Thursday | Matthew 5:6
Those Who Hunger | Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
When training for weightlifting competitions, our coaches would teach us the importance of nutrition; how food was fuel and different food provided different kinds of fuels. Our nutrition was specific and scheduled throughout the day to maximize athletic performance. As a result of the kinds of food we ate and the amount of training we did, I was always hungry.
Eating every few hours taught me two things about myself: I am always hungry and food leads to satisfaction. More specifically, the right kind of foods leads to satisfaction. The right foods led me to perform better, grow in strength, and recover effectively and appropriately.
Today’s beatitude is something like training and eating. Righteousness contains both implication and application for the Christian. To begin, righteousness teaches us that we are sinners. Secondly, to be righteous means that we have a desire to be free from sin and to be in right standing before God. The problem is that we cannot be made righteous on our own.
Because we cannot be made righteous on our own, apart from Christ we are always hungry for something (the wrong kind of food) other than Him. Consequently, we are left unsatisfied and with a great appetite. The more we seek to satisfy our appetite in something or someone other than Christ, we increase, ironically, our self-righteousness, our outward appearance, and the reaction we received from others.
However, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (the right kind of food) means that their desires are fully satisfied in Christ. You cannot pursue righteousness if you are not first poor in spirit. And the promise of the gospel is that if you confess and repent of your win, Jesus is faithful to forgive and cleanse you (1 John 1:9) immediately. Your hunger will be satisfied.
The work of Jesus on the cross for sinners means that He is ready and prepared to pardon all who turn to Him in repentance and faith. Be encouraged today:
In Christ, forgiveness IMMEDIATELY leads to redemption; a new heart.
In Christ, redemption IMMEDIATELY changes our status from unrighteous to righteous..
In Christ, righteousness IMMEDIATELY satisfies our hunger and thirst.
Christian, do you hunger and thirst for righteousness in Christ? Or do other poorly nutritioned food pull at you?