Wednesday, July 9, 2014

July 10, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

A small boy was sent to bed by his father.

Five minutes later.... "Da-a-a=d...." 

"What?"

"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"

"No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-a-a-a-a-d.....""

WHAT?"

"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later."Da-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-d....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?" 

This poor boy was craving water! His craving for water was so great that he was willing to take a spanking in order to get a drink!

Do you have that sort of craving for God's righteousness?

When Jesus equated our spiritual craving for His righteousness to our physical craving for water, He knew exactly how strong that comparison is!

It is the water in our body that determines the vitality, strength, and energy associated with daily living. Think about these facts associated with our body and water:
  • The human body is ⅔ water.
  • The body absorbs cold water faster than hot water.
  • By the time you are 70-years-old, you will have required 1½ million gallons of water
  • Studies show that increasing water consumption can decrease fat deposits. Water is a natural appetite suppressant.f you lose 2% of your body’s water supply, your energy will decrease by 20%. 
  • A 10% decrease in water, you will be unable to walk, and a 20% decrease – you’re dead
Your hunger for food and your thirst for water is your natural warning system that you need to nourish the life within you lest it perish. The more you care about sustaining your life the more you will crave a bite of food or a drink of water.

If you are to live under the approval of God and be satisfied by Him, you must crave His righteousness more than a starving man craves food and a dying man craves water.

Does that describe your craving for God?

Prayerfully search your heart for anything you might crave more than you crave His righteousness.




July 9, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

A few years ago, a young marine corporal named Joey Mora was standing on a platform of an aircraft carrier that was patrolling the Iranian Sea.

Incredibly, he fell overboard His absence was not known for 36 hours.


A search and rescue mission began, but was given up on after an additional 24 hours. 


No one could survive in the sea without even a life jacket after 60 hours. 


His parents were notified that he was "missing  and presumed dead."


The rest of the story is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" events. 


Scriptwriters would pass it up as "not believable." 


Four Pakistani fishermen found Joey Mora about 72 hours after he had fallen from the aircraft carrier. 


He was treading water, clinging to a makeshift flotation device made from his trousers a skill learned in most military courses on survival training. 


He was delirious when they pulled him into their fishing boat. His tongue was dry and cracked and his throat parched.


Just about two years later, as he spoke on NBC News, he recounted an unbelievable story .of a WILL to live. 


He said it was God .... It was God....who kept him struggling to survive. 


His discovery by the fishermen makes searching for a needle in a haystack a piece of cake. 


Joey said that the one thought that took over his body and pounded in his brain was, "Water!.... Water!"


Have you ever been thirsty like that? 



Jesus said that when you have a craving like that in your spirit, He will come an fill it!

What will you crave today?