“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matt 5:6)
As Christians, we are all familiar with the “good day/bad day” phenomenon. One day we feel “good” about ourselves, about our relationships, about our friendships with God, but for some unknown reason, some days we just don’t! Some days we feel like we’re overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. Other days we feel empty!
Just why is this? This doesn’t fit in with what the Bible tells us! No, on the contrary, the Bible tells us that those who are in Christ will be “filled”! Not that they will feel “empty”! Remember the woman at the well (John 5)? Jesus told her that if she drank of the water that He had to offer her, she would never thirst again. She would be “full” of His “water!” In Matt. 5:6, Jesus promises that those who “. . . hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . will be filled.” Paul also speaks of being “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:29) and “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1:11)
What does all this mean? It means that despite what we are feeling, when we accept Jesus into our hearts, when we “hunger and thirst” after righteousness, we WILL be filled!
So why then, if we ARE “full”, would a Christian feel empty? I believe that this is but a simply play on our emotions by the devil. Remember that he is: John 8:44-45 “. . . a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” If Satan can make us FEEL empty, then he can DECEIVE us into believing that we ARE empty. When in all reality, we are NOT! We are FILLED with the “fullness of God” and with the “fruit of righteousness”. But if Satan can make us think we’re empty, he can weaken our faith in God and in His promises.
So what do we do when we feel empty? Why not try praising God that those who “. . . hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . will be filled.” Praise God that we are filled with the “fruit of righteousness”. Praise God that we are filled with the “fullness of God!”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matt 5:6)
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets ( www.scripturalnuggets.org ), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org