Embrace the Within no. 115

“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.”

Matthew 5:6 AMP

When you seek to be right with God, He will make certain you find everything. In fact, you will be completely satisfied. You will be filled up with righteousness. You will get more righteousness than you ever thought you could receive. You will rely on nourishment from God’s own goodness and that nourishment will fulfill all your needs.

“How enriched you are when you crave righteousness[Or “goodness” or “justice”]! For you will be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6 TPT

The Bible begins with creations that God judges as good. And the creation story ends with the most good creation. We just need to live up to the potential for goodness and righteousness for which we were created. That righteousness requires a lot of me. It requires that I stop trying to show myself and simply reflect that goodness. I have the potential every year, every day, every moment to reflect goodness and crave righteousness. And doing so will fill the God-sized hole in my life.

“Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousnes: for they shalbe filled.”

Matthew 5:6 GNV

Fulfillment is possible. That is God’s promise. We will no longer walk around life like a donut. That hole in our lives is there to be filled by God. Don’t be a donut. Fill your hole.

“Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”.

Matthew 5:6 NMV

The obstacle is that I have to choose each day to pursue righteousness. Righteousness is not my natural state every day. I have to commit to right thinking and right relationships. And that comes from building a daily walk and commitment to God. I need a routine of righteousness to allow God to lead as I follow.

“How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!

for they will be filled.”

Mattityahu 5:6 CJB

Building a daily walk where righteousness is my focus is a routine that will lead to my fulfillment as a person. I can find connection and fulfillment every day by merely reflecting the goodness that was my ultimate purpose. Righteousness is the state for which I was created, however, I allow other concerns to supplant this purpose.

“Is it a coincidence, or just a kind of grand irony, that loneliness has spiked just as our media became ‘social,’ our technology became ‘personal,’ and our machines learned to recognize our faces?”

Andy Crouch

Am I working towards righteousness and fulfillment or am I simply drifting around without purpose? God’s Way gives life a purpose and a fulfillment unlike any other. God’s Way does this because His Way was my reason for being. When I wander away or drift aimlessly I will feel disconnected from that purpose. I will feel alone. BUT with God, I am never alone.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 114

“Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the [Or humble, meek.] gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5 AMP

There is a lot to be said about being kind-hearted in this time of contempt and division. And this need for self-control in how we say what needs to be said is even more important when what needs to be said is a matter of eternal life or death. Being sweet-spirited rather than blunt and pointed can make all the difference as to whether the message of Christ is accepted from us. And in a day where folks are not meek or humble but rather the opposite, there is no better way to show the image of God than to be opposite of the normal.

“What blessing comes to you when gentleness [Or “meekness.” Jesus is saying that when you claim nothing as yours, everything will be given to you. The Aramaic word, makeekheh, implies being both gentle and flexible.] lives in you! For you will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5 TPT

I tend to get caught up in this idea of ownership. A lot of that stems from the world in which I live. There is a lot of philosophy and conversation about ownership and the rights that go along with ownership on earth. BUT I own nothing. I don’t even own my own life. And I think the more Christians take ownership of their absolute dependence on God, the better we can humbly show our reverence to God. And, in turn, this dependence is a witness to the heathens openly arguing over what and whom they own.

Blessed are the meeke: for they shall inherite the earth.

Matthew 5:5 GNV

There are blessings that go along with humility and meekness. One great blessing is not being responsible for everything that happens. If I am utterly dependent on God, then He is the one that makes the decisions. He is the one that decides how things are going to work out. And He is the one in control. I am merely here to serve out that work. Following His orders is much easier than trying to make up a way to get through the day. It, however, is not without thought because knowing God’s orders involve study, conversation, and action.

“Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”.

Matthew 5:5 NMV

God wants me to do what He says. I want to do what I think is good. And that is the central struggle played out in the Bible and throughout each of our lives. Am I going to do what He has made right or am I going to use my limited understanding to take His job? Am I going to presume to know better than God?

“How blessed are the meek!

for they will inherit the Land!

Mattityahu 5:5 CJB

There is a peace and calm that comes from knowing that the Lord is in control. And that peace and calm is something the world needs so much of today. It only takes a matter of seconds in conversation or in scrolling social media to see how much torment and struggle fills the days of most folks. BUT if we can live God’s peace and work at modeling that calm, then we can truly change the world.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH