Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness

Every person has certain drives necessary for survival. Strongest are the physical drives for food and water. There are others, including a desire to know God, to know where we came from and what lies beyond our last breath here on earth.

The fourth blessing that Jesus pronounced on the people hearing the Sermon on the Mount was "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Here He spoke of these two basic drives–the drive for food and water, but He applied them to a spiritual hunger and thirst for God. Notice what He did not say. He didn’t say that those who hunger and thirst for a better position, a higher salary or one with more benefits, or a more beautiful body would find satisfaction, but those who hunger and thirst for righteousness or uprightness would be filled.

Jesus used an interesting word to describe the fulfillment that comes when you make God the focus of your life. The same word was used of cattle that were fed or fattened with choice pasture. It’s the picture of a cow grazing in a rich green pasture, contentedly chewing its cud.

One of my favorite psalms is that of David when he was hiding from Saul in the desolate area of Judea near Ein Gedi, fearful of losing his life. With everything going against him, David took refuge in his faith. He cried out, "O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1).

David knew what physical thirst was. The geographic setting of the psalm is the desolate desert–hot, dry and barren. But David’s point is that his thirst for God was even greater. David talked of the long hours of the night when sleep did not come when he would meditate on God and the promises of His Word, when he would ponder God’s love and care for him.

Jesus emphatically says that your hunger and thirst for God will not go unheeded. There is one more thing that must be said–Jesus did not put conditions on this promise. Jesus never said, "Clean up your act, get spiritual, then get in line for a blessing." He simply promised the blessing of fulfillment to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Those who hunger and thirst for God will find Him.