Hunger

I pray that all is well with you. Well once again God has laid something on my heart to type...and being obedient I'll type it. I don't pretend to be perfect for I know that I'm a work in progress striving everyday to be more and more like Christ.

While sitting in church sunday (Trinidad Baptist Church in DC where Dr. John Rhodes presides) the pastor came with a powerful scripture and instantly God just starting pouring into me things He wanted to get out to His people. It was later confirmed when Pastor Rhodes spoke the exact words that were running through my head.

Scripture: Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied/filled".Whew...that hit me like a ton of bricks.

Let me give some background for God wants me to be complete with His message. Matthew's purpose is to convey authoritative teaching by and about Jesus, whose coming marks the fulfillment of God's promises and the presence of God's kingdom. Matthew makes no division between history and theology. His history is the basis of the theology, and the theology gives its proper meaning to history. Chapters 5-7 is the Sermon on the Mount. This is when Jesus went on the mountain with his disciples and began to teach.

Lets talk about hunger.The definition of hunger is: 1. A strong or compelling desire or craving (n) 2. To have a strong desire (v) There are many times when we walk around depressed, low, feeling incomplete, longing for "something", feeling like there is a void or a hole. And with that feeling we get a hunger to fill it. As humans we naturally think of material things or people to fill this void. Whether it be food, people, children, love, money, clothes, friends, drugs, alcohol, etc. And still after we have found these things and over indulged in them we still feel what? Depressed, empty, low, blah blah blah. It's because these are things that don't hold eternal weight. Most times the friends leave, the food "empties", the children grow up, and we are back to where we started. But what do we do? We continue to chase that high and never really get filled...we just feel better for a little while until the hole becomes empty again. We are seeking things that cannot fill us. But there is one thing that Jesus has told us to hunger and thirst after and we "Will be filled"...righteousness. If we put in the same time and effort as we do with seeking worldly things and instead seek God and His righteousness, we will be filled!! *Can I get a praise God right here* That is a promise that Jesus has laid before us but we still choose to seek worldly things. And dare I say sometimes we seek God for worldly things and when we don't get them we feel empty...low...and that God has left us...or God doesn't hear us, etc. But God didn't say that if hunger and thirst for worldly things we will be filled with worldly things. He said "Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS for they will be filled."

Stop searching for that man/woman to fill you, they don't have the capability to do so...it's not for them to do. Stop turning to that drug or that drink to soothe you, it doesn't have the capability to do so. Why do you think people continueously go from person to person, job to job, dealer to dealer, resturant to resturant? They are looking to fill a void with something that doesn't have the capabilitity to do so. Then we have the nerve to be mad at these things and persons when "they aren't really there for us". We as Christians need to know where to turn to be filled. We have to know what to hunger and thirst after. There have been many times when I've moped and had pity parties...called friend after friend to feel better, went out to eat and still felt the same exact way...no change in my mood just a change in my clothes size and sometimes friends (You know people can only take so much of your whining and complaining before they put you on the prayer list and just stop taking your calls *Can I get an Amen here!!*)

Filled with what? Well God instructed me to research that to. In my study Bible it said "Those who seek God's righteousness receive what they desire, not those who are confident of their own righteousness." So I know people are like *woot woot desires of my heart!* We already know that God does grant the desires of our hearts.....but keep reading....according to HIS WILL. So yes God will fill you but it will be according to His will. Not just our wants and desires...but with what he has according to His will. And what about being filled with the Holy Spirit (Not running around and cutting a 2 step at the alter), but filled with the comforter and our daily reminded to do what's right and to live by God's commandments. What about eternal life with our Father? I would love to be filled with the knowledge of knowing that on resurrection day I'll be called up to live an eternal life with my Father. That alone is enough to make me hunger and thirst for righteousness.

It wasn't until I started having a hunger and a thirst to know more about God that I can truely say I'm started to get filled. I can carry God's righteousness, grace, and mercy with me all the days of my life. It never runs out. Never leaves me alone. Never grows up and leaves the house. Never gives me a negative balance at my bank. Never ignores my phone calls. Never dies. Never causes me to join expensive Jenny Craig to lose 40 pounds. *Grrr* Never moves away. Never marries someone else *Can I get a hey what what hey what right here!* Never requires me to sow a "sacraficial seed". It's a full feeling that I have with me all the time. Sometimes I get so full off of God and His goodness that I have to cry out and say THANK YOU LORD for your grace and your mercy!!!Being filled by God is not an overnight thing. As you read in the scripture it says that you "Will be filled". So it's a huger and a thirst that we must contineously have. And that satisfaction WILL be given. Not "might be", "not for a little while", but "WILL be given". So with this I end it with "Are you seeking the right thing?", "Do you have a hunger and thirst for God's righteousness?", "Have you tried everything else but the one person that has promised you that you will be filled?", and "Are you tired of chasing after a feeling of fullness from something/one that has never promised it to you anyway?".

I invite you to try God. If you don't know Jesus Christ for yourself I'll help direct you to you someone that can help you start your journey. In DC I attend the wonderful Trinidad Baptist Church and you're more than welcome to come and fellowship with us.

May God continue to work in your life as He has mine.