Changes

Matthew 5:1-12   When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NASB)

I have told those close to me, I can sense God laying on my heart that a change is coming. I know not what it is, for he has not revealed it yet, but something in my life on a larger scale is about to change. That feeling can bring anxieties, but it can also bring excitement. Throughout all of it, my hearts desire is to remain in the center of God’s will for my life through it. When he decides to reveal whatever it may be, my hope is not for my will through desire or disobedience to change my path through, and to it. So many times God lays something before us, and our free-will moves us away; sin draws us away, instead of one’s desire to abide in the daily with Him. Oswald Chambers wrote, “The saints duty is to be still and listen”; that is the hardest part of the life of a disciple, to not move on one’s own will ahead of God.

Jesus opened his great discourse, his great Sermon on the Mount, talking about the life of his disciples. His great message here was one to his followers, those who had likely heard his message of repentance before, and followed the tugs on their hearts for more. They wanted the applications of how to live their lives; what was next, what to do, what did this life hold for them? Many of them quickly suffered persecution on many levels, and Jesus began his message directly addressing what many of them were facing. He directly pointed them to heaven, to God, to what awaited them as his disciples. He made them question their hearts, to ask themselves if they were in or out, for commitment to pressing through these changes they were facing. He was really asking them what were they focusing on, this life or the next?

The Beatitudes somewhat hinge on verse six. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew Henry expounds; “Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. See Ps. 24:5 ; ch. 6:33 . They are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ; conveyed and secured by the imputation of that righteousness to us; and confirmed by the faithfulness of God. To have Christ made of God to us righteousness, and to be made the righteousness of God in him; to have the whole man renewed in righteousness, so as to become a new man, and to bear the image of God; to have an interest in Christ and the promises—this is righteousness. 2. These we must hunger and thirst after. We must truly and really desire them, as one who is hungry and thirsty desires meat and drink, who cannot be satisfied with any thing but meat and drink, and will be satisfied with them, though other things be wanting. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest and importunate; “Give me these, or else I die; every thing else is dross and chaff, unsatisfying; give me these, and I have enough, though I had nothing else.’’ Hunger and thirst are appetites that return frequently, and call for fresh satisfactions; so these holy desires rest not in any thing attained, but are carried out toward renewed pardons, and daily fresh supplies of grace. The quickened soul calls for constant meals of righteousness, grace to do the work of every day in its day, as duly as the living body calls for food. Those who hunger and thirst will labour for supplies; so we must not only desire spiritual blessings, but take pains for them in the use of the appointed means.”

Your hearts desire for God is measured by what you do with it. Is this something you proclaim, yet there is no evidence of your supposed heart for him? Is this something you check off the list of religious duty, a life of good works to produce a false salvation, or a life of good works produced from true salvation? Jesus continues teaching of those that have true hearts for him; those that emit his light to a very dark world by living out their faith. They become so bright that all know of their faith in Jesus, and he knows their true hearts. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. If you truly seek God, with all your heart, mind, body, and soul, you will not worry about this life, but will be excited for the change that comes to and throughout it unto eternity.