What are you Hungry for?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6
As I have recently been reading through the book of Matthew, chapter five is one of my personal favorites in this book. Verse five has always been my favorite verse in the chapter. This makes me ask the questions: What am I hungering for? What am I pursuing that my life depends on? What am I so thirsty for that my soul craves it? Is it things I can buy in the world? Is it pleasures and experiences that make me happy for a moment? Maybe it is attention from important people, popularity and fame?
In this verse, Jesus says you are blessed or at perfect peace when you hunger and thirst for His righteousness, then and only then will you be fully satisfied in life. He was not talking about doing good works or acting super spiritual and He wasn’t talking about craving certain foods or drink. He was talking about being made righteous in Him. Walking in a right relationship with the Father in heaven through Jesus’ payment for all sin. Because we live in a sinful world, and not the sinless world God created for us, He made the provision to save us from being consumed by the evilness of this world. He didn’t take us out of the world, but He sent His Son to rescue us here and then keeps us here to display His love for all the world to see. This is true righteousness and what Jesus told us we are to hunger and thirst after.
He concluded this statement with a promise to fill those who are hungry. We are filled up with what we are pursuing. When you hunger and thirst for your relationship with your heavenly Father to be in right standing with Him and not separated, you are giving time and attention to that relationship. Not just any time, but you are giving that relationship priority in your life and that starts by spending time with Him on a daily basis. You are so hungry to be filled up with His goodness in your life that you run to Him first thing each morning to receive His renewed mercies and love to start your day. You don’t wait until the end of the day when you have been filled up with all the sin and evil around you. You don’t fill your heart and eyes with the passions and pleasures of the world and then right before you go to sleep each night read a quick scripture and give a short prayer. That is not hungering and thirsting for His righteousness. To hunger and thirst for your relationship with Him means that you begin talking with and thinking about Him the moment you wake up, you desire His presence throughout the day, and you take refuge in Him in the evening, then you will see His goodness show up everywhere you go. Psalms 34:8 says Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. When you taste the goodness that you have hungered and thirsted for, then you will experience His blessing no matter what comes against you in life.
Lastly, the promise of chasing after His righteousness is, you will be filled. This not only means you will be filled with His Spirit and His fruit: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, patience. You will also be filled with complete satisfaction and victory over every struggle you come up against. Now that’s a promise worth running after.
So, now I am focusing all my thoughts and desires to hunger and thirst for His righteousness by hungering and thirsting for a closer relationship with my Father in heaven. People may think this is extreme, but I know it is the way to surrender to all the good plans He has for me. I will not allow my heart to fill up with the cares, concerns and pleasures this world has to offer. Instead, I will fill up with His goodness and learn of Him. I will run to Him each morning to bask in His presence then take Him with me all day long by calling on Him throughout the day. Join me in finding rest and accomplishments in our personal time with Him by filling up with His Word and His love for all people, then we will display that love and satisfaction to all those around us as we live our lives here in this world as His ministers of grace.
Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 5:3-12
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Daily Dose 