The kingdom mindset is one that is one of continual progression. When God gets a hold of our heart and mind our daily attitudes and action should begin to change. What Jesus is teaching us is that his people are to embody the kingdom of God and that requires a mindset reset.
We continue to see the progression here. Poorness of spirit means we acknowledge our need for God. Mourning helps is see that we can never measure up to God's holy standard. Meekness leads to seeking God’s power and not our own. And therefore blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Our definition of blessed is someone who is secure spiritually, with a clear conscience before God, and a seeking a heavenly perspective. Therefore we are seeking to fill our hinger and thirst with godly things. What does this world hunger and thirst for?
Success. Money. Power. Things that are in opposition of God’s kingdom.
Remember
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No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24
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As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living god. Psalm 42:1-2
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Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1
Scripture teaches that our loyalty cannot be divided. If it is then nothing wins out. You will be a mediocre Christian and never gain the true abundant life that God has for you. As men and women of God we do not seek the things of the world. We seek the things of God and the promises is we are filled.
I learned one thing in Greek. Present Active Participle. Meaning a verb with a continuing action. In this case the verse reads like this. Blessed are those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness…
The worlds way of seeking success and climbing a latter has an ending. God’s way does not. We continue to seek and we continue to find and continue to be filled. This is the great joy of the faith that God does not hide from us he is waiting to be found and to continue to strengthen and encourage us.
Illlustration: When we take a road trip usually about mile 4, someone says I am hungry. I say ok we will stop when we can. When everyone in the car is physically hungry they develop an attitude that has become affectionately know as "Hangry".
I keep saying ok one more exit until they exhibit these qualities: angry, aggressive, and irritable. Finally when I can stand no more of their attitude I pull over and we get some food. Magically something happens. All the complaining and "tudes" stop and there are smiles once again. What changed they were filled with food.
Same spiritually. We have a special diet spiritual that can only be satisfied by God word and God’s people. When we try to fulfill it any other way we end up feeling lost and frustrated. No matter what we do we cannot make progress and we feel hungry and thirsty. It is only when we fill ourselves with the right things that we will truly be satisfied.
Don’t let yourself be spiritually hangry. Find yourself hungering and thirsting after righteousness because the promise is you will be filled. When you are filled with righteousness you are in right relationship with God. God also wants us to be in right relationships with others. When we truly live out and embody the core values of Jesus this will happen naturally.
