Matthew 5:6(KJV)
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
The Beatitudes are a list of blessings that describe the inner character of those devoted servants of God and His kingdom. The first group of four ends with Jesus saying “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount offers solid truths for living as a disciple of Christ. When Jesus speaks of this hunger and thirst for uprightness, it means an intense and passionate feeling, longing, and craving for God. It is vital to understand that having an all-consuming passion for righteousness is a highly profitable two-way virtue that guarantees eternity and ensures all-round satisfaction on earth. The servant who hungers and thirsts for righteousness is the same as the one who seeks God’s kingdom and righteousness before and above everything else. We all know what it is like to be truly hungry and thirsty. This hunger and thirst prompted David to write in Psalm 63:1, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” The proof of desire is the pursuit, for we cannot desire something and not go for it.
The faithful servant of God possesses an insatiable appetite for what is right and a passionate drive to please the Lord. Those who seek God’s blessings will naturally desire to experience genuine righteousness, which grows out of a deep and abiding love for Jesus Christ. In essence, our desire to please God at all times determines our level of glorification. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” When we put God first and seek Him first, we can’t help but be hungry for Him. As children of God, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God irrespective of whatever we want in life, and if we succeed in seeking the Kingdom of God first, God takes care of our needs. In other words, the reward of seeking God first is priceless. Thus, our passion for God determines our portion in life; where there is no passion, there can be no portion. Commitment to God and His kingdom is the secret to greatness in life. A life dedicated to God can never be devoid of the additions of desirable things. We must be addicted and committed to fellowship because, in His Presence, we receive strength. When we desire God, we secure His attention.
Beloved, just as you would search out food and water in desperation to survive, so should you search out God to live. Righteousness is your access to God’s Presence which guarantees fullness of joy, peace, and victory. So, avoid anything that will hinder you from experiencing the supernatural, for your passion for God determines your portion with Him, your prosperity from Him, your progress in life, and your power with Him. Live a holy life to experience fulfillment in your life! Be a true worshiper who worships God in spirit and truth. Be sure to adhere strictly to His pattern and instructions as revealed in the Bible. Don’t deceive yourself with present-day Christianity. You become easy meat for the devil if you are not desperately hungry or thirsty for a holy life. You must be desperate enough to cut off your right hand if that will cause you to sin. Have a burning zeal to grow in the things of God. Pursue your desire for God with your resources, time, talent, treasures, and energy. Fill yourself daily with God’s Word and truth if you will thrive as a follower of Christ. Today, hunger and thirst for righteousness, for God will do just what He has promised to do: He will bless you beyond measure because every promise God has ever made, He has kept or will keep. Remember, only the violent can take the Kingdom of God, and you must take it by force.
O Lord, give me the grace to live with an unquenchable desire for You. I hunger and thirst for You. Draw me to You always in Jesus’ Name.