We live in a world that’s always hungry. Hungry for money, recognition, pleasure, more likes, more love, more control. But with all we consume emotionally, financially, digitally—we never seem satisfied?
God’s plan is for you to be satisfied and not live in constant want. The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.
This progression of humility revealed in the Beatitudes opens the way to the kingdom of God, awakening a deep hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God. This is what satisfies the God-given appetite of the human heart.
Matthew 5:3-6 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ESV
This progression of humility revealed in the Beatitudes opens the way to a deeper hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God and this is what satisfies the human heart.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ESV
Notice the kingdom of God isn’t just, “be at peace” and “have joy”. Righteousness comes first and this speaks of living under God’s rule! Only then can we find true peace and true joy.
When we studied Nehemiah, it was fascinating how we just so happened to read the text where Nehemiah was restoring The Feast of Tabernacles on the Sunday right in the middle of The Feast of Tabernacles in our modern day calendar.
It just so happens that we are reading today about an appetite for righteousness over the appetites of the sinful nature that this world accommodates and even celebrates. Today is June 1st – The first day of Pride Month. God purposed that we would be talking about righteousness through humility, the opposite of pride on this very day.
Through humility Jesus became the Savior. Through pride Lucifer became the devil. The Bible is very clear. Humility is a characteristic of righteousness. Pride is a characteristic of sin.
The Bible never says anything good about pride. Augustine, Calvin, Luther and a host of church fathers throughout the ages have always taught that pride is the devil’s most effective and destructive tool causing us to promote our own views above God’s rule.
God says the rainbow will be a symbol of promise. The spirit of the age says we will make it a symbol of pride and celebrate every person’s sexual choice as a decision to be made on their own apart from God’s rule protective guidance.
Materials, obtained by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, provide a glimpse of how sex education has been handled in some Oklahoma schools. In one sex-education lesson teachers distributed “the Trans-Genderbread Person” to help children understand their genitalia doesn’t have to determine their gender.
If you don’t feel satisfied, you can change. Be careful - We are all hungry for something more and are deeply unfulfilled without him!
God designed you to be satisfied.
Some people have concluded that they must consider a complete change to their identity to heal something that feels intimately wounded.
What would Jesus say to that person? I love you. You are not a mistake. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, called you and appointed you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. But you need to understand. This world is not your home, so you are never going to feel comfortably whole or completely comfortable here.
The spirit of the age (philosophies of this world) (spirit of the antichrist) (many ways to describe) has been at work generation after generation trying to dismantle God’s truth! The wide road is easy to find but we are called to this narrow road.
It's so easy to feel confident when you’re in the majority. Don’t you love being in a crowd where everyone agrees and is cheering for the same thing! There is something about being at Thunder game cheering and screaming with fellow fans, all in agreement, that is invigorating on many levels. If you go to an away game, and you’re not at home, you can feel very out of place about what you are and are not passionate about.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ESV
Hunger and thirst are a purposeful discomforts God designed to activate the brain constantly communicating something is missing out of your life that is only found in Him. God is saying I'm going to keep making you feel uncomfortable until I get your attention and ultimately your affection.
John 7:37 Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink." ESV
You are designed by God to drink from the well of living water of the right-side up Kingdom in this upside down world.
Are you thirsty? Do you want to be satisfied?
GP2RL: Make room to discuss the pursuit of God that results in righteousness, peace and joy with a friend this week.
