Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. – Matthew 5:5
I love to eat. Sometimes I want to eat something, but I don’t know what it is. I search for it intently. I go miles and miles until I see what I want. Just to realize, what I wanted was nothing more than a plain meal with an extra rice.
That is what hunger and thirst can do to you. It can drive you to search for that one thing, hoping it will satisfy your longing. It motivates you to go beyond what is normal for you because the need is so great that it needs to be filled. Sad to say though, what we usually hunger and thirst for just leaves us still empty and longing. We hunger for power, fame, and money. And then, when we reach that point when we already have those things we want more and we never get satisfied. Or we reach that point where we already have a lot but still feel empty inside. Some hunger for a relationship. They want to be loved and feel appreciated, never realizing that people are not perfect – at one point, they may disappoint us or fail us. What you hunger for, thirst for and desire will dictate whether you will live a life of being contented (being satisfied) or a life of being unfilled and tired.
Matthew 5:5 tells us, blessed are those who hunger for righteousness and when we talk about the hunger and thirst for righteousness this is not a one-time thing. The hunger and thirst for righteousness is a daily thing. It is a continuous desire that lives inside your heart – a continuous desire for righteousness. But what is this righteousness that is being talked about here? What is this righteousness that we are to daily desire? The righteousness that is being talked about is God’s righteousness and a not righteousness that we can establish on our own like what the Pharisees do. It is a desire and hunger to exemplify the righteousness of God in our lives. This includes the characteristics mentioned in the beatitudes. Righteousness shows mercy to other people. Righteousness always wants to make peace. Righteousness is being pure in heart and motives. This righteousness that we are longing to be is because we want to please God. We want to live a life that is worthy of what was paid for us. It is not doing righteous acts because of the hunger to be seen religious but rather desiring to be righteous to be like Him, to want to act Christ-like.
When we hunger for the right kind of righteousness there is a promise. The promise of satisfaction. The promise of being filled. I like what John McArthur said in this bible commentary:
God’s righteousness will fill those who seek it and will satisfy their hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God.
God will fill those who desire his righteousness. He will continuously work with people who understands their sinfulness but wants to live a live that pleases Him. If we abide in him and constantly have that desire in our hearts he will helps us live a life of victory. John Piper said in his sermon regarding blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness:
Satisfaction comes from God to those whose passion in life is to know him in the struggle to be like him in the world
May the Lord Jesus Christ fill you with satisfaction. Don’t look for other things to fill our life. Let it just be Jesus and just rest in Him. And when we come to know who he is and how much he loves us – let us daily desire His righteousness that He may continue to fill us up and work in and through us.
Be blessed with the words of God. If you have anything to share, just drop a comment and I would love to hear from you. God bless you.
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