“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6Matthew 5:6
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
6 God blesses those people who want to obey him s who want to obey him: Or “who want to do right” or “who want everyone to be treated right.” more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want!
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How will we be satisfied?
Can you imagine going all week, until Sunday, without eating a meal? You’d be tired, grumpy and lethargic without any food in your body, wouldn’t you? You’d have no energy and little interest in anything because you’d be deprived of the fuel it takes to operate in a healthy manner.
The same is true of us when we leave our Bibles, untouched, between church services. A week without the Word of God would be detrimental to our spiritual lives. There would be no direction, but our own, and that usually ends us up in a place we don’t want to be. There would be no assurance of God’s love that is ours, and that would leave us feeling needy and alone. There would be no chastisement or reminder of sin that we could easily fall prey to when not listening to the Voice of God. Ignoring the Word could result in a disaster for us, spiritually speaking.
When we are malnourished, we are a sad bunch, a weak family of Christians. We haven’t much desire to serve because we have no energy or motivation to do so. What good, then, are we to the Lord? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Matthew 5:13Matthew 5:13
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Salt and Light
13 ; You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.
WP-Bible plugin) Even if we have an idea of serving, how will we know what to do or how to do it the way He wants us to without His instruction?
We need to encourage one another to read the Word, faithfully and often. We need to be self-disciplined, setting a specific block of time for the studying of the Bible. Devouring the delectable tidbits from the banquet table that God sets before us will nourish our spiritual lives in ways we cannot imagine! We will grow closer to Him, we will move in Him, we will serve Him, we will please Him! A proper spiritual diet is one that incorporates prayer, studying the Word, and then carrying out what we have learned. Praying, alone, won’t accomplish the work of God. Neither will reading His Word. We must put what we’ve learned into practice. There is no sense knowing something without using the knowledge. All this may not come easily, but it is not always easy to do what is best for us or for the good of someone else.
Think of it this way, would we, if we were carpenters, go off to a job without the tools we’d need in our toolboxes? No, of course not. We’d accomplish little that day, having left our tools at home. The same is true of the Bible. Leaving it untouched, unread, does not prepare us for the work God wants to have done in the world around us. We have a kingdom to build for Him. Just as we cannot hammer a nail with our hand alone, we cannot build a kingdom without His blueprints and instruction. Let’s remember to use the tools He has supplied us with for the job!
Let us each find a time each morning, when we may sit with Jesus in a quiet place. (“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10Psalm 46:10
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
10 Our God says, “Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honor me.”
WP-Bible plugin) Unhurried, let’s spend time speaking with Him through prayer, listening to Him through the reading of the Bible. Then we can go forth into the new day with a calm assurance that we are prepared to do the work He puts before us.
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