Matthew 5:6 Devotional

"You are what you eat." I heard that phrase countless times growing up when my food choices were less than ideal.  My "pear" body shape was always at risk to become a stout Bartlett instead of a slender Bosc.  Lately, however, this phrase has been in my thoughts not in connection with physical food choices but my spiritual food choices.

Matthew 5:6 tells us, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled." (satisfied)

To hunger after righteousness is literally to be starving for it.

By definition: to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire.

To be satisfied is to be filled with Jesus and content in His presence.  Just like eating a meal satisfies our physical hunger for the moment, feeding on the Word satisfies our spiritual hunger for the moment.  And just as eating a meal only satisfies us for that day, so it should be with our spiritual meal as well. 

We need physical food every day to give us energy and stamina to live life.  We need spiritual food every day to give us the wisdom, knowledge and discernment to live life righteously. 

The question I have been asking myself is:  Am I what I eat spiritually?  Am I starving for righteousness? Do I long to know Jesus so intimately that I can hardly wait for that next "meal" in His presence?

Do I come to bible study out of duty and because it is "the right thing to do" or do I come because I ardently crave His truth and want more of it?

Am I looking to be "satisfied as with the richest of foods?" (Psalm 63:5a)

I want to have the same passion for God that David expressed in Psalm 42:1-2: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?"

And again in Psalm 63:1

"O God, You are my God; Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

David voiced his deep longing to be in God's presence and to quench his thirst with the living water of God.  It was something he couldn't live without.

Is it something I can't live without? 

So how do I hunger and thirst after righteousness? How do I move from duty to delight? (I confess many times I am in 'have to' mode with my quiet time rather than 'get to' mode.)

1.  Check my heart motivation:

 Psalm 51:6,17

“Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place…The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

2.  Seek Him daily, asking Him to increase my passion for Him and His Word.  Come into His presence in delight not duty:

Ps. 119:10-16

“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from you commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.  I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.  I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”

3.  Dwell on His love for me:

1 John 4:10

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin.”

Zeph. 3:17

The Lord Your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you He will quiet you with His love He will rejoice over you with singing.

4.  Look with expectation for the new truth He has for me and respond as He leads through confession, prayer, meditation, and journaling.

Ps. 25:4-5

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

Ps. 19:14

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

5.  Respond with praise and worship:

Ps. 145:1-2

“I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name forever and ever.  Every day I will praise You and extol Your name forever and ever.”

Psalm 63:3-5

"Because Your love is better than life my lips will glorify You.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied (sated, be filled, fulfilled) as with the richest of food; with singing lips my mouth will praise You."

In conclusion, I ask:

Am I what I eat? Am I feasting on the "fruit" of righteousness and the "bread of life?" Am I thirsty for the "living water?" Does Jesus satisfy me above all else?  Is He truly all I need or want? 

My heart says no, not always; but it is my desire.  My challenge for myself is to keep seeking and asking for an all-consuming passion for Jesus.  My challenge to all of you is the same.  For God promises: "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

Comfort and Joy

Dear Friends,

I know I am not alone in my love of the Christmas season.  Are you out there fellow Christmas lovers?  Oh, hello!  There are a lot of you!  It’s finally our season.  Or more accurately, it is our Savior’s season. I know you agree that there are so many things that we associate with this time of year…sights, sounds, smells, and emotions.  We become consumed by our own traditional decorations, the greeting cards, the TV shows and movies, the music, the cookies, the peppermint candles. AND there’s the wonder, the hope, and the anticipation. This year I’ve been especially struck by the comfort and the joy! 

Every day during my quiet time during this advent season, I’ve been reading selections from scripture compiled on the Focus on the Family website.  If you are interested in viewing this Advent reading, please click here. It has been interesting to trace a connection and a contextual importance to the story of Christmas as well as finding the application that is needed in my life. 

