DAY 6 - How To Find Satisfaction in Life | 21-Day Devotional on Jesus’ Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount
How To Find Satisfaction in Life
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[Text of the same lesson from the audio]
Matthew 5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled (satisfied)
We live a discontented, dissatisfied world. Seems like nothing is good enough and we find room to complain while experiencing many of the best conditions in life here in the USA. We are very aware of all the things that are wrong, and don’t ignore those conditions, but we should be intentional about thinking on the things that are good.
The Apostle Paul wrote, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
A function of having hunger and thirst for righteousness is focusing on right things. Biblical righteousness is “right standing with God.” Righteousness is living inside of God’s goodness. Righteousness is also “standing in the right place.”
There is something about God’s righteousness that adjusts our attitude, helps us focus on good things, removes religious arrogance, and cancels self-righteousness.
The fact is that very few of us in modern conditions of life know what it is to be really hungry or really thirsty. In the ancient world it was very different. A working man's wage was the equivalent of three pence a day, and, even making every allowance for the difference in the purchasing power of money, no man ever got fat on that wage. A working man in Palestine ate meat only once a week, and in Palestine the working man and the day labourer were never far from the border-line of real hunger and actual starvation. (Barclay)
Hunger and thirst is a passion for something needed, like food and shelter, not just something we want like a bigger television. In our culture, we confuse wants with necessities. We hunger and thirst because righteousness is NOT something we possess without Christ. In Christ, we are righteous, but we are only aware of it through fellowship with God.
Matthew 5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled (satisfied)
We live a discontented, dissatisfied world. Seems like nothing is good enough and we find room to complain while experiencing many of the best conditions in life here in the USA. We are very aware of all the things that are wrong, and don’t ignore those conditions, but we should be intentional about thinking on the things that are good.
The Apostle Paul wrote, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
A function of having hunger and thirst for righteousness is focusing on right things. Biblical righteousness is “right standing with God.” Righteousness is living inside of God’s goodness. Righteousness is also “standing in the right place.”
There is something about God’s righteousness that adjusts our attitude, helps us focus on good things, removes religious arrogance, and cancels self-righteousness.
The fact is that very few of us in modern conditions of life know what it is to be really hungry or really thirsty. In the ancient world it was very different. A working man's wage was the equivalent of three pence a day, and, even making every allowance for the difference in the purchasing power of money, no man ever got fat on that wage. A working man in Palestine ate meat only once a week, and in Palestine the working man and the day labourer were never far from the border-line of real hunger and actual starvation. (Barclay)
Hunger and thirst is a passion for something needed, like food and shelter, not just something we want like a bigger television. In our culture, we confuse wants with necessities. We hunger and thirst because righteousness is NOT something we possess without Christ. In Christ, we are righteous, but we are only aware of it through fellowship with God.
The question to ask yourself is this: How much do I want God’s goodness, provision, and righteousness? Do you want it as much as a starving man wants food? How intense is your desire for God?
A takeaway from this Beatitude is this: It is not enough to be satisfied with partial goodness and righteousness, because here is no such thing as partial with with God. He wants us FILLED with whatever He offers. So, don’t settle for less.
REFLECTION QUESTION:
What does God's goodness, provision, and righteousness look like to you?
ACTION ITEMS BASED ON TODAY'S LESSON:
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RESOURCES:
• Message by Dr. Tony Evans, "Blessed Are the Spiritual Beggars" (Matthew 5:3)
https://go.tonyevans.org/tony-evans-sermons/blessed-are-the-spiritual-beggars
• Follow this link to a resource from Zondervan Academic on the Beatitutes:
https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/beatitudes
• Message by Dr. Tony Evans, "Blessed Are the Spiritual Beggars" (Matthew 5:3)
https://go.tonyevans.org/tony-evans-sermons/blessed-are-the-spiritual-beggars
• Follow this link to a resource from Zondervan Academic on the Beatitutes:
https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/beatitudes
• Follow this link to a resource on the Beatitudes from BibleGateway:https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2022/08/what-are-the-beatitudes-why-are-the-beatitudes-important/
• Follow THIS LINK (or copy/paste) to the web version of Barclay's Commentary on the New Testament: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb.html
• THIS LINK is a downloadable PDF of Barclay's Commentary
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