A Devotional Thought for God’s Family – 1
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
One of my favorite meals is chicken parm. I don’t know why, or what it is about chicken parm, probably the combination of ingredients, but I am certainly partial to it. It is a wonderful aspect of our lives, the way God has made us that we can be satisfied in anything. It is a gift from the Lord to feel satisfaction. Satisfaction follows longing or maybe a different way of understanding is that satisfaction follows a want and/or a need.
Jesus uses the terms hunger and thirst. Can I ask you a question? If you could have anything in this world right now what would you receive that would most satisfy you? Maybe you could stop and answer that question – it is good for you to know yourself. Let me give you some ideas-
How about a restored relationship.
A person healed who is dying.
Financial independence so you can serve God.
Being with loved ones who you have not seen.
Maybe you want to find your soul mate.
Come out from under intense hardship and oppression.
Struggling so much with challenges and adversity.
These, and many more are deep longings for us. This list goes on and on doesn’t it? Yet, we find Jesus who knows the challenges of this world very well asking that we hunger and thirst for righteousness, not necessarily to come out from under the heaviness of life, I wonder why?
Well, I do not think that hungering for righteousness and coming out from under adversity are mutually exclusive, in other words, you don’t have to choose one instead of the other. I do believe that you have to place them in the correct order of wanting.
Jesus said it like this, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31–33 (ESV)
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness first.
We live as believers with a first fruit mindset, which is, that God gets the best and first of every aspect of my life. He deserves it and cannot accept the second best. This principle applies more than you can imagine in regard to what you long for.
Let’s revisit what you long for that may weigh heavy on your heart.
Can you consciously move that to second place right now? Clear that table of your heart for a moment, take everything off the table of your heart. Come on, close your eyes for a second and track with me.
I am not asking you to forget what you long for, how could you? Set it on a chair somewhere, let the table of longing be empty for a moment. Now, however small or large your longing for knowing God and being like Him is, place it on the table.
Maybe it takes up the whole table or maybe it is the size of a coffee cup, that doesn’t matter so you don’t need to compare yourself with others. I simply want you to center your longing for God’s righteousness and work at keeping it at the center. You are free to add other things on that table, but don’t bury your longing for righteousness because God says He will add all these other things, because He knows that your need them.
Our life goal is to let the hunger and thirst for righteousness be center stage, to want it more, to honor it more. To cultivate it more. How easy it is to let the cares (true cares) of this world choke out our longing for God.
Father in Heaven, please make me like You. Lord, Your righteousness is what I need more than anything else in this life. Help me to hold fast to this truth. Lord, let my hunger and thirst for You swell larger than it is today and let it consume all other hungers in my life. Thank You for Your promises to meet all of my needs.
A Devotional Thought for God’s Family – 2
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Mercy is very unnatural. In a world where weakness is seen as a reason for disqualification, God stands out above all as mighty and strong, as he extends mercy to those in need.
God is the only one who never learned how to show mercy. He has always been merciful. You are a different story. The way to learn how to show mercy is to have mercy shown to you. To feel the lifting of the burden of guilt off of our shoulders is a unique and holy experience.
In those moments of receiving mercy, our hearts are filled with gratitude. That gratitude prompts us to look for people who we can extend God’s likeness and love to, by being merciful.
Do you know what extending favor to those who deserve it is? Justice.
Do you know what extending favor to those who do not deserve it is? Mercy.
The act of showing favor to the person who has no ability to pay back the debt, that is mercy. So many get tripped up at the threshold of forgiveness because they fail to understand mercy.
There is no reciprocity in mercy. There is no payback in mercy.
When you are trying to forgive, don’t look for justice, very rarely will you ever find it. Lay justice down and look for a way to extend mercy. That will take you right past the threshold of forgiveness into freedom. If you hold too tightly to justice, your heart will tend toward resentment, please be careful what you hold in your heart.
It is so important to be able to look back in your life on those times when mercy was shown to you. Justice would demand a pound of your flesh, but instead you were blessed. To remember being the one in need can soften your heart to extend mercy.
