God of unmeasurable strength, strengthen the will of this dear reader in all they face today; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Our text for today is Matthew 5: 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
I thank God that most of our children, to our knowledge, have known hunger. If you have ever felt hunger you know it's not a good feeling. If our stomachs could think and talk, what a racket would be going on, besides the grumbling it naturally makes! What makes it worse for those who are hungry and have no immediate recourse or resources from which to eat, the psychological pain is unbearable. I've shared how one day I had no money and no food. My scholarship check from the UM's Board of Global Ministries that was making my seminary education possible had not arrived. I was not hungry but I was worried. Yes, I could have gone about 30 days without eating and that would have been great for my waistline, but mentally, I had a nagging thought in the back of my head, what am I going to eat for lunch? I have nothing! There was no seminary cafeteria, and I didn't have a meal plan at the undergraduate part of the university, but I still needed to go to my class. I cannot remember what class it was nor what was talked about that day, what has stayed with me to this day was a dear friend, Bud Rousset, who was in my class and without warning came and said, "Hey, come have lunch with me! I don't have much, but I want to invite you! I have two eggs, two pieces of whole grain bread, some natural peanut butter and some milk; we'll have a feast!" And feast we did, in the goodness of God moving through the goodness of my friend.
Jesus knew that His audience that day knew hunger and they also knew thirst; not great things to know, but when He adds the dimension of being hungry and thirsty for righteousness they knew immediately of what He spoke. Theirs was a situation politically where they did not know righteousness; no justice, no mercy, no freedom. To hunger and thrist for righteousness was a daily thing, and to hear that they would be satisfied was a welcome message.
God meets us on the road with just what we need if we're open and looking. If you're hungering and thristing for the right things in your life, if you turn to and trust in God, God will provide!
PRAYER: Loving God, I humble myself before You, asking that the hunger and thrist for my life for the things that are right and good for You be done in my life, with Your help. I pray this in Jesus' precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
PS Dear friends, sorry for the delay in this coming your way. Yesterday Nellie and I arose at 4 and hit the road by 5 to attend a luncheon meeting in San Antonio. As soon as that meeting was over we visited Cokesbury and returned home by 8. Yawn! Please be in prayer for the Helen Hicks family as today at 3 they'll gather for a worshipful time of remembrance and thanksgiving for her life.
