Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

What is righteousness? The central question is Who is righteousness, because righteousness is not primarily a thing. It is primarily a person and His name is Jesus. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Jesus, for they shall be completely satisfied.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

After Jesus had fasted for forty days and had been in direct contact with Almighty God, fellowshipping with the father, the Bible says he was still hungry. All of that spiritual food could not satisfy his physical body. We are also spiritual people and physical food is not going to meet the need of our spirit, just as spiritual food cannot meet the need of our body.

The food of the spiritual is Jesus and righteousness. We must continually remember that we have to source and satisfy the spiritual part of our nature. Until we nourish ourselves with the food that God has given to meet our spiritual need, we will always, in the deepest part of our being be dissatisfied.

The Focus of a Starving Man

Today, almost none of us knows real hunger or thirst. But, in a desert country where the sun was scorching, where sand and wind storms were frequent, thirst was man’s constant companion.

To such a world, hunger meant the hunger of a starving man, and thirst, that of a man who would die without water.
Do you think that you would like to be pleasing to God, and really taste of His goodness?

If so, how much do you want it? Do you want it as much as a starving person wants food or a thirsty person wants water?

Paul says true righteousness only comes from Christ. It is what He gives us when He takes our place. On the other hand, for the Christian there ought to be a growing experiential righteousness in our own life—a personal holiness, righteousness of speech and conduct, thought and motive.

In Matthew’s gospel, the word here used for righteousness simply means conformity to the will of God.
If you really desire Him, if you really hunger for Jesus, you’re going to seek the Lord Jesus Christ.

When a person knows they are in a starving condition, their interests are greatly narrowed in focus; they have no interest in anything but finding something to eat.

If I already have Jesus, why should I still desire Him? The Apostle Paul, when he was an old man having followed Christ for many years, said: “Oh, that I may know Him!” Philippians 3:10

Christians, therefore, must not simply desire to be a little bit better; they must really hunger and thirst. A believer who is really hungry and thirsty for righteousness concentrates increasing time and intentionality to knowing & doing God’s will.

They learn to obey when some new understanding or responsibility is shown to them from the Word of God. And they fear disobedience and disappointing God more than anything else.

The Full, Satisfied Christian

Now to be completely satisfied does not mean that you’ll never want to eat again. If you ate a great big meal yesterday, that does not mean you will never seek to eat again.

Jesus never allows us just to eat once and that then satisfies us completely. There’s just the joy of feasting on the Lord Jesus. That is worth repeating.

Trust in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17

God is not going to let you just feast on Jesus one time and then that’s all. There is a first feast where you come to Him for salvation, but then it is ongoing, as you continually seek Him for spiritual health and satisfaction.

Why is it that people are not hungry? What’s wrong with a person who never wants to eat?

They could be sick.

They could be stuffed full of something else.

The full soul hates a honeycomb. If you’re full, even honey does not sound good to you, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27:7

Don’t let the devil cause you to think negatively about God. God gives us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17

Are we really hungry to know Jesus better and to allow Him to control our lives?

What are we willing to sacrifice in order to be daily satisfied by Jesus?