Perhaps you would bow up and say no one has ever shown me mercy that I would be able to know the feeling of gratitude that I could extend mercy freely to another.
Listen Christ follower, a great mercy has come to you through the blood of Jesus. Not only that, even today, God hides your sin, He protects your being, He doesn’t expose you. What if all your thoughts and dreams were put on a movie screen? God knows them all and as a friend He shields you from you. Mercy on mercy, God is so good to you!!
We become so accustomed to living in the mercy of God we forget that it is even there. We look to the cross as a historical event that secured our salvation and we soon forget that everyday we walk in God’s mercy.
Out of God comes mercy, it is His nature. He is mercy, like He is love. Mercy is a facet of the diamond of His love. And to be like God is to long to be a merciful person. One who lives a life of extending mercy. So unnatural!
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Quickly forgive, quickly repent, quickly long for a merciful heart – there isn’t much time left.
Oh Lord, thank You for the mercy that You showed me at the cross Jesus died on. And thank You for the mercy that I live in everyday. You show me such love everyday. Lord, teach me how to be like You, I want to become a more merciful person. Kindness and gentleness that comes from a grateful heart, that is where You are taking me and I am glad. Bless the name of the Lord today, thank You Father.
A Devotional Thought for God’s Family – 3
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
This “Tude” is remarkable and unique from all the rest spoken by Jesus. With the rest are some inklings that you can act in some sort of way to receive the blessing. To be pure in heart is to be guiltless. How in the world do you live guiltless?!
It is important to remember that when Jesus spoke this to the people listening they were in the old mosaic system which required consistent action and behavior to maintain saintship. So, this beatitude fit right in with the rest in that, there is something to be done to be blessed.
We live in a blessed time.
God’s grace, His massive city of grace is a place you live if indeed Jesus has redeemed you. No longer bound to the daily religious acts that maintain your salvation, we now are guiltless and righteous due to an act of love by our Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Listen carefully as I tell you, because this is often misunderstood and leads to a shipwrecked life. Boats run aground all around you tell the truth, so be mindful.
Jesus has conquered guilt, but guilt can still conquer you, if you let it.
Jesus nullified the law that used to impose guilt on any and all law breakers. But as a law breaker (which you are) we have to regularly go to Christ and confess our guilt and seek to let the Holy Spirit change my heart so I can no longer do the things that produce guilt.
Please don’t think that since guilt has no hold on me I can do what I want.
Look at it this way. Suppose our local government said there is no longer speed limits and stop signs. How many people would be speeding down the road without a care of anyone else? How many more people would be hurt by careless drivers? You would probably drive even slower than you do now.
And that’s the point of grace, you do not push beyond the limits of the former law with no care or concern for others, you slow down even more and are watchful and cognizant of what is going on around you. Paul put it this way, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)
Because you are “guiltless” you don’t speed down the road of life, because you are going to truly hurt others and yourself. Nor do you impose rules and regulations raising them as biblical absolutes, becoming pharisaical.
You find in the leading of the Holy Spirit, your place of peace and simplicity. You find the place where the fruit of the Holy Spirit has the best opportunity to flow up through your life. That is the intention of grace, to see the unhindered expression of God through you into this guilt ridden world.
Yes and by all means holy, the Holy Spirit is your Leader and your Guide into all good things God has for you. This is why regular connection with God is so wonderful. He is constantly raising up good things in you. He is leading you forward in your life without punishing you and smashing you into little bits of a person.
Lord, thank You for building me and shaping me into what You desire for me to be. Thank You that You are not angry and vengeful, pouring out wrath and hatred on me for my sin. I live inside the huge city of grace that you have made for me through Jesus Christ. God, I want to listen more to the Holy Spirit. I don’t want to be a Pharisee and I don’t want to be careless with my faith either. I need You to help me with balance Lord.
A Devotional Thought for God’s Family – 4
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
I have always wanted the bumper sticker that says, “visualize whirled peas.” Ever since I saw the sign years ago, I have thought it was clever. World peace is something that most people strive after.
