Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
What do you hunger for at the core of your being - significance, recognition, love, affirmation, to be known? What drives you? Where do you spend your money? Where do you spend your time? What consumes your thoughts? The answers to those questions often indicate what you truly hunger and thirst for at the core of your being.
Jesus, as the triune God, knows exactly how mankind is created. He knows that we are created for all of those things - significance, influence, love, affirmation, knowing and being known - yet, the deepest needs within us will never be truly satisfied until they are brought before the Lord. It is as the famous quote of Pascal states, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."
Despite our best efforts, we can never achieve righteousness before a holy, holy, holy God. God alone is righteous. Jesus modelled what it meant to live a righteous life. We can seek to emulate him but will find that we always fall short. What Jesus gave us through his death on the cross was a righteousness that is not our own; it is one that we could never earn or achieve through our efforts. Instead, it is a righteousness through surrender. When we give our lives to the Lord, when we put our trust in his finished work on the cross, then we are cleansed of all our unrighteousness and clothed in the righteous work of Jesus. When the Lord looks at us, he sees the righteousness of Jesus. What an amazing gift!
So, I will ask you again. What do you hunger and thirst for - the things of this world or the righteousness of Christ? The world will never truly satisfy, but those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ will be satisfied by looking to him. May we be found wearing his robes of righteousness today!
Reflection:
Take a few minutes to allow the Lord to search your heart, the depths of your longings and desires. What does he find at the core of your being? Can you surrender your earthly desires to him and ask him to make his desires your desires?
What do you hunger for at the core of your being - significance, recognition, love, affirmation, to be known? What drives you? Where do you spend your money? Where do you spend your time? What consumes your thoughts? The answers to those questions often indicate what you truly hunger and thirst for at the core of your being.
Jesus, as the triune God, knows exactly how mankind is created. He knows that we are created for all of those things - significance, influence, love, affirmation, knowing and being known - yet, the deepest needs within us will never be truly satisfied until they are brought before the Lord. It is as the famous quote of Pascal states, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."
Despite our best efforts, we can never achieve righteousness before a holy, holy, holy God. God alone is righteous. Jesus modelled what it meant to live a righteous life. We can seek to emulate him but will find that we always fall short. What Jesus gave us through his death on the cross was a righteousness that is not our own; it is one that we could never earn or achieve through our efforts. Instead, it is a righteousness through surrender. When we give our lives to the Lord, when we put our trust in his finished work on the cross, then we are cleansed of all our unrighteousness and clothed in the righteous work of Jesus. When the Lord looks at us, he sees the righteousness of Jesus. What an amazing gift!
So, I will ask you again. What do you hunger and thirst for - the things of this world or the righteousness of Christ? The world will never truly satisfy, but those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ will be satisfied by looking to him. May we be found wearing his robes of righteousness today!
Reflection:
Take a few minutes to allow the Lord to search your heart, the depths of your longings and desires. What does he find at the core of your being? Can you surrender your earthly desires to him and ask him to make his desires your desires?
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