Our Poverty and Christ’s Value

Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked (Revelation 3:17).  It is worth your time to seriously contemplate these thoughts from Thomas Watson: “The glass is first emptied before you pour in wine.  God first empties man of himself, before he pours in the precious wine of his grace.  Until we see our own poverty, we will never see Christ’s value.  Poverty of spirit makes Christ sweet to the soul.  There is no idol like self.  There is not a more dangerous precipice than self-righteousness.”  Compare what the Laodiceans thought of themselves with Christ’s assessment of their condition in Revelation 3:17.  To have our eyes opened to see ourselves as God does is a great mercy.  To have our eyes opened to see the glory of Christ is precious beyond words!  We must have both if we want to enjoy the blessedness of those who are poor in spirit.