One of the great reminders to me in the bible is this passage of scripture. After Jesus calls the religious leaders out for their sabbath claims; Jesus does two very important things. He spends the day and night praying, and then He returns and called His apostles. Once they were chosen, He reached out to the crowds and reminded them of the blessings that comes from humility and trials as well as the struggles that come from an easy life. It was quite a pep talk to these men He just singled out to start the church.
Walking with the Lord is a journey that needs to be bathed with prayer. As we pray, God reveals to us the people and conditions in our lives that sanctify –make us more like Him. Jesus did not come into His ministry as an emperor, A warrior, or even a flashy playboy. Instead, He came as a simple man, humble, but clearly speaking and leading with authority. We are called to be like Him. In that, we will be called to mission, we will experience trials and temptations, and we will see Him do amazing things in our lives. We can never doubt His presence, His leadership, or His call on our lives. We must simply trust and seek Him with all our hearts. He said it best in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then all these things will be added to You!”
God Bless You
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Blessings and Woes
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Walking With God 