In this moving devotional, Angela Anderson shares a real-life story of watching a woman struggle in deep waters—until she surrendered and was rescued. Through this gripping analogy, Angela unpacks the meaning of "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3) and how spiritual surrender opens the door to God’s kingdom. When we recognize our deep need for God's grace, we stop striving and allow Him to rescue us.

This devotional is a reminder that salvation isn’t about striving harder—it’s about admitting we can’t do it on our own. When we surrender, we experience the richness of God's love, peace, and hope.

✨ Highlights

• What it truly means to be "poor in spirit"

• Why surrender—not self-reliance—is the key to spiritual rescue

• A powerful real-life metaphor for how God saves us when we stop fighting

• Encouragement for those who feel like they’re drowning in life’s circumstances

• The immediate promise of kingdom living for those who fully depend on God

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Full Transcript Below:

Let the Poor Say I Am Rich

By Angela Anderson

Bible Reading:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

I stood there in awe with the rest of the crowd. I wanted to scream for help, but I was speechless. I could not believe what I was witnessing, and I was terrified at the thought of a tragic outcome. 

There was a woman drowning in the middle of the ocean, and no one was coming to her rescue. She accidentally fell off the pier and she was too far out for even an experienced swimmer to reach her. Her arms were flailing, water was splashing, her head was bobbing up and down, and the crowd just stood there watching it happen. There was a lifeguard nearby, and he was also a silent bystander. I was perplexed. I thought it was the responsibility of the lifeguard to save people from drowning. Why wasn’t this lifeguard jumping in the water to save this woman?

A few more minutes went by. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion. I saw the woman begin to get tired. Her arms were no longer moving wildly in the air and the water around her seemed to calm down. Then the worst possible scenario occurred. The woman went under. The crowd gasped in unison.

Immediately, the lifeguard dove into the water and within seconds he appeared with the woman in his arms. He swam back to the pier while pulling the woman who was serenely floating alongside the lifeguard. Once they reached the bottom of the pier, they were pulled to safety by a team of rescuers who had just arrived on the scene.

Occasionally, I think about that incident and my mind goes back to the moment when the lifeguard saw the woman drowning, but he did not instantly act. It was later explained to me that the lifeguard was waiting for the woman to stop struggling in the water. If the lifeguard jumped in to save the woman while she was still fighting for her life, he might have been pulled down in the chaos, and both may have drowned. The lifeguard could not force or coerce the woman to be saved. Instead, the lifeguard had to wait until the woman surrendered and allowed herself to be saved. 

It is the same way with God and His continuous desire to save us. The verse for today found in Matthew 5:3 indicates that the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? The word poor in this context does not refer to the lack of material wealth. On the contrary, to be poor in spirit is to recognize your spiritual poverty and your deep need to be saved. There is an awareness that salvation is not something that can be earned. There is an understanding that God’s favor is a gift. There is an acknowledgement that you must depend on God’s grace, rather than rely on your own righteousness, accomplishments, or strength. 

For those who are poor in spirit, there is spiritual humility which is the opposite of pride or self-sufficiency. You can freely admit your need for God and His mercy. For example, the tax collector in Luke 18:13 had a heart of repentance when he prayed the words, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This is an outward sign of dependence on God and submission to His will. Once you reach this point in your life, there is an openness to God. You are receptive to the gospel. Only those who realize their need will fervently seek and receive the promise of God’s kingdom.

This promise is not a future event. Instead, it is referring to belonging to God’s kingdom in the present. Those who are poor in spirit are reaping the reward of living under God’s rule which is characterized by His grace, peace, and hope. Moreover, it is the foundation of a faithful, grace-filled life. You will experience the richness of His love.

To be poor in spirit is to fully surrender. Just like the woman who was drowning, once you accept that you cannot save yourself, you stop struggling and you give God permission to act. Just like the lifeguard, God is patiently waiting for you to be still so that He can jump in and rescue you from the deep waters of your life.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Are there areas of your life that you have not surrendered to God? What will it take for you to relinquish control?

Further Reading:

2 Peter 3:9                                                                                                                             

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