Changing With The Seasons

        Moses had come through the Red Sea with the children of Israel and was now in the wilderness.  He was in the place God wanted him to be, and was now surrounded with the responsibilities of leading the children in Israel in the desert.  His father in law Jethro came out to met him to see how he was doing.  After observing Moses serving Israel, he had some things to say.  Moses had been helping the people from morning to night.  Jethro saw the long line of people waiting to talk to Moses, waiting for Moses to judge their situations and help with their problems.  Jethro said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people?  Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?  The thing that you do is not good.  Both you and these people will surely wear yourselves out.  For this thing is too much for you.  You are not able to perform it by yourself." 
        Sometimes when God blesses you and you experience growth in your life, your work, your business, your family, and in your responsibilities, you find yourself in a situation where you can not adequately look after everything.  You find the demands of life are pulling you in so many directions that you can no longer look after your family properly, nor are you managing the responsibilities you have.  Your life starts to go out of balance, and things start getting neglected.  Your family feels it, and things are not working out at home like they should, because you are too busy, and don't have the time and patience.  This is a crucial time to make changes in your life.  Your family needs you, and you need your family.  It is a time to pray for wisdom to know how to manage all the blessings that you are experiencing. 
        Jethro's advice to Moses was that he appoint people to help him, good men who would be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.  Moses would still oversee the people and deal with the great matters, but others would look after the small matters, and make it easier for Moses, bearing the burden with him.  This is such good advice, for Moses to let go of some of his responsibilities, and trust others to lead instead.  We need to ask God for wisdom in our lives, knowing what we should leave for others to do, and letting go of things.  This advice would both save Moses' life, and also the people.  When seasons change in our lives, we need to recognize it, and change with the seasons.  It would be very frustrating to continue to dress like it's winter time when it is spring, because we didn't recognize the change of season.  So it is in our lives that we must recognize the changes we go through in life, and adjust ourselves to the new season.  Otherwise, we may lose the blessings that God has provided for us.  Ask God for wisdom for your new season!

Hunger and Thirst - Part 2
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Matt.5:6.
        The beatitudes are attitudes for a blessed life.  Jesus wants each of us to live a blessed life, and He has shown us the way to experience blessing everyday.  To be blessed is to be happy, fortunate, and to be envied.  This life is the life that everyone longs for, and admires in others.  It is a life to be envied, because it seems that through every circumstance, these attitudes carry you through and continue to reflect the life of Christ.  They bring satisfaction and fulfillment in life, and freedom from anxiety and fear and hopelessness. 
        The attitude of hunger and thirst for righteousness is essential for a believer.  In every day and in every circumstance the believer is calling out for God to bless, and guide, and strengthen.  It is continually leaning on God and trusting for God's provision.  It is living out of a living relationship with God, that gets ever stronger, because of hunger and thirst.  The more of God you experience, the more you want!  The more you experience the goodness of God, the more you want of it, and are unwilling to live without. 
        Our hunger and thirst for God is our most precious attitude, as it causes us to cry out to God for more.  To lose our hunger and thirst is a very serious problem that must be remedied.  What are the things that take away hunger from the body?  Usually sickness is the main thing that takes away hunger.  You know something is wrong when there is no hunger.  Spiritually, there are some things that can dampen our spiritual hunger, such as bitterness, anger, quarrelling, evil speaking, and malice, Eph. 4:31.  Getting angry at others, and upset with what someone else has done can cause you to lose your hunger for God, and you become so focused on what happened to you.  The answer for this is found in the next verse: "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." 
        Poison will take away hunger.  Spiritually, our hearts get poisoned by gossip and complaining.  "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another."  Gal. 5:15.  I must protect my own hunger and thirst by not entering into gossip and talking negatively about my brothers and sisters.  Food poisoning will destroy hunger.  When we bring into our life teaching that is false and not based on the Word of God, it brings deception and causes disillusionment.  I have promised the Lord that I will not listen to teaching that is focused on bringing down another ministry.  Our ministry should always build up and lead others closer to Jesus. 
        "As new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby."  1 Pet. 2:2.  Nurture your hunger and thirst for God and let it grow.  Cry out to God for His fullness, and He will fill you until you are satisfied.
        "He who is satiated (with sensual pleasures) loathes and treads underfoot a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."  Pro. 27:7  AMPC

Hunger and Thirst

Hunger and Thirst
        "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Matt. 5:6.  The beatitudes are attitudes we need for everyday life.  It is not that we learn them once, and never have to return to them.  They are needed for each new situation and circumstance we encounter.  They are attitudes that reflect the character of Christ.  They are attitudes that take us through life with wisdom and understanding.  They build strong relationships with others, because they are not self centered, but rather they bring a blessing to those you encounter.
        To hunger and thirst is a natural part of life.  Hunger and thirst is essential for life and growth.  Your life is dependent upon your hunger and thirst.  To not be hungry or thirsty is a sign that something has gone seriously wrong.  Without hunger and thirst, a person is suffering from sickness, or some serious condition, that if not remedied, will ultimately lead to death.  But we must be careful how we fulfill our hunger and thirst.  If I consume the wrong things to satisfy my hunger, I will do damage to my body.  If I fill myself with junk food and pop, I may get the feeling that I am full, but I have not taken in the nutrition I need for health.  And so spiritually, my heart is hungry for the presence of God in my life.  But if I reach for other things, and don't reach out to God to satisfy my hunger, I may feel full, but this will not satisfy the hunger of my heart.  I must protect my hunger for God, and not allow my hunger to be fed with other things.
        "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.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance."  Isa. 55:1,2.  Why would a person spend their paycheck on all kinds of things, but have no food to eat?  This is like a child of God who spends all their time and effort on other things, and have not called out to God to satisfy the longings of their soul.  We need to listen carefully to God.  God is speaking to every child of God, and desiring to lead them into a life of abundance and satisfaction.  But we must listen carefully to God's voice.  He has set a table before us, so we can come and dine with Him, and taste and see of His goodness.
        Life offers us a table to eat from.  Some things are good, some things are rotten, and some things are poisonous.  If you were invited to eat at a table which had some good things, some rotten things, and some poisonous things, you would become very careful about which things you ate.  And so as believers, we must be very careful about what we consume into our lives from this world.  There are many good things that God has provided, but the rotten things will make us spiritually sick, and the poisonous things will bring death. 
        Satisfy your hunger and thirst with the things of God.  Call out to God in prayer and worship, read the Word of God, and take time to fellowship with others who will build you up and encourage your life.