Are You Hungry?

Good morning ladies

As we continue thru the Beatitudes, today we’ll look at Matthew 5:6 which says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

I don’t think any of us have experienced true hunger when it comes to food. We are lucky to live in a country where food is plentiful. Even if you are needy, there are food pantries, soup kitchens and programs to help you get back on your feet. Most of us have more food in our refrigerators and pantries than we can eat. I grew up with parents who were children during the Great Depression and they actually knew what it was to not have an abundance. Living in the country during big Iowa snowstorms in the winter where they dug out lanes and gravel roads by hand, they knew that it was possible to be stranded for weeks without the ability to get to town. So they had supplies in place at all times. They were ready when the inevitable happened. However, my parents got married and moved to town. There were still snowstorms but you were rarely unable to get to the store for essentials, at least not for more than a day or two. But the idea of being ready was so ingrained in them that they stored food for emergencies until the day they died. Consequently, I grew up with a stocked pantry and I picked up the same habit.

But this verse is talking about hungering for righteousness rather than food. Hungering is a craving, it’s a strong craving where you are focused on obtaining the thing that will satisfy that need. Do we actually hunger for righteousness? Or do we hunger for things of this world? If we hunger for righteousness, where can we find it? By reading Scripture, going to church and spending time with other believers. We have to learn about it thru God’s word, what His expectations are and what characteristics we need to hone to be more like Jesus. We can learn how to apply those things by going to church, Sunday school and bible study group. And we learn to live it when we spend time with other Christians. Spending a day or even a few hours with another Christian woman always revitalizes me because what we have in common is God. The world beats a person down but encouragement should come from other believers. We should crave righteousness the way the body craves food for survival.

What is righteousness? I think righteousness is having a life that is aligned with God’s will and His character. And we don’t want to confuse His righteousness with self-righteousness because they aren’t even close to being the same. Self-righteousness believes in itself, my thoughts, my feelings, my ideas. Real righteousness is about God, His character, His will, His Word.

This verse also gives us a promise. A promise that if we seek this righteousness that comes from God, He will fulfill that desire for spiritual transformation and right standing with Him. I believe this verse is suggesting that we pursue God and His righteousness  rather than material possessions. Our spiritual health is determined by our appetite for spiritual things.

Matthew 6:33 tells us, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This verse speaks of priorities. We need to put God first and involve Him in all our decisions, finances, time, relationships, etc. It tells us to trust in God to provide the things we need. We have to shift our focus from anxiety to faith.

So how do we put today’s beatitude into practice? By actively pursuing that righteousness, actively studying Scripture, actively praying and actively living out our faith. No one has to tell us to eat, we do that naturally. But we do need to fill our minds with more Scripture and less of the worldly comforts. Time spent seeking God is time well spent.

As always, if you are looking for a church this Sunday, check out our little church on the hill, it’s worth the drive!

Lori Hug