Father, Your love poured forth into an absolutely beautiful day! The sun was bright, the temperatures were mild is was blessing after blessing. May I be just as appreciative of the days to come, whether they be overcast and rainy or cold and blustery. It will still be blessing after blessing, with day after day to serve and love!
Matthew 5:4-6 (<<click the green)
Maybe you have the same problem, but it is just as easy for me as an adult as it was as a kid…to spoil my appetite with things I probably shouldn’t have before I eat a good solid meal. Though for the most part, it’s not as bad as it used to be, but on occasion, I get the serious munchies and snack on a little of this and a little of that and before I know it, it’s time to meet Karen for lunch. I know that it’s not good for me, but every once in a while, I still do it.
Lord, You proclaim in verse 6 of this passage,
“God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, [righteousness] for they will be satisfied.” NLT
The Amplified Bible reads this way,
“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.” (emphasis mine)
My nibbling doesn’t truly satisfy my hunger – neither does filling my life with tidbits from the world satisfy my “hunger and thirst for righteousness”. Honestly, it only brings me trouble.
Lord Jesus, we all have that hunger and thirst. Before we know You, we try to satisfy those desires with all kinds of things. There may be satisfaction for a short time, but everything lacks the ability to completely satisfy our appetites. Even after we enter into a relationship with You, we still have cravings for the things of which we used to partake. Even though we know they aren’t good for us, even though we know they will leave us empty and spiritually malnourished. And worst of all, they erect a wall between us…
It brings to mind a portion of Hebrews 12:1,
“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” NLT
As I wrote, my mind keyed on the word weight in this passage. What happens when we eat too much of the things we shouldn’t? We put on weight, right? Sin does the same thing; it weighs us down.
So, Lord Jesus, I’ve made headway in curbing my cravings but I would ask again for Your strength and wisdom as I continue to cut out the nibbling…and I’m not just talking food. Enable me to keep my focus on You.
Paul gives a good conclusion,
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV
Amen to that!
(Oct 10th, 2017, Tues, 7:58 pm)
Oct 10th, 2022, Mon, 7:53 pm
