Blessings and Beyond

I haven’t been in church since I have arrived here at my hometown, not until last three Sundays ago. There’s a church near our house and it’s just a walking distance away. Since a blogger always stays up late, attending a church near my house is already a blessing.

Anyway, since the first day I went to church, the Pastor started discussing about Matthew 5 specifically The Beatitudes. He discussed it by verses. Last Sunday, we are already tacking verses 5 and 6. In the New International Version, it says:

5 – Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Though these verses are very familiar to us, I was really enlightened how God used Pastor to discuss the verses in a very unique and new way.

At verse 5, Jesus talked about meekness. Meekness is somehow defined as power under control. You know that you have the power, you know you have the right, you know you can do it but you choose not to fight back, wage war, show power because in doing so, you will not glorify God. Sometimes people think that if a person doesn’t fight back, he or she is called a coward. But in this context, choosing to be meek is choosing to do the will of God. If you know that fighting does not glorify God but only glorifies yourself, choosing not to indulge would be a wise decision though it’s really hard when people challenges us and touches our ego. I myself am having a hard time with being meek. I only pray to God that He will put me under control always so that He will be lifted up! Jesus promised that if you choose to be meek, you will inherit the earth. This is so general and no specifics but earth usually connotes material blessings or generally blessings. So, if you choose to follow God, you will receive blessings from Him.

At verse 6, here Jesus talked about being hungry and thirsty not for food and water but for righteousness. Seeking God’s will in our life is considered being hungry and thirsty for God’s righteousness. Sometimes when we are having a lot of trouble in our life, we tend to focus on it more than seeking God’s will and help. Jesus once said that seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. So as His word says, if you seek Him or hunger for His righteousness, you will be filled and provided for. Actually, seeking God is a decision you can only make. No one can force us. For me, seeking God is an easy way to say it but very hard to do. When you decide to seek God, be sure to ask for His grace that you can continue with your decision because sometimes, when you decide to seek God, challenges floods in to test you.

Verse 5 and 6, has commands but all ends with a great promise. After the sermon, I never thought of seeing these verses in another perspective. Surely God’s Word is new every morning! I am happy that I was able to hear, the action part is what’s left for me to do. Hopefully God will be with us as we decide to be meek and decide to seek Him.