.  Even so, said Jesus, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 38, 39)
 
Reflection:  When self is crucified and, in its place, we allow Jesus to enter our hearts, we will--by good works--be shining lights.  This will be the greatest testimony that we can give.  Let us set our sights high today, and every day, so others will see Jesus in us.

 Salt of the Earth
 
        Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Matthew 5:13
 
    Salt is valued for its preservative properties; and when God calls His children salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others.  The object of God in choosing a people before all the world was not only that He might adopt them as His sons and daughters, but that through them the world might receive the grace that bringeth salvation (Titus 2:11).  When the Lord chose Abraham, it was not simply to be the special friend of God, but to be a medium of the peculiar privileges the Lord desired to bestow upon the nations.  Jesus, in that last prayer with His disciples before His crucifixion, said, "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (John 17:19).  In like manner Christians who are purified through the truth will possess saving qualities that preserve the world from utter moral corruption.
 
    Salt must be mingled with the substance to which it is added; it must penetrate and infuse in order to preserve.  So it is through personal contact and association that men are reached by the saving power of the gospel....Personal influence is a power.  We must come close to those whom we desire to benefit.
 
    The savor of the salt represents the vital power of the Christian--the love of Jesus in the heart, the righteousness of Christ pervading the life. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 35, 36)
 
Reflection:  Whether you have too little or too much salt, the taste is not good.  This is an object lesson we all can understand.  Allowing Christ to live through us keeps the salt content just right, we will be a blessing for those around us.

Persecuted for Righteousness Sake
 
        Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, for my sake.  Matthew 5:10, 11
 
    In every age God's chosen messengers have been reviled and persecuted, yet through their affliction the knowledge of God has been spread abroad.  Every disciple of Christ is to step into the ranks and carry forward the same work, knowing that its foes can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.  God means that truth shall be brought to the front and become the subject of examination and discussion, even through the contempt placed upon it.  The minds of the people must be agitated; every controversy, every reproach, every effort to restrict liberty of conscience, is God's means of awakening minds that otherwise might slumber. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 33)
 
    While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better.  He has said, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be."  "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (Deuteronomy 33:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9).  If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon.  Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation and reproach.  The love they bear their Lord makes suffering for His sake sweet." (Thought from the Mount of Blessing, 30)
 
Reflection:  Character is mainly built by the little things.  If we can't overcome the small things, when the large trials some, we will not be prepared.  The faithful three had developed a strong character long before they were thrown in the furnace.  Their character was revealed, not developed, in their hour of great trial.

  The Peacemakers
 
        Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  Matthew 5:9
 
    Christ is "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken.  "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).  Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace.
 
    There is no other ground of peace than this.  The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love.  He who is at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable.  Envy will not be in his heart; evil surmisings will find no room there, hatred cannot exist.  The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven and will diffuse its blessed influence on all around.  The spirit of peace will rest like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife.
 
    Christ's followers are sent to the world with the message of peace.  Whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence of a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God, is a peacemaker.  (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 27, 28)
 
Reflection:  When we're pushed, it's human nature to push back.  Sometimes when we're wronged, we want to get even.  Christ explains that there is no peace in revenge.  Today, if someone crosses you, remember to be a peacemaker.  You will be blessed.

The Merciful
 
        Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Matthew 5:7
 
    The heart of man is by nature cold and dark and unloving; whenever one manifests a spirit of mercy and forgiveness, he does it not of himself, but through the influence of the divine Sprit moving upon his heart.  "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19, R.V.).
 
    God is Himself the source of all mercy.  His name is "merciful and gracious" (Exodus 34:6).  He does not treat us according to our desert.  He does not ask if we are worthy of His love, but He pours upon us the riches of His love, to make us worthy.  He is not vindictive.  He seeks not to punish, but to redeem.  Even the severity which He manifests through His providences is manifested for the salvation of the wayward.  He yearns with intense desire to relieve the woes of men and to apply His balsam to their wounds.  It is true that God "will by no means clear the guilty" (Exodus 34:7), but He would take away the guilt.
 
    The merciful are "partakers of the divine nature," and in them the compassionate love of God finds expression.  All whose hearts are in sympathy with the heart of Infinite Love will seek to reclaim and not to condemn.  Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry.  Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 21, 22)
 
Reflection:  Ask the Lord to bring someone into your life today to show them God's love and mercy by being merciful and kind, even if you think they don't deserve it.

 Those Who Hungered and Thirst
 
        Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Matthew 5:6
 
    Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and "God is love" (1 John 4:16).  It is conformity to the law of God, for "all Thy commandments are righteousness" (Psalm 119:1172), and "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:1).  Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God.  The righteousness of God is embodies in Christ.  We receive righteousness by receiving Him.
 
    Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it.  "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat,...without money and without price."  "Their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord," and, "This is His name whereby He shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness" (Isaiah 55:1; 54:17; Jeremiah 23:6).
 
    No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul.  But Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."  "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst" (Revelation 3:20; John 6:35). (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 18)
 
Reflection:  This world will never satisfy us.  We may find temporary happiness and think we are filled.  Soon, however, we will find we aren't satisfied.  Only Christ can offer complete satisfaction.