On day one I read Isaiah 40:1-5.  With further commentary research, I found that Isaiah’s purpose was to call his generation to holiness and obedience.  I addition he shared the message of comfort and assurance to future generations. When Isaiah was speaking this message, it was exceedingly relevant. Some of the kingdom had fallen into the enemy’s hands and another portion was under serious attack. It was a difficult time to worship for Israel, yet Isaiah addressed his people with tenderness and gentleness. They had been through many trials and would see more trials as a divided nation. Isaiah emphasized the ultimate comfort: the coming of the Messiah and redemption. 

I wrote down the word “comfort” as the theme for this passage.  

The second day’s reading was Isaiah 52:7-10. Isaiah exclaimed that it was a privilege to share the good news that the LORD was returning to Zion. He explains that they could have joy because the LORD had comforted and redeemed His people.  There was an unmistakable energy to this passage of Scripture, and it would be hard to miss the message bursting from these verses. 

I wrote down the word “joy” as the theme for this passage. 

During this season we sing of “tidings of comfort and joy” and these passages have renewed my mind as to what that means today. The message to us in this age is not so very different as it was when Isaiah’s message was received. We are living in a time when obedience to God is unpopular. Like the remnant of Jerusalem that Isaiah was addressing, we have been found as a faithful remnant in a world of corruption. We have been redeemed from this corrupted world by God’s grace alone. And because we know this truth, it is our privilege to proclaim the good news: the tidings of comfort (that we’ve been redeemed) and joy (that He will come again)! 

I hope you find comfort and joy this season! We have a lot to celebrate!  

In Him,

Grace

The Night of Lights

The traditional Women's Christmas Outreach has come and has passed, yet has left an eternal message on the hearts of those who attended.  Light...the theme of the night, shone from every nook and cranny.  Light casted it's glory onto every aspect of the evening.  As 5:30 p.m. rolled around, everything was in its place.  Every "t" was crossed, every "i" was dotted, and every light was shining and flickering.  Candles blazed from dressed up tables, a six foot wreath robed in Christmas lights took center stage, and an awe striking chandelier suspended from the gymnasium ceiling turned a basketball court into a king's court.

 

As tradition would have it, hostesses produced Christmas displays on round tables, each with her own personality sprinkled within the beauties. 

 

 

 

 

 

Old friends and new friends encircled the gorgeous displays as conversations of family and Christmas and the amazing, gourmet food filled the room, creating an atmosphere of love and sisterhood.  Jesus’ light was undeniably present.

 

 

 

 

And we must never forget the solid, servant’s hearts of the men who tirelessly and sacrificially went out of their way and bent over backwards to serve.  To lead, really.  For Christ led by serving and they followed his example.  Once again, the eternal light intruded every inch of the evening.

 

 

There were songs and praises, all focused on Jesus’ birth as he brought forth light to this dark world.  The focus of the evening took hearts and minds to the true meaning of Christmas, causing busy women to forget the lists and baking and shopping.  Rather, hearts were focused on forgiveness and joy and eternal blessings.  Light was shed on the truth, causing the world’s idea of Christmas to fade.

 

The highlight of the evening will be etched in hearts for years to come as Tamara shared stories of light being shared in a dark world across this globe.  As God works through his special servants, his light continues to shine, if even as a small spark.  Hope abounds through devoted people that commit their lives as Global Outreach Workers and are committed to being a city on a hill in a dark and dreary land.  Her words were a comforting reminder of the Godly blessings we receive when we live in his light.

 

 

Whether you attended or not, and no matter what your Christmas season looks like this year, let’s keep the focus!  Let all the hype of candy canes, snowmen, packages and bows fade in the light of his glory and grace.  For it was Jesus himself that said to you and me, “I have come as a light…so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in darkness.” John 12:46



 

 

Merry Christmas!!

Making Time

Dear Sisters,

I don’t know about you, but as Christmas approaches the days just seem to go by faster and faster!  There is always more to squeeze in each day.  I find myself struggling a bit to fit in my 20 minutes a day with the Lord.  However, I wanted to share with you why I have been having a lot more success lately than I have in the past.

