“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” -Matthew 5:6. (NKJV)
Jesus
used some strong physical-need words to describe our search for righteousness,
or right-living, right-thinking. He said
we should hunger and thirst for the righteousness that comes from God. Many in the world today know real hunger,
intense thirst. Due to circumstances
like crop failure and disaster to cause lack of pure, clean water to assuage
thirst, they are desperate for even a crust of bread to eat and a small sip of
clean, pure water.
The
righteousness seeker first recognizes that God is the ultimate source of
righteousness. He is truthful, faithful
and consistent. These characteristics
that identify our God should also be what the Christian seeks. Those who seek righteousness have the quality
of being right or just. At one time, we
are told, righteousness was spelled “right-wiseness.” The Christian wants “right-wiseness” so much
that he seeks after it like he seeks food when he is extremely hungry and like
he seeks water when thirst gnaws at him.
A
Christian, while living in the world, seeks to be different from the
world. He does not live in a
cocoon. Neither does he, like the
Pharisees, try not to touch anything that is unclean lest he himself be
contaminated. The Christian lives in the
world, but is not conformed to the world, not shaped by it or take on the
character of worldly persons. He does
not boast a “holier-than-thou” attitude.
Rather, from pure motives and single-minded devotion, the Christian seeks
to take on the characteristics of holy God.
Seeking this set-apart and different character is like searching for
food when hungry and seeking for water when thirsty. It takes concentration and singleness of
purpose to consistently bear the righteous image of holy God stamped upon our
lives.
Jesus
promises our search will be successful.
Those who seek for righteousness “shall be filled.” The New English Version reads, “they shall be
satisfied.” Think of seeking God’s
righteousness as sitting down at a well-filled and well-appointed table when
very hungry. The food is there to
satisfy hunger. If we do not eat, the
fault is with our choice, not with the abundant supply. Or think of working outside in the intense
heat of summer and being so grateful for cool water available when thirst
persists. I can remember on the farm when
I was growing up that we took cool water from the well to workers in the field
to help them with the terrible thirst that came at mid-afternoon. The water
would enable them to move on with the work and accomplish “a good day’s work,”
the allotted amount of duty expected for a day.
Food and water are necessary to productive work. Likewise, hungering and thirsting after God’s
righteousness is a satisfying and results-producing endeavor. The Christian should remember daily: “I am a sinner saved by grace.” I was hungry and thirsty for something only
God could supply. And He satisfied my
hunger and thirst, and moreover, it is a continuing process: He keeps on satisfying my need to grow daily
in Christ-likeness. Amen.!
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