“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” MATTHEW 5:6 NASB
There is a big difference in the hunger of someone who missed a day of food or fasted for 30 hours, and those who never have enough to eat. The former is temporarily hungry; the latter will always crave nourishment.
This verse in Matthew talks about being always hungry, and always craving for righteousness. Jesus said that man is blessed, and he will be satisfied.
What I’ve been learning in this extended Daniel fast: you may be eating but you never really get satiated. You are still always hungry. And that translates to sustained spiritual hunger and thirst for righteousness.
We have become righteous only because of what Jesus has done on the cross for us. It is by grace through faith alone that we have been saved. But this righteousness in Matthew 5 isn’t talking about salvation. This sustained spiritual hunger is about pursuing the things that matter to God, going after and loving God even more BECAUSE of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. After all, we only love God because He first loved us.
This sustained spiritual hunger isn’t just for Sundays, or during five-minute devotional, or a quick prayer so we get on with our day. This hunger means the affections of your heart are for God. And when you find yourself being pulled by something else, you immediately turn back and turn your love onto Him again. This hunger for righteousness means you protect your connection with the Lord that you will not allow anything to come between Him and you.
And Jesus is saying – those who constantly keep on being hungry for ME are blessed and will be satisfied. “I will fill your life with good things… Those who seek Me will find me when you seek me earnestly.”
As we go homestretch toward the last 10 days of our 40-day fast, God’s Word says He will satisfy what our hearts have been longing for. That’s always been God’s desire, so delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
“And my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying and seeking (craving, require as a necessity) My Presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, then I will be there for you: I will listen from heaven, forgive their sins and restore their land to health.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 MSG