“Blessed are Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness ,…” | The Beatitudes Series | Part 4
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6 NKJV
Few weeks ago, I wrote a post titled when I no longer desire God. And I shared how vital it is for us to create time for God amidst our very busy lives. This is one area where most of us don’t like to hear because we would rather someone pacify our flesh and “understand” why it’s so hard not to be able to do this.
Inasmuch as we want to relate with honest posts, the reality is that how we feel isn’t going to make God change His word. It’s good to be honest. However my blog isn’t just about how I do things. It’s mainly about how God wants us to do things. To be able to do this, I have to always speak the truth even when it seems harsh. I’m not here to make people feel good about where they are. My aim is to challenge and push them to that place that God wants them to be.
Anyone who wants to grow knows correction comes with growth and maturity. No one wants to remain a baby forever. Every parent wants to see their kids grow up. So does God. And to achieve this, stern tone has to be used sometimes. Inasmuch as I want it to be relatable, I am not on here to entertain and pacify people. There are enough platforms already for that.
With that being said, our scripture for today talks about having a hunger and thirst for righteousness.
To hunger and thirst for righteousness, is to be consumed by the desires of God. It’s to pursue holiness with our heart, soul and strength. It’s to consciously choose good over evil. It’s not to sin against God knowingly. It’s disciplining our flesh to become submissive to the spirit. It’s creating time to spend with The One we profess our love for.
““Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.” —Isaiah 55:1-2 NLT
Spending time with God isn’t the same thing as spending time on blogs (whether Christian blogs or not). It can be very easy to fall into the trick of filling our quiet time with reading other things. I feel the devil is doing all he can do these days to keep us occupied with everything except our bibles. I know I said this in my last post but I will say it again. The words of men can never be as powerful as a word directly from God.
I am not saying God cannot speak through men. But it’s wise to always compare every word from humans with the bible. If you have the time to read this post and other blog posts, you sure have the time to read and meditate on a verse of the bible. I would rather you unfollow me and spend that time with God because I don’t want my blog to be an idol that has replaced God in your life. My mere words can’t do much for you. But the bible sure can.
The words of men can never be as powerful as a word directly from God.
In the above scripture from Isaiah, God is telling us to come to Him if we are thirsty. You see, the response to thirst and hunger for God is seeking God. If you are struggling to seek God, it isn’t because you do not have the time. It’s because you have no desire for Him. If you did, you will run to Him because you already know where to find Him.
Another big trick Christians fall into is when we only spend time with God so we can have something to share. It really doesn’t work like that. God cannot be deceived or mocked. What we put in is what we get out of it! We cannot do it anytime we feel like it and ignore it whenever we don’t feel like it and then expect to be full on for God. Ermmm sorry, no. That isn’t how it works.
Just as a sip of water will not quench our thirst when we are very thirsty, so also doing the bare minimum when it comes to our time with God won’t do much for us. I’m not criticizing anyone but I’m not here to rub anyone’s ego. The truth confronts and sometimes offends. But it’s aim is to bring about correction.
Am I guilty of the above? Yes.
What am I doing about it?
- Accepting the truth that I lack desire for God.
- Consciously creating time for God daily
- Ensuring I am doing all I can to remain focused and not to be carried away with worldly pleasures
- Accepting the help of the Holy Spirit as I believe I can do all things because He strengthens me.
There is so much more to say but I already said all of these in my previous posts which I will urge you to read.
The blessing attached to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness is that they will be filled.
God is not wicked or unjust. If we reach out to Him, He will come near us. This filling is what brings about peace and joy. When God fills us up, nothing else matters to us. The experience is so calm, sweet and intoxicating at the same time. It’s an experience we never want to cease having. This makes us abide there because it is treasure worth more than silver and gold.
The word of God comes to stir our spirit and not to condemn or scare us.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Matthew 7:7-8
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” —Matthew 6:21
–Efua Uke is a mentor, blogger, and contributor to Ambo TV. This article originally appeared on her website Grace Over Pain.