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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. . . .” Matthew 5:8
Jesus commends those who seek a right relationship with Him. He tells those who listen that they will be blessed. What does a person who hungers and thirsts after righteousness look like? He or she isn’t satisfied with the things the world does. That person looks at the world through God’s eyes.
How does a believer look at suffering? One who has spent time with the Lord knows what God’s Word—the Bible—says. That believer spends time in prayer.… ( Click for more )
“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5 (NIV)
The Guideposts Family Concordance defines meek as patient, steadfast, not harboring resentment.
Jesus singles out those who are patient, reliable, and hold no grudges and tells those in His audience that they receive God’s favor. Those deemed meek will receive—as a divine gift—the earth. The tense of the verb denotes this will be a future happening. That’s all Jesus tells us.
I have known people who illustrate meekness by the way they conduct themselves… ( Click for more )
“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
From time to time in our lives we receive word of someone whose life here on earth has come to an end. Our friends come up to us a hug us. They express their sorrow over our loss or they choose not to say anything. We don’t realize it at the time but we are mourning.
We receive condolences in many forms—the hugs, the sympathy cards, the floral tributes, the funeral dinner provided by the people of the church. We receive comfort from these actions. We also receive… ( Click for more )
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 5:3
The MESSAGE Bible has an interesting paraphrase for these words. “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of you rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”
When God’s children face emotional times, their inner beings, if left to their own ways. can deflate to the point of extreme lowliness.
When Jesus went to John the Baptist, John told the crowds that he couldn't touch Jesus’ sandal. He told the crowd “He must… ( Click for more )
Handling Disappointment
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know
that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.”
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
I sometimes get disappointed easily. Any mix-up in plans can cause me great anguish. The only way I can keep myself under control is to pray about the issue. I have to ask the Lord if I am in the wrong or is the other person. There have been… ( Click for more )
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,
for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
Because we are human, we have times where fear overtakes us. Our hearts become heavy and our minds focus on the sadness of our lives. We immediately focus on the darker part of issues that affect our lives. Or we lose interest in the things that go on around us. Each day seems to stretch ahead of us or time gets away from us. When anxiety takes over our lives,… ( Click for more )
“Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Philippians 4:5 (NIV)
Have you ever know anyone who never raised their voice or shown any sign of anger to another person? Have you witnessed someone treating another person with kindness during a stressful situation?
These instances demonstrate gentleness. The people who can do this receive the ability to display this attribute from having God in our lives.
Jesus modeled gentleness with the woman caught in adultery, the woman who touched the hem of his garment, the disciples, and with Peter.
We speak of… ( Click for more )
"Let love and faithfulness never leaveyou; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3 (NIV)
We have seen faithfulness in the news recently. A couple in Connecticut have been recognized as the longest married couple in the United States-80 years as man and wife. My thought when I saw this on my computer was they have been married longer than most people live. I was impressed by their marital longevity.
Several years ago, I met a mother who cared for a special-needs child for decades. She and her husband kept him at home.… ( Click for more )
As I started to study this topic, I had some questions about it. How would you define goodness? Do we see goodness in others? How can we achieve goodness in our hearts?
How would you define goodness?
The MSG Bible equates goodness with “a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.” I believe that goodness is a heart quality that is visible to those around us. We see it in those who serve others. A friend steps up and helps someone with a need. People see the goodness we have as they watch us go through our days and how we handle our problems.… ( Click for more )
“He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” Psalm 18:50 (NIV)
What does God’s kindness look like? We can see it every day, if we look for it. Have we ever experienced God’s kindness? Of course we have. Does it show itself in what He does for us at the time we ask or does it come into view when we later reflect on a time when He withheld one our requests? Did you recognize it when it happens? With practice, we can.
How can we, as God’s people, convey His kindness… ( Click for more )
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