I make lists, grocery lists, to do lists, things I want to think about lists, thoughts for devotions lists, all kinds of lists. I could say I do it because I am extremely organized, but lately I do it more so because I am old. (Remember that sign of being old from the October 29 devotion that said, “you forget at least one thing every day.”) Yep, that’s me.  So, I make lists.

I was reading in Matthew 5 recently and found a list. That lists begins the Sermon on the Mount. Verses 3 through 11 list a number of conditions wherein we are blessed. I like the way the Holman Christian Standard Bible translates them.

It begins “the poor in spirit are blessed …” and then goes on. “Those who mourn are blessed … the gentle are blessed … those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed … the merciful are blessed … the pure in heart are blessed … peacemakers are blessed … the persecuted for righteousness are blessed ….”

It ends with blessings for the insulted, persecuted and falsely accused.

That is quite a list. It is not a list to which most aspire. I wondered as I read that list what response we’d get if we applied it to the 100 most successful people in the USA, or to politicians, or to the rich, or to celebrities. (The list could go on.)

Yet, note the blessings for people who do aspire to those qualities. The kingdom of heaven is theirs, they are comforted, they have an inheritance, they are filled with the righteousness of God, they are shown mercy, they will see God, they will be called sons of God, the kingdom of heaven is theirs, and they will have a great reward in heaven.

When you think of that list in the terms of the blessings, maybe it is a list that we should embrace and aspire to throughout our lives.

Thank you, LORD, for the blessings that are ours both in this life and in our eternal life in Your presence.