Reading With the People of God #11 Blessedනියැදිය

Focus of the month: (The Beatitudes)

3 “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.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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.

- Matthew 5:3-12

An Appetite for Righteousness

Righteousness: the word righteousness comes from the Hebrew word “tzedakah” and the Greek word “dikaiosune”. These words can mean justice, generosity, and honesty.

Who here hungers and thirsts for a right relationship in their life?

The scripture we read today in Matthew of the Beatitudes is Matthew 5:6 where Jesus is saying that the real thing we need is righteousness and in order to have this we definitely need a large appetite and be really thirsty in order to spiritually fill ourselves up. Physically we need food and water to survive. We tend to crave certain foods and drinks. We fill up on things healthy and unhealthy. We can eat and drink out of emotions, we can overindulge in foods and drinks that we think will comfort us as a result of the emotions we are going through. Or we can simply eat and drink because we know we need to fuel our body properly in order to prevent illness and disease and, hence: to be healthy physically.

In John 6:35 Jesus says that He is the bread of life. He is offering Himself as our fuel source. He is saying that He alone sustains us and gives us energy to fuel ourselves properly. This is true health! Just like in physical training, we can progress as we become fitter, and these Beatitudes are a spiritual progress. Matthew 5:1-5 shows that we are morally depleted, and physically when we are depleted of nutrients we suffer unhealthy consequences and therefore cannot help ourselves alone and need to seek medical attention. In 5:4 we learn about mourning = expressing grief, and sorrow and these emotions can lead to wanting to fuel on foods, drinks, and unhealthy behaviors to comfort our emotions from being depleted spiritually. In 5:5 we then progress to meekness, a quality of being humble. Owning up to our unhealthy behaviors, attitudes, and actions. All progressing to 5:6, seeking righteousness, becoming so hungry and thirsty knowing that nothing we tried satisfied our own needs and wants. We come to a point of wanting to change but don’t know how or where to begin. Jesus is saying that the only way to seek this righteousness, this right type of healthy lifestyle is from Him alone. The only way to fuel our hungry desires in life is by knowing the One Who will sustain our every need and want. The only way we will ever have a right relationship with ourselves, food, and others, is by being made right with God. And the only way to do this is by seeking after Him first and foremost. Everything else is temporary and only sustains for so long but Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior sustains us for Eternity. True transformation can only come from the renewal of our mind=heart (Romans 12:2) and this only comes from the One Who transformed us…Christ alone!

What are you hungry for? What desires do you have? Psalm 37:4 says

“Take delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart”

May we all crave and hunger for righteousness. May Grace and Peace be with you all.

* Devotional primer contributed by Amanda Moon, Certified All Woman’s Fitness Specialist, Certified Behavior Change Specialist, Certified Christian Mental Health Coach.