The sad thing is, each group of people believe they know how to achieve it, if they could only conquer others to get it, that’s the key. Subdue others to bring peace.
Isn’t it strange that we think peace comes through shaping others, not serving them.
We want peace in our home so we yell at the kids or our spouse to go do something. Peace isn’t what we were after there, was it? What were we going after? Peace and quiet we say…really?
Please do not mistake tranquility with peace. You can be tranquil all on your own. Tranquility usually involves pushing people away. Peace on the other hand is pulling people closer and living closely in harmony. Tranquility happens best without people.
Peace is another story. I believe the reason Jesus used the term “peacemaker” is that the term operates inside of community, large or small. How often, when you think of peace, do you say peace with… “Peace with God” or, “We now have peace with this nation.”
Peacemaking… with ourselves? No, not really – peacemaking is with others.
Listen to me now – peacemaking is rarely tranquil for both parties. One of the parties is going to suffer to get to peace and one is going to be the immediate recipient of a blessing. The one who suffers is the peacemaker, but that suffering is for a future return on the peacemaking investment made.
The peacemaker is willing to trade tranquility for peace. To do what another wants or needs requires a dying to a preconceived agenda – that is rarely tranquil.
Peacemakers get good at taking the external struggle for power and control and making it internal. They bless others by letting the struggle become about their own will, rather than a battle about who has got the right way and which idea are we going to choose.
Peacemakers are not doormats. Peacemakers are not fearful or people pleasers. True peacemakers are some of the most courageous people on earth. They have already conquered some of the hardest territories on the planet, the human will…their own will.
Peacemakers are able to fulfill the will of God through others by serving others. Peacemakers can see what God sees in others, and be used by the Lord to sanctify broken places and bless raw material of the heart.
Peacemakers aren’t perfect, but they have a knack for partnering with God in the building up of people. Being with a peacemaker makes a person feel as though they have been sitting with Jesus. That is why Jesus says that peacemakers will be called sons of God.
Jesus challenges our perception of peace. He moves our thoughts from peace being a feeling I have by finding a tranquil place, to peacemaking being a way of life, an attitude of service to God and others.
Peace feelers or peacemakers?
Lord, I want to have Your eyes as I see others. I want to have Your words as I speak to others. I want to have your heart as I love others. I want to have kingdom thinking the way You do, building the hearts of others so that they too, can see you. Thank You that all that I need to see can be found in Your Word, given to us by You.
A Devotional Thought for God’s Family – 5
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
When I was a small child, I would walk to school, this was a time when kids could do such a thing. Sometimes, the mind of a child can imagine things like heroes and monsters. Sometimes based on the cartoons I would watch, I would think of monsters that would chase me, that weren’t really there (Calvin and Hobbs moment).
Always, without a doubt, the place to run to was…home. After school, if I could just make it around the corner, just to see the property, I was…home free. Then the sprint to the edge of the yard – safety zone – untouchable! Foiled the bad guys once again.
The kingdom of heaven is our home. And instead of imaginary foes who are out to get us, there is a real threat to our very existence. If not here, other parts of the earth wake daily with the threat of loss because of their belief and trust in Jesus Christ.
Thank the Lord, that most of us have not had the horrors of the monsters attacking for our stand in righteousness, aligning with Jesus Christ. Do you ever wonder how long you will have the privileges you do? I think about this often, and I used to pray for safety for my family and for you too.
It seems I have shifted to a different prayer, one that asks the Lord for increased faith, regard for the Scripture and boldness. I pray for loved ones to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I don’t much pray for safety anymore.
What about you? What seems to be the common thread of intent in your prayer for others? Is it to put their lives back together into some sense of normalcy? Whatever you think that normalcy should be, right? I just don’t want them in pain and sorrow, right? Oh, God, keep bad things away from…
Here I was praying for persecution to stay away from people that I know, and Jesus is saying point blank… “You are blessed if you are persecuted!” How is it that I was so far from the mind of Christ? The answer is simple – where is my home?
