By: Sarah Koontz
Several years ago, I started writing Bible studies because I noticed something I couldn’t ignore.
So many women wanted to read Scripture, but they weren’t always sure where to begin or how to understand what they were reading.
They loved God’s Word, but it often felt intimidating or overwhelming.
God placed a deep desire in my heart to break Scripture down into simple, meaningful pieces.
I wanted the Bible to feel approachable for someone opening it for the first time, and still rich enough for someone who had been studying for years.
I believe God’s Word is the only source of absolute truth in a world that often praises confusion, tolerance, and ambiguity.
That passion eventually grew into Living by Design Ministries, where we create free Bible studies delivered in easy-to-digest portions.
And of all the passages I’ve studied and written about, the Beatitudes remain one of my favorites.
They continue to reshape how I understand blessing.
When Jesus’ Words Land Differently
In Matthew 5, Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with a series of blessing statements that feel almost upside-down.
Blessed are the poor in spirit…
Blessed are those who mourn…
Blessed are the meek…
These are not the qualities our world celebrates. They don’t sound strong, impressive, or successful. They don’t align with what we’re often told leads to happiness.
I remember a season when these words finally landed differently for me.
In the early days of the pandemic, when everything that felt stable began to fall apart, I found myself sitting at my kitchen table with my Bible open to Matthew 5.
Normal rhythms were gone.
Schedules were disrupted.
Ministry plans were on hold.
And a sense of security I didn’t realize I depended on had quietly slipped away.
I didn’t feel strong.
I didn’t feel faithful.
I didn’t feel blessed.
But as I read Jesus’ words again, the Lord gently showed me something I had missed for years.
Blessing isn’t about how I feel. It’s about where I stand.
My position in Christ had not changed. My circumstances were shaking, but He was not.
That realization became the seed of this Beatitudes Bible study.
I wrote it because I needed the reminder that God’s Kingdom is not fragile, and neither are His promises.
A Different Kind of Blessing
As Jesus continues, He blesses the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.
He blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
And then, perhaps most surprisingly, He blesses those who are persecuted for righteousness.
Jesus is clear.
Blessing is not the absence of hardship.
It is not comfort, ease, or approval.
Blessing flows from belonging to the King.
Throughout the Beatitudes, Jesus consistently reframes what it means to live a blessed life.
These blessings are not about external performance or personal achievement.
They reveal true, biblical righteousness—a transformed heart shaped by God’s work within us.
The Beatitudes begin with the heart because Kingdom living always does.
Humility, repentance, gentleness, mercy, purity, and peace are internal attitudes.
They naturally lead to external actions.
We live differently because Christ is at work in us.
An Invitation to Trust His Definition
When we step back and look at the Beatitudes as a whole, one question rises to the surface.
If Jesus defines blessing so differently than the world does, will we trust Him enough to embrace His definition?
Will we choose humility over recognition?
Will we pursue righteousness even when it costs us something?
Will we exchange temporary comfort for the eternal blessings He promises?
Jesus doesn’t offer a shallow or fragile kind of happiness.
He offers a blessing rooted in His Kingdom—secure, lasting, and deeply freeing.
If you’d like to hear these ideas shared in my own voice, I recorded a short teaching that walks through the Beatitudes.
In the video below, I share why I wrote this Beatitudes Bible study and how Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 reshaped my understanding of what it truly means to live a blessed life.
Want to Go Deeper?
If this passage resonates with you, I’d love to invite you to explore the Beatitudes more deeply.
Blessed is a free 7-day Beatitudes Bible study that walks through each Beatitude with Scripture, teaching, and reflection.
It’s delivered straight to your inbox in easy-to-digest portions.
Sign up here: livingbydesign.org/blessed/
My prayer is that this study helps you see the beauty of God’s design.
And that you rest in the truth that Jesus truly redefines what it means to be blessed.