 At the Westwood Women’s Conference last spring we all received a copy of 20 Minutes a Day for the Rest of Your Life.  Each one of the four study methods in the book was outlined for us so we could have a chance to try them out at home.   I faithfully spent 20 days trying out each method and landed on the one called Devotionals.   This method is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – you choose a devotional and spend time in it every day.  I typically begin and end in prayer and occasionally will journal. 

 I am currently reading three devotionals – Our Daily Bread, Craving God (Lysa TerKeurst), and My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  These devotionals are very different from each other.  I must admit that on most days Oswald goes right over my head.  This is not a bad thing, however, since some days I’m up for a different style than others.  Each speaks to me in a different way as do the accompanying Bible verses.

 I have come to realize that I make time for what is important to me.  And that includes my time with God.  I can’t expect my friendships to flourish without devoting time and attention to them.  So how can I expect my relationship with God to grow if I am not cultivating a growing relationship with him? 

 

In love,

Susan

         

Rejoice + Suffering = Hope

To my sisters in Christ,

The sound of the alarm blares in my ear annoying quite possibly the worst morning person in the world.  The early morning thoughts in my head war against each other.  One argument attempts to sway me to get up and enjoy the opportunity for Bible study.  Unfortunately, the opposing side screams louder that more sleep is required, luring me back to sleep.  And then…there it is.  The sound of a text from my friend across town, alerting me that she’s awake and ready for her time with Jesus.  She’s expecting a text in return, keeping me accountable each day for early morning quiet time with the Lord.

So, in an effort to please my friend and reward myself with a cozy coffee, my feet sluggishly hit the ground.  Notice, my intensions have not Jesus in mind!  Stumbling through the dark, and very possibly over some shoes in the middle of the bedroom floor, I somehow make it to the good old faithful Keurig awaiting me in the kitchen.  With one push of a button and in a matter of seconds, coffee is brewing and I’m beginning to think the venture away from the warm bed may have been worth it.  Tiptoeing past the sleeping puppy, I whisper a prayer that he doesn’t stir.  At this time, my focus remains self-centered as I desperately crave the quiet atmosphere.  The house is alive and noisy all day and I relish a few minutes of complete silence.

Upon arriving to my oversized chair with freshly brewed coffee in hand, I grab my Bible, journal and colorful pens, cuddle in a warm quilt, and pray, “Lord, help me to stay awake!”  And it is at that moment I sense the voice of Jesus in my heart, welcoming me by saying, “I know it wasn’t easy but I’m so glad you made it this morning.  Let’s spend some time together.”

Opening the pages of the sacred script, I read in Romans 5, “…rejoice in our suffering…”

Wait…what?  Did I just read that?  Is my mind still asleep and not quite understanding the words on the page?  Did you just say REJOICE and SUFFERING in one sentence?  With a rub of my eyes and a second glance on the page, I read it again, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:2b-4 NIV

That’s all it takes.  Just a verse or two for God to change your course in life, leading you toward him.  So following a method in the www.20-Minutes.org challenge, I dig in a little deeper to allow the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts.  What are the facts of these verses?  If I were to explain this in my own words, what would I say?  For starters, we rejoice because the end result is hope.  However, getting from suffering to hope is a process.  In our suffering, we persevere which produces character and ultimately leads to the path of the eternal assurance of hope. 

After observing the facts, I ask myself, what are the lessons I can learn from these verses?  At first glance, I come to the conclusion that rejoicing in suffering is never a natural response.  As sinful people, we do not naturally rejoice when afflicted by suffering.  It goes against everything in us.  The process of completely embracing the hope that the Bible speaks of may not be completely realized on this side of heaven.  However, as we read in verse 6, this hope will not disappoint.

