Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: James 1:1-18 and Matthew 5:1-12

In our passage from Matthew, verses 6 & 10 are clearly very closely related. They read as follows in the Good News translation:
⁶ “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires;
    God will satisfy them fully! …
¹⁰ “Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires;
    the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

“Those whose greatest desires is to do what God requires,” is how the Good News translates the more familiar NIV translation, “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v.5). It’s a great way of expressing what Jesus meant here. The Christian has already been given the gift of righteousness in the relational sense. By God’s grace, and through our faith in Jesus, we have been brought into right standing with God. We are righteous in that sense, and He treats us just as though we had only ever done what is pleasing to Him. But in Matthew 5, Jesus speaks blessing over those who hunger and thirst not only to be in that position, but also to live it out – to “do what God requires”. Living a righteous life is all about living by the highest priority of pleasing God!

When we begin to live by that priority and commit ourselves to pleasing God no matter what, there will inevitably be some kind of cost attached. It was true for Jesus, and according to His words in Matthew 5:6 & 10, there seems to be an almost inextricable link between doing what God requires and being persecuted for that pursuit. That’s why we need the wisdom of God. When the waters are muddied by painful consequences, we need to know not only what God desires us to do but also how He desires us to do it, or we will falter. That’s wisdom! That’s what James is alluding to when he writes:

“⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶ But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:5-6

We’ll never be able to please God if our loyalties are divided. If we desire to please God but equally to please people, we will be completely paralysed. If we desire to please God but equally to live an easy life, we will find ourselves stuck between two options all too frequently. True freedom is found when our desire to please God outweighs every other desire. This gives us the liberty to ask God what to do and how to do it, and then to step out in joyful obedience to God’s answer.

Come Holy Spirit, impart to my heart the deep and abiding desire to live a life that is pleasing to God. When I am unsure of how to do that, please lead me by the wisdom of God. When the God-pleasing road becomes difficult, empower me to follow through, driven and empowered by my desire to bring a smile to the Father’s face. Amen.