| Hungry. But for what? It happens to all of us. We look in the pantry or fridge as well as that secret stash, and it just doesn’t do it. We settle for the easy, the second best, the less than what we want.
Hey, if we get like that in the natural day to day shuffle of life, what happens to us “spiritually”? Pastor Cathy and I are teaching a series on Jesus’ famous Beatitudes. Blessed (happy) are the poor, those who mourn, the merciful and those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. I am wanting to be blessed but not quite sure how to live the kingdom life. For example, I am supposed to hunger and thirst for righteousness; so we asked what does that mean or look like. Perhaps I should read a lot about Him, pray more, fast, give alms (that is monetary gifts to the needy), join the church, be baptized, join the choir, win the lost; all good steps. Eventually.
When I start with that kind of thinking, it reminds me of where I started this note, in the pantry or fridge. Hungry, but for what? Go to the bookstore, get online, talk to my church buddies…sometimes I can end up feeling like I am at a buffet line, picking and choosing things that may or may not satisfy or even be what God wants me to do.
Here is the insight that can really help us.
Galatians 4:6 … God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father,” so you are no longer a slave (unknown) but God’s child…
The way I know God (or become hungry or thirsty for God), is not because of all the religious things I do or not. The way I know I belong to God is because somehow, like a new born, I cry out Abba, meaning “daddy.” It is when the moment occurs to me that I am a Christian or a believer. Just as an infant coming into this world is made to cry, to clear the lungs and breathe, God’s Spirit comes in, making me aware, and I actually start thinking about how to feed my spiritual hunger. From that point on, we may or may not understand everything, but there is no denying I am His and He is mine. Now I am hungry and need to be fed. The Bible calls for the “milk of the word,” and “solid meat.” So to be hungry and thirsty means as I read His word, I will discover passion and ambition for the Lord I never thought about before.
I have had a few of His meals, and I still cannot wait for more.
Great series underway, you don’t want to miss.
See You in Church,
Pastor Greg |
0 Comments