Good morning, and welcome to Harding Street Church of Christ. I hope you were able to make it to some of the Gospel Gathering this past week, and if you couldn’t you missed some great lessons. The theme Walking With God is such an uplifting theme, that we always have our God walking with us and guiding us. The speakers had great messages from Romans 8, teaching us that we are free because of Christ, that we are the adopted children of God when we follow the Spirit, that we can find glory through suffering, and that we can find God’s everlasting love in all aspects of our lives. We will have this same county wide gospel gathering around this time next year, so make plans now to be able to attend.
One of my daily verses this week was Matthew 5:6. This verse is found in the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus declares, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. If we earnestly seek Him, if we long for righteousness, then we are blessed. Seeking God and longing for righteousness is a mark of those who truly follow Christ. Now it doesn’t say to just casually desire these things, but to hunger and thirst for them. This shows that we should desire to have an intense craving and a sense of urgency that drives us to pursue righteousness. Just as we hunger and thirst for the things needed for survival physically, we should hunger and thirst for righteousness for our own spiritual well-being. This hunger should cause us to want to see God’s will and justice done in our own lives and in the world around us. What does it mean for us to hunger and thirst for righteousness? It means that we desire to live in a right relationship with God, seeking to align our lives with His word, and longing for His justice and peace to prevail. It involves turning away from sin and self-centered feelings and pursuing a life that reflects the holiness of Christ. This hunger also includes a deep concern for others – the desire to see righteousness and justice all around our communities.
There is a promise attached to this statement, that we will be satisfied. Jesus assures us that those who seek righteousness will not be left empty and hungry, but will be filled and satisfied. We will be transformed by His spirit, and we will be filled with peace, joy, and purpose. This is what is promised to us if we hunger and thirst for righteousness. Do we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we truly long to see God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven? We are surrounded by worldly distractions, so we must work to fix our eyes on what truly satisfies; Jesus Christ, who is the source of all righteousness.
-Geoffrey Bane
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