Daily Devotional

Saturday, August 14, 2010

“Blessed are those who hunger

  and thirst for righteousness,

  for they shall be satisfied.

“The Sermon on the Mount ends in 7:22-23 with these words of Jesus: On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers."

They called him Lord. They seemed to have the charismatic gift of prophesy. They were engaged in exorcisms of demons and miracles in Jesus' name. And he turned them away at the last day saying he never knew them, because they were doers of evil and not righteousness.

They thought they knew him. They thought he knew them. But they were strangers: "I never knew you." Why? Because they had not hungered and thirsted for his righteousness. They had been religious! They had gone to church. They had gotten involved in many religious activities. But the passion, the hunger, the thirst of their lives was not righteousness. And therefore they will not be satisfied, neither in this age nor in the age to come.

Deep and lasting satisfaction for our souls comes not from the delights of the world nor from a merely religious or vertical relationship with God. Satisfaction comes from God to those whose passion in life is to know him in the struggle to be like him in the world (5:48).”

Prayer:

Lord, I confess that I have been religious rather than righteous. I pray that your spirit will continue to convict me; Lord, and that I would seek to be righteous. I want a real relationship with you Lord; I want to be filled with your love, mercy, and compassion.  Fill me up, Lord, until I overflow with your goodness.