Hunger and Thirst

How often do you get hungry or thirsty?  My guess is you get hungry and thirsty several times a day, every day.

Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matt. 5:6).  We long for food and water, but Jesus speaks of hungering and thirsting for righteousness!  How do we do that? Isaiah 51:1:  helps us understand:  Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD:  Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.  When we seek God, we find righteousness too.  How do we seek God?  We seek Him in church, hearing messages from music and the pulpit.  We seek God when we read, study and meditate on scripture.  We seek Him in prayer, talking to Him and listening to His still, quiet voice.  We seek Him whenever we enjoy the beauty of His creation.

If we need to eat and drink several times a day to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies, wouldn’t the same be true of our spiritual hunger and thirst?

Father God, thank you for giving us physical hunger and thirst so we may understand spiritual hunger and thirst.  Teach us to seek You and your righteousness so that you may continually satisfy our spiritual longings. 

Mountains and Valleys

“We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life – those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength.”
― Oswald Chambers

Thank you, Lord, for the mountains that inspire, and the valleys that give us stamina and strength.

Learning to Trust

Father, sometimes I am afraid. I’m afraid of the future when I should be trusting in you. Forgive me. Teach me to cling to you, to trust you, in the hard times, in the fearful times. Thank you for providing comfort and peace.

A Thunderous Voice

The bible tells us that God speaks in a still, small voice.  But sometimes when I enter a still, small state, His voice shouts and thunders:  How can my people be so blind?  How can you be so deaf?  Open your eyes!  Open your ears!  My glory is all around you and you ignore it.

Look!  Behold my glory in the sky:  The brightness of the sun, the vastness of the blue dome overhead.  The moon and the host of stars glow at night; all these reveal my glory.  Open your eyes to see Me.  The majestic, snow-topped mountains and the heaving waters of the oceans, their waves crashing against the shore, are all shouting out my greatness.  The brilliant bolt of lightning electrifies the night sky.  How can you not see Me?  Look in the eyes of an infant, in the caress of a loved one. Look at your own skin and hair.   My glory is everywhere.  See it, and glorify my name.

Listen!  Everywhere you hear testaments of my greatness:  The rumbling thunder in the midst of a storm.  The early morning songs of the birds and the rushing waters of a mountain stream proclaim My majesty.  Listen!  You will hear my voice.  Listen to the laughter of a child.  Listen to the wind in the trees.  Listen to music: the piano, guitar, violin, and saxophone all sing of my glory.  Hear the voices of those who love you.  Listen to your heartbeat.  Hear your breathing.  All these provide testimonies of my greatness.  Open your ears; glorify my name.

O my people, how can you be so blind?  O people, how can you be so deaf?  Open your eyes; open your ears.  My glory resides all around you!  See it.  Hear it.  After you finally see it and hear it, do not be mute.  Tell others how great I am.  Open your mouth and glorify Me.

Father, forgive me.  Forgive me for the countless times I fail to notice your glory all around me.  Forgive me for not listening for your voice.  Keep my eyes and ears open that I may behold your glory.  Let my mouth open in praise of my almighty God.

Job 37:2-5 “Listen!  Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.  He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heavens and sends it to the ends of the earth.  After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice.  When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.  God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”

Friday Friends’ Favorites

Romans 8: 38, 39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thank you, Lord, for your ever-present love and your faithfulness through all generations.

Detour Ahead

Detour Ahead

It happens when we least expect it. We’re traveling down the highway, making great time, knowing we’ll reach our destination on time. And then, out of nowhere, we see it: the bright orange sign. It has two simple words printed on it, “Detour ahead.” Before we know it, we’re off the highway, traveling some winding two lane road. Our speed slows dramatically, and the traffic resembles a caravan of snails inching toward their destination.

Our typical reaction to the detour? We whine, we gripe, we bemoan our fate.

Jesus experienced a detour too. One minute He was in the fast lane. People crowded around Him, begging to see Him and hear Him speak. They call Him “Savior” and wanted to make Him king. They threw palm branches and their robes at His feet, praising Him as He entered Jerusalem. Surely, He was traveling quickly toward fame, riches, and royalty.

But a detour caused an abrupt about face to that trip. Jesus was arrested, beaten, humiliated, and nailed, nearly naked, to a rugged wooden cross. How did He react to this detour? He uttered two sentences that show His attitude to the detour. “Father…not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42) and “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Because He traveled the detour, which of course was the plan all along, believers receive eternal life.

On our highway of life, we will encounter unexpected detours. How will we react? Will we whine and complain? Or will we submit to the One who knows the final destination?

Choose Worship

I have learned that in every circumstance that comes my way, I can choose to respond in one of two ways: I can whine or I can worship! And I can’t worship without giving thanks. It just isn’t possible. When we choose the pathway of worship and giving thanks, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, there is a fragrance, a radiance, that issues forth out of our lives to bless the Lord and others.
— Nancy Leigh DeMoss