FINDING RELIEF FOR STRESS

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
for righteousness: for they will be filled.”
(Matthew 5:6)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever been so hungry that you felt if you didn’t
eat something quickly, you would pass out? Although you
may have been around others at the time, your main focus
was on getting something to eat.

It can be the same way with thirst, can’t it? When your mouth
is so dry that it feels like it is full of cotton, all you can think
about is getting something to drink. Water, milk, tea, coke, or
anything else to quench your thirst! Others may be talking to
you, but above their voices, you hear the voice of your body
saying, “You must get something to drink!”

This is the type of desire for righteousness the scriptures
tell us we should have. And what happens when we have
a desire of this magnitude for righteousness?

We are told that we ‘will be filled’. In other words, we will
find satisfaction. When our desires have been satisfied, we
feel blessed! Think about how refreshing it is when our
physical hunger and thirst have been satisfied.

We feel blessed that our physical needs have been met, but
when our spiritual (including mental and emotional) needs
have been met, it can create an overwhelming feeling of
peace in our life. Suddenly the world seems a little brighter
and we replace thoughts of negativism with positive feelings
and emotions.

The glass transitions from being ‘half empty’ and becomes
‘half full’! And, according to the scriptures, its even more
than that, the glass is ‘filled’! Look at how the Psalmist
describes it,
    my cup overflows (Psalm23:5b)

Peace of mind is one of the most sought after desires of mankind.
Why? Because we know that happiness and joy are by-products of
an attitude and feeling of a peace. Its hard to describe this feeling
to others, but again we can see a good description from the Psalmist.
    The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
    he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
    He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
    Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
    I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
    You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
    You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
    Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
    house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)

Spend a few minutes reading the Psalm 23 and meditate
on each verse as if it was speaking directly to you. As an
example, think about this phrase for a moment,
    You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.

We are told in God’s Word, that we can have a peace so
great that when turmoil is all around us, we can still sit
down and enjoy a good meal. Isn’t it telling us that we
can have such a mental and physical peace, that we can
enjoy a meal without getting indigestion caused by worry
and fear?

When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, the deepest
needs of our heart can be met by the One who know us better
than we know ourselves. How about that as a formula for being
filled with the ‘right stuff’?

ACTION:
If you feel that you have developed an attitude of negativism
then don’t you find the advice in Matthew 5:6 appealing?
Imagine being less upset over the things that have been
irritating you, and causing worry and fear your life.

For example, wouldn’t it be nice to longer get upset when
other drivers have different driving habits than you? A
comedian once said,
    “Everyone who drives slower than you is an idiot,
      and everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac!”

It’s a funny comment, but doesn’t it have a lot of truth?
We expect everyone else to think and act the same way
we do, but we need to remember that God made each of
us unique, so we are not going to be the same in every way.
Peace provides us with the capability of accepting our
differences.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I know I fail You in many ways and
that my failures inhibit me from discovering all the
blessings You have for me. From reading Your Word,
I realize that my hunger and thirst is for my own selfish
wants, and not for allowing Your righteousness to control
my thoughts, attitudes and actions. Forgive me for my
selfishness and help me as I begin a new chapter in my
life of seeking your righteousness over my selfish desires.
I know that Your Word is true, so I look forward to being
filled when I seek what is right, and I anticipate enjoying
Your promised blessings when I do.”

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