“Blowin in the Wind”

 “When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.” Psalm 4:4

Our Lord tells us, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). What does that mean? This statement is full of meaning and yet is subject to misunderstanding especially when you are gloomy. We not only have to redefine our notions of the word blessed, but also have to understand the puzzling phrase “poor in spirit”, that blows in the wind.

“Poor in spirit” means you recognize your poverty before God. It’s an attitude toward yourself that says you know and affirm that you haven’t lived the life to which God has called you and that you’re incapable of doing so now. 

Sometimes it takes a song to get us to meditate on God and have nothing to fear.  My objective here is to help you think about God as I did when I first heard the song, “Blowin in the Wind” by Bob Dylan. At the time my thoughts were non-spiritual, treating it as reading biblical verses in a place full of rush hour traffic, roaming around with no obedience. 

Here I was, in the midst of a bitter depressing place, Allen House, an orphanage in Cincinnati, Ohio, sitting in frustration. Sometimes we draw parallels between dated situation and the struggle we are having while in the airstream of our loving Father, screaming, “Can we find peace”?

I was experiencing a moment sensing some kind of presence – that God was near, especially in my heart and mind? Thinking, “fear of people is unnecessary if you “Trust” God. What do you Fear when you are angary?

“A fool give full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back”. Proverbs29:11

Have you prayed for guidance and felt you received it?  Or have you had spiritual experiences of a different kind? To me this was the first mark of a person who walks with God.  But was the ear listening? The supervisor began to play this rock and roll song on his guitar. It was a time in my life where I was questioning everything and struggling with my anger.  Had I given up on living a happy normal life? I was in survival mode. So, the last thing I wanted was a pious experience, I thought.

I was like a restless piece of paper Chasing in the pointless of the wind, things at that time which do not have eternal significance— only chasing problems after the wind. Those youthful utterances as the chorus’s sound, vertebrate back, “just blowing in the wind.” There isn’t much more I can say about this song, except the following verse resonated in my mind even today:

Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” 

Yes, and how many times must a man look up

Before he can really see the sky?

Yes, and how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people, cry?

Yes, and how many deaths will it take ‘til he knows

That too many people have died? It’s in the wind

Is anger sinful? No, though it can certainly lead to sin. This prayer depicts anger springing from anxiety, which proves especially troublesome on sleepless nights. The psalm suggests that, rather than venting your worry in outbursts against others, you should examine your own heart. 

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) Any pursuit that does not have as its aim the furtherance of God’s plan is merely chasing after the wind (1 Corinthians 10:31).

“In your anger do not sin”^: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” Ephesians 4:26 

The new man may get angry, but he does not sin. The new man knows how to let go of his wrath, thus giving opportunity to the devil. The devil’s work is to accuse and divide the family of god, and sow discord among then. When we harbor anger in our heart, we do the devils for him. We have all experienced anger at some point in our lives, and it can be a real problem. Though it starts as a harmless feeling, it can quickly grow into something dangerous that’s hard to control.

In a world where personalities materialize as big and God is often regarded as a prop on the stage of our own performance that’s, all about me. People who are poor in spirit know that they’re a small blip on the radar screen of eternity. They know God is wonderful and awe-inspiring in His holiness. They know He owes them zilch and they see that, even if viewed at their best, they’re unworthy servants who completely depend on His mercy.

Meditating on God’s awesomeness greatly affects our ability to be poor in spirit. But this Beatitude, Matthew 5:3, offers something else that should humble us: the promise of heaven. Interestingly, that’s a promise for the present. All the other blessings promised in the Beatitudes are future promises. Take a look:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
MATTHEW 5:4-6

God wants you to speak His word to your own ears, and as you do, your faith arises, “He will restore my soul”; “He is my provider” … Learn to say what God says: in your mind, in your life, and in your world. And as you confess His word, it embeds in your heart instead of Blowing in the Wind! 

God Bless You and This Ministry!