After observing the facts, I seek out how to apply these truths to my own life?  The Holy Spirit shows me that it is my job, through His power, to rejoice in suffering.  Rejoicing is a word showing action, something for which we are commanded to do.  As I read how hope does not disappoint, I realize that this hope is not of this world.  My addiction to iced white chocolate Americanos will eventually disappoint me.  A quiet house and time alone will come to an abrupt end at exactly 7:00 a.m. when the kids come bouncing out of their rooms.  My family cannot be absolutely everything to me.  My deepest dream of returning to my “Old Kentucky Home” may never come true.  People may disappoint us, plans fall through, and life goes in a different direction than we thought.  The things of this world will never satisfy the void in our hearts that can only be filled by the goodness of God.  Yet, Biblical hope never changes.  True, godly hope will last forever and never disappoint!  And it is for this reason we can truly rejoice even in the midst of suffering.

As my eyes are opened to the beauty of rejoicing in suffering, my early morning time ends with prayer.  And then I realize, this is all about Him.  Resisting the temptation of sleeping in and, instead, following the prompting to get up early to spend 20 minutes with Jesus is all about Him, not me.  It also puts life in proper perspective.  In the end, all this rejoicing is possible because Jesus came to earth, took our place in death, and conquered death in order to reign forever!  Can I get an Amen?!

I sincerely encourage you to find your 20 minutes with Jesus each day whether it be morning, afternoon, or evening.  Jesus is never too busy for you!  It’s so worth the effort and it will keep us focused on Christ throughout the day.  What is God teaching you right now?  How can you rejoice no matter the circumstance?  Please feel free to share how God is renewing you and, as a result, God will use you to renew others. 

Blessings,

Beth Ann

A Trust Like Abraham

Dear Friends,

Have you ever had a time in your life in which everywhere you turned, you seemed to hear the same message?  I am currently in the thick of one of those divine experiences…I am hearing “trust.”  It all started this summer when sickness attacked one of my grandkids.  About the same time, two of my grandkids were diagnosed with learning disabilities.  My heart warred with God!  How could he let this happen to these sweet kids?

In the mist of my battle with God, I visited my sister in North Carolina, a relatively recent widow.  As we hung out together over several days, truth poured out of her heart.  “My husband is gone so all I can do is lean into Jesus.”  “No, I don’t worry a lot.  I know that Jesus will work it out.”  As I pondered her words on the plane ride home I asked myself, do I lean into Jesus or are there people and earthly things into which I lean?  Why do I worry so much about my family and then find myself arguing with God?  Do I trust that Jesus will work things out for the good?  As I poured over these questions, I realized that the common theme was trust.  The question begs: Do I really trust Jesus with my family?

Upon returning home, I was hit between the eyes again with trust.  In the midst of studying Romans 4 with my Life Group, Abraham was being used as an illustration of justification by faith and not by works.  God promised him that he would be a father and his wife would conceive.  But to his human perspective, he was an old man and Sarah was post-menopausal.  Now, how is that going to work?  The promise is against all odds, all science, and all reason!  Sarah was past child bearing years and had been for several decades.  In addition to the impossibilities, Abraham was about 100 years old.  With all odds against them, it seemed quite impossible.  However, God allowed Sarah to conceive and have a child.  What hit me between the eyes was that Abraham and Sarah TRUSTED God to do what he said he would.  And even though it made no sense to have a child at that age, they trusted God to work it out according to his covenant promise.  It seems to me that at that time in their lives, they were really leaning into God.  Would I have done that?  I must honestly say, I really don’t know.  Will I trust Jesus with my family?  I want to…

So what does this have to do with spending time in God’s word for 20 minutes a day?  When God continually speaks a word like “trust” to me, it seems he wants me to listen because he has a lesson to teach me.  He speaks through his people (my sister), his Word (Romans), and the Holy Spirit (pondering and praying) and he desires me to listen.  If I am not daily in his Word and praying, I will regretfully miss what he has to teach me.

Do I fully trust God with my family? Probably not fully, but I am getting encouragement and instruction from his Word and I believe that my trust is developing.  What key theme is God showing you as you consistently spend time in his Word and in prayer?

Trusting as I go,

Bev

Sunday Take Aways

There's a lot to learn from Jonah!  Here are yesterday's Take Aways...

1.  We can run but we can't hide.
2.  Our only hope is in the Sacrifice.

What are your thoughts?