Not too long ago I read a story about a woman who deeply loved Jesus. She would wake early in the mornings and spend time with him at her bedside; throughout the day, she would look longingly to the place where she and Jesus would so faithfully meet and wait expectantly until the next morning when she could meet with him again!
After reading this story, I began to long for this kind of relationship with the Lord. Most mornings, I would find myself groaning to the sound of my alarm, then roll out of bed to spend five to ten minutes reading my Bible. I knew I could do better. I tried waking earlier. I tried having my devotions in the evening. After falling repeatedly into my same routine, I began praying that he would give me a hunger for him.
Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” As I began to pray more and more that the Lord would give me a greater desire to spend time with him, I felt myself slowing down in the mornings. I have spent more time examining passages, writing prayers and other portions of Scripture, and reading commentaries. In the most mysterious of ways, my time with Jesus in the morning has been marvelously transformed.
God has proved his faithfulness in this small situation: when he says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled, he will fulfill that promise. What a beautiful thing it is to know that God sees our hearts and knows our motivations. He will answer us and reward us when we longingly chase after him.
Heavenly Father, thank you so much that when we call, you bend your ear to listen. Thank you for your promises to fulfill us when we hunger and thirst for you. Fill us today, Lord, as we go about our day and look forward to meeting with you again.
Throughout This Day: As you ask Jesus to give you a greater hunger for him, watch out for ways that he shows up in the everyday situations of your life.
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