Think about this, Jesus knows His home very well. He speaks from a deep understanding of the blessings of heaven. And He points to our home in heaven. My prayers will reveal to me where I truly see my home. If I am asking the Lord to secure protection and comfort here, then here is whey my heart and home is.
If on the other hand, my gaze is fixed on heaven, then I can be prepared and ready for the cost of getting there. Jesus is revealing the cost of getting there (heaven) in this passage.
This is a disruptive teaching today. Sitting with our coffee and news or music in the background, you were looking for something to ignite your day, I know, I am sorry.
Can you imagine how wonderful a sit down conversation with Jesus would be? It would put most everything into alignment that you have wondered about between you and Him. How wonderful would that be! So many questions – and seeing Him would answer them.
Would you guys sit there forever?
Or, do you think He would get up and press on with the mission the Father gave to Him? Are you going to wait for Jesus to come back and visit you again, all the while sipping your coffee? Or, are you going to get up and follow Him?
Heading out of the room, He turns and looks back at you – “Are you coming?”
“Ahh, no. I am home Lord. This is perfect – You and me. I will wait for your next visit.”
Matthew 19:29 (ESV): And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
Father, I hear Your call to be ready. Make me ready for Your assignment. Lord, forgive me for misplacing my home. You lead and I will follow. Teach me how to let go and follow You wherever You choose to lead me. And those that I love, let their lives count Lord. Let their lives be a shining light in a lost world. Fill them with the Holy Spirit and let the Word of God be forever true in their lives. Make their faith grow all the days of their lives. Thank You for all you have given to me in love. We are so blessed Lord, thank You.
A Devotional Thought for God’s Family – 6
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Have you sat in the seat of the scorned before? (Men best not stare at your wife right now) I’m not talking about when you deserved it. I mean when you were innocent.
I remember standing in a court room when I was 24. It was a traditional setting with the gate, judge, bailiff, plaintiff and lawyer, and there I stood alone physically (Jesus was there), fighting for a broken marriage in divorce court. Accusations flew, which were untrue – I was to do nothing but stand there and listen.
It was my turn to talk – and I fought for what was right. I said that I believed in God and that I felt this was wrong and that I loved her and felt strongly that the marriage was of great worth and should be fought for.
My words fell to the floor in the earthly court. I was a fool in the eyes of most who were there, I am sure. All I could see was the loss, and my only hope was Jesus and what was right.
Being reviled and falsely accused will come into your life when you become a hinderance to others getting what they want and you and/or your righteousness stand in the way of their evil desires.
Take heart – its not you. It feels like you, it feels like you are alone, but you are not alone and it isn’t you they are warring against. Just as Jesus represents you in heaven, you represent Him here on earth. Jesus is the one who they war against. You stand with Him and You will be just fine. You may be taken into court and painted as a problem, but know this, there is a Higher Court.
How can we be sure? Listen to this Higher Court scene –
Acts 7:54–56 (ESV): Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Isn’t that fascinating, lower court proceedings being watched by the Higher Court Judge. I am so glad that Jesus the great and holy Judge is looking in on all proceedings. And He makes a decree for you, He says, “Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great.”
Praise the Lord! The High Court rules! Not one decree by the littlest of courts on earth will pass by the eyes of the High Court Judge. Praise God that His authority is given to Jesus the Son of God.
Strap on your seat belt— Please be aware that the High Court doesn’t exist to make things right for you. The High Court is the sovereign will of God enacted upon mankind and you find your justice in His will. Defer your hope for justice to Jesus, He has a better justice than you do.
Lord, You are my Judge. Not only do I ascribe to You the Judicator of short comings and transgressions against those who have hurt me, You are the Judicator of my short comings and transgressions too. Let them be the same. Teach me High Court ways Lord.
Blessings
Pastor D
For the stout hearted: Would it be alright with you for Jesus to execute justice against you the same way you want it for those who have hurt you?
James 2:12–13 (ESV): So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
