BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Pastor Bill Marks, Christian Fellowship, Potchefstroom, (018) 293 1608 or 079 311 6515 BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED! The Beatitudes show the progression in our relationship with the Lord, and reach a climax in Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled". The Scribes and the Pharisees were dependent on their own righteousness, for they lived by their own set of DO's and DON'TS. Matthew 5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus was saying to the people that their self-righteousness was an external code of righteousness lived by the letter of the law, instead of a righteousness based on faith in Him. Just as our physical bodies need food so that we can be energized with life, so we need to hunger and thirst after righteousness. Job 39:27-30 "Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he." At one stage the mother and father eagle refrain from feeding the young ones regularly, so that they become more hungry. The eagles hover over them and allow the BLOOD to drip down onto their beaks. In this way they encourage them to leave the nest and hunt for their own food. Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." The eagle flies higher than any other bird and is called the king of the birds. The Lord created the eagle to rise heavenward. GOD WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BECOME WEARY IF YOU WAIT UPON HIM. When we hunger and thirst after righteousness as the Word says, we shall be filled. The word RIGHTEOUSNESS, translated from the Greek, is an attribute of God. When we receive salvation, God's righteousness is implanted into our hearts. We desire to continuously live a holy life. There are over 1 million people in the UK who are suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. People suffering from bulimia eat excessively, but purge the food they have eaten. By doing so, it lowers the serotonin level which takes away your sense of well-being. The spiritual root is self-hatred, self-rejection and guilt, causing a lack of self-esteem and a feeling of lovelessness. Malachi 4:2 "But for you who revere My Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." Christ is the Rising Sun and desires to heal you. Deuteronomy 32:11 "…like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions." This is the picture of God's heart. So rest in Him for He is a nurturing Father who cares for you. Jesus came to bring abundant life, and He is the deepest desire of the human heart. ONLY IN HIM DO WE REALLY BEGIN TO LIVE! Sponsored by TG Traders