Tuesday, February 23
Scripture: Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

HUNGERING AND THIRSTING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

St. Augustine hit the nail on the head on two accounts when he said:

“Thou madest us for Thyself,
and our heart is restless,
until it rest in Thee.”

Our hearts are restless. This restlessness, which manifests itself in our soul’s hungering and our heart’s thirst, can only find its rest in Jesus. I often find myself in situations where I am restless and longing. Occasionally, I try to soothe this thirst with things that do not truly satisfy: vacations, relationships, creative accomplishments, good food… and the list goes on. But, the longing remains. It is a painful reminder of my tendencies to use the gifts the Giver has given to medicate the longing the Giver has created that was meant to be satisfied in Him alone. The Lord wired these appetites in our souls so that He himself could fill them! And He will: “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst’” (John 6:35).

Jesus, in the beatitudes, points us to the true satisfaction of the soul’s hunger and thirst: righteousness. What then is this righteousness? It would seem in the context of the beatitudes that follow, righteousness refers to showing mercy to other people (5:7); being pure in heart before God (5:8); and making the effort to make peace (5:9). Can we attain this righteousness on our own? Romans 3:10-12 reminds us of our lack of righteousness: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” But at the same time Paul points us to the true source of our righteousness, given to us through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). Our hunger and thirst for righteousness can be found in our changed desires to be merciful, pure in heart and to make peace with others, but the strength and power to act out our righteousness can only be found through trusting in Jesus who will help us to do these things for the glory of God. I am thankful for the presence of these appetites of hunger and thirst because they remind me constantly of my fragility and finiteness. Their existence points me to Christ, the only one who can truly satisfy the deepest desires of my soul.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, help us in our weaknesses and longings to hunger and thirst for true righteousness. We do not thirst and hunger for you like we should, and when we do, we use poor substitutes to try and satisfy these deep longings that can only find their rest in you. Lord, forgive us for our inabilities to treasure you as our supreme joy and satisfaction. May the righteousness that manifests itself in your spirit living in us, help us to love you and the people you allow us to meet, with greater measure.  Satisfy our souls deeply with your presence. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Abigail Han, Artist & Friend of Biola University