A Disciple's Be-Atitudes - #4 Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness

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#4 – Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

The Diet Industry is a multi-billion dollar business. There are hundreds of diet plans on the market. It seems like each day some new diet guru comes on television with a promise if you follow his or her diet plan you would be healthy, live longer and look marvelous.  The secret is that you must change your appetite.  The habit of craving for the wrong thing at the wrong time is what causes disaster for any diet.

Humans were created with an appetite. Our appetites were once holy and good. Since the fall, our appetites are very sinful. The righteousness that was once in us is now gone. It has been replaced with self-indulgence, greed, and unkindness. Yet, humanity desires that its appetite to be fulfilled.

Disciples must have their appetites for righteousness fulfilled and developed within them by the Lord.

The saying “your eyes are too big for your stomach” is used to chastise those who seem to take more food than they can eat. And yet to develop the proper hunger and thirst after righteousness, we need to have big spiritual eyes. Jesus teaches in the sixth chapter of Matthew, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (v.33)

Do you want to be truly filled? Earthly desires won’t do it. We need spiritual food. Your hunger and thirst for righteousness begins when we first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then you will be satisfied to the full. How? You need a daily diet of the Word of God. Then you need to regularly partake of the Lord’s Supper. With this steady spiritual diet, your hunger and thirst for righteousness will be fulfilled.

Questions:

1.     When do you feel hungry and thirsty for righteousness?

2.     How do you know when your spiritual appetite has been fulfilled?

Applications:

1.     You can never satisfy your hunger and thirst for righteousness naturally. (Psalm 51:10)

2.     Being good won’t satisfy your spiritual appetites. (Psalm 37:4, 25; Mark 10:29-30)

3.     You can only become righteousness through Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)