Last week our group began the Bible study, The Sermon on the Mount, a 6 week study by The Daily Grace Co. It is described as “a study on God’s Upside-Down Kingdom.” There is much we can all learn from the very words of Jesus Himself.
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Memory Verse:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.†(Matthew 5:6)
Our reading began with Matthew 5-7, three chapters to get an overview of Jesus’ longest recorded sermon. The study states:
“But the words of Jesus here are not just words, they are a manifesto of sorts for the kingdom of God.” (from The Sermon on the Mount, page 7)
Here Jesus not only declares His kingdom, but shows us how we should live.
The people were expecting Him to take over and to rule. But that was not His intent:
“He came not to rule the nations, but to rule the hearts of all those who would believe. ” (from The Sermon on the Mount, page 7)
As I read through the chapters, I took note of how we are to live, act, and respond differently. By the time I got to Chapter 7, it was verse 24 that stood out:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts of them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (NASB).
Jesus calls us not only to hear His words, but to act on them. So at the start of this study, I am now wondering … how will He call me to act on these words?
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“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4, NASB)
We live this life with both mourning over our sin and rejoicing over our forgiveness.
Many of us have struggled for some time over the tensions, disunity, and violence in our country and world right now.
This verse brings the reminder to shift our gaze, our focus onto the Lord. Constantly. Only He can bring us hope and comfort.
The study shared this beautiful prayer from The Valley of Vision:
“Grant me never to lose sight of
the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
the exceeding righteousness of salvation,
the exceeding glory of Christ,
the exceeding beauty of holiness,
the exceeding wonder of grace.”(as shared from The Sermon on the Mount, page 15)
The study asks: True joy in Christ is not possible if we have not mourned over our sin. Why is this?
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 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, NASB)
The Message puts it this way: “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.”
How’s your appetite?
I am currently reading a book by Tony Evans, Kingdom Values, in which he also takes a look at The Sermon on the Mount. May I share some of his thoughts on this verse?
– “Hunger dictates actions. Actions produce outcomes.”
– “Hungers helps motivate a person to push harder, dig deeper, and pursue their goal with more passion.”
– “Until we reject illegitimate sources of nutrition and replace them with truth, we will remain ineffective followers unable to make much of a difference at all.”
It was that last quote that brought a loud “Ouch!” from my mouth. When we are chasing poor sources of spiritual nutrition, we get less substance and find ourselves yet craving.
The study asks: How can you cultivate in your heart and life a hunger and thirst for righteousness?
For me, doing consistent Bible Studies and studying of God’s Word has probably been one of the most effective ways for me to cultivate this hunger and thirst for more of God. It is the gathering of manna every morning which gets me through each day.
How about you?
May we stay satisfied in Him.
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Develop an appetite for God’s Word,
stay focused on those words and
they will show you how to live.
Photo 1: by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
Photo 2: by Jessica Felicio on Unsplash
Photo 3: by Lena Mytchyk on Unsplash
Very convicting—I hear so much truth everyday. Now, I am accountable to ACT!
Michele, that is what also hit me. It is not only important to hear the Word, it is critical to act upon it.
I’m reading a book currently that also teaches how to crave for Jesus, rather than the empty food of the world that will never satisfy. His words in our bibles is the source for filling all that we crave, and I must make it a habit to open it right when I think that chocolate fudge cake will help my mood!
Such a good point, Lynn. Reach for God’s Word when we think some food craving will help. And we truly have been made to think chocolate will make everything better!
Joanne, I love this comment you made, “It is the gathering of manna every morning which gets me through each day.”
That daily manna was the perfect portion for each day that nourished their bodies. I love how your gathering of spiritual manna nourishes your soul on a daily basis.
We need to be intentional in our ways of connecting with others and building those trusting relationships so we can show them what God’s love is all about.