The Hubs on: are you hungry?

Week 6:

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Background: 

One of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, wrote the book of Matthew. It is a gospel. This means that it tells the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In Matthew 5, Jesus is giving a sermon – the famous Sermon on the Mount. He is near the Decapolis which is a collection of 10 cities whose residents are known for their lawlessness. I used to think that this was a sermon for Jesus’ disciples. But in reality, most of the crowd came from pagan backgrounds.

Observations: 

The blessings that Jesus speaks of are often referred to as the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes have a special place in my heart because of my involvement with Celebrate Recovery. The eight principles of Celebrate Recovery find their biblical reference from the Beatituteds.

Break it down: 

I haven’t figured out a good one for this, yet.

So far: 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

The Hubs on: who is we?

Week 5:

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Background: 

The book of Romans was a letter that Paul wrote to the believers who lived in Rome. In this section of the book, Paul introduces the idea that all creation is groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, waiting and suffering in a broken world until the return of Jesus Christ. But, we serve a good and faithful God.

Observations: 

I haven’t really heard this verse very often. The first thing I noticed was we and I went back to whom Paul was addressing. The we refers to believers. So the knowledge of the workings of God that follows is something that believers know and not the entire world. It’s like a Forever Family secret.

Break it down: 

The Forever Family secret is confidential "And WE know", comprehensive “ALL THINGS”, constructive “WORK together for good”, and conditional “to those who LOVE GOD, to those who ARE CALLED according to His purpose.”

So far: 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Forgotten Memories

Have you ever suddenly remembered something that you didn't even know you had forgotten?  A certain sight, sound, or smell suddenly brings back a memory that has been safely tucked away for years.  This happened to me last week as I sat with my sweet Granny.  For those who don't know, I spent last week helping my parents take care of my grandmother.  She is nearing the end of her battle with dementia.

One night, after she was asleep in bed, I found her Bible and began to look through it.  The well-worn state of it was what originally attracted me, but as I began to search through it, memories began to surface.  Unlike me, who likes thing too particular to leave items loose and falling out of a book, my Granny had several things stuck in between the pages of this worn book.

A bulletin, a card, a note, a bill envelope, and then a nail file.  And suddenly I was picturing my Granny at her house instead of the assisted living facility, sitting in her recliner with the end table next to her stacked with word search puzzles, her Bible, the TV remote, and a dish of hard candy whose contents had been sitting long enough to become one big piece.  I never would have thought of it on my own, but when I saw the nail file, I remembered that she always had them sticking out of her Bible and word search books.

As I continued to look through I found a bulletin from a church my dad worked at 13 years ago and then a homemade card that I had sent to her.  The card I don't remember, but it has my name on it, and looks like the poor drawing skills of my childhood.  (They haven't improved.)

I was struck by how loved I have been in my life by not only my Granny, but the rest of my family who learned to love from her.  She taught us that faith is important and lived her life full of love for God and family.

As we have walked down this difficult path with Granny, I have found myself not knowing what to pray.  For a while I was simply praying for peace for her, but then a friend of mine sent me a scripture one day and as I read the context of it, I knew what to pray for:

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God!

He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

My prayer now, is for Granny's victory.  She belongs to Jesus and I know she is all too ready to be singing His praises when she is victorious over the sting of death.