God Blesses Those Who Are Hungry

Prayer ~ Jesus, fill my heart and life with Your joy—that it may overflow. As You told Your disciples…I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:9-13 

Are you hungry physically or spiritually? 

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh. What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets. Luke 6:20-26 (Underlined for emphasis.)

 

Meditate. How are you “hungry”…physically or spiritually?

 

This may have been Luke’s version of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that as recorded in chapters five through seven of the book of Matthew.  Jesus words recorded on hunger there are…

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (or righteousness), for they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6

        Hunger is such a driving force. When you are hungry…whether for food, for fellowship with family or friends, for a reading a good book, for time with God, or for joy in your life…you are focused on that one thing that will satisfy your desire. In Jesus words we are promised when we hunger for righteousness—that right living, whatever is right or just and conforms to the will of God—we will be satisfied. We won’t have to search any longer. That is good. Ask and you will receive. In this passage there are “promises” that are not very encouraging: Sorrow awaits…the rich…the fat and prosperous…those who laugh…those who are popular and those who praised false prophets.

Sorrow. Don’t we have enough of it without being promised more? Joy and sorrow. Those contrasts are repeated in the Old and New Testaments. Below are three examples. First is from the book of Esther when the days of Purium were established for the Jews when they celebrated a wicked scheme turned into good. In the book of Isaiah the millennial kingdom is prophesied with the joy and prosperity that will occur in the land of Israel at that time. Lastly, below, are the words of Jesus to His disciples when they asked about His return. Read all of these scriptures in context to fully grasp their meaning and significance.

He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy. Esther 9:22

 

Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. Isaiah 35:10

 

So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. John 16:22

No one can rob you of that joy. What a great promise. It is good to remember that joy can be experienced even in times of mourning as in the Isaiah 35:10 scripture. Consider when you’ve experienced joy in your life. Would it have meant as much if not contrasted with a hardship or sadness?

Is your relationship with the Lord characterized by joy? Does time spent with Him make your day a better one? For me, my attitude is always better when I’ve spent time with Jesus. I think I need more of Him…even now. How about you? Are you hungry…and choosing to spend time with Jesus?

 

Verses of Salvation ~ "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance—all who seek the LORD! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. ... "Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people's scorn, nor fear their insults. For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation." Isaiah 51:1, 7-8

Be Thankful with Faithfulness in Your Heart

 

© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

Revised and Reused from July 23, 2021 Banquest With The King blog.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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