Matthew 5:6

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

Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat.”?

If you choose to eat lots of junk food then you know the effect it will have on your body. But if you choose to eat healthy foods, then we know that it will have a different effect than all the junk food that we eat.

This saying, “You are what you eat.” applies and relates to the spiritual realm as well. From the words we read in Matthew 5:6 we can see that Jesus is challenging us to look at our spiritual appetite. What does it look like for you right now? Think about it for a moment.

Have you ever had hunger pains? You start feeling weak. Maybe you start to sweat or shake. Your stomach starts to hurt and that tells you that you better get some food inside of you. But the truth is,

YOU HAVE TO WANT IT.

No one can force you to eat. This reminds me of the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.” But for us and food, it doesn’t seem to take a lot to force us to eat. And like food, we have to want to live a righteous life.

HUNGER and THIRST (verbs)- an intense desire, a craving, an all consuming pursuit.

When you are thirsty nothing will stop you from getting something to drink. When you are hungry you will go after food at any cost. A desperate kind of hunger and thirst.

When we look at someone and see ambition, passion, a desperate need to achieve or succeed we would say they are hungry for success. This should be the same kind of passion, drive, and ambition that should motivate us as believers to chase or pursue righteousness.

- Psalms 42:1-2

1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

- Psalms 63:1

1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

Can you hear the longing and the drive in David’s pursuit of righteousness? To hunger and to thirst is to have intense desires. It is the same intensity that we need in seeking righteousness. Do you have that same kind of desperation? Can you say, “Jesus, I not only want you, but I need you. I not only need you, but I must have you.”

YOU HAVE TO TAKE ACTION

When we are hungry and thirsty nothing is going to happen unless we do something about it. We can easily say I’m hungry and thirsty and I desire to eat and drink, but unless we take the steps to satisfy our hunger and thirst we will stay the same. At some point you have to eat and drink.

A sign of being sick is a loss of appetite. When we talk about not wanting to eat, we know that there is something wrong. In the same way it is true spiritually. When we no longer hunger and thirst for time alone with God through bible reading, prayer, or worship we see clear signs of spiritual sickness. It is important to develop and deepen our relationship with God. Look for warning signals to tell you something is wrong. To tell you, “Hey, you need help.” The action is to go straight to the SOURCE- the bread of life.

- John 6:35

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

- John 6:51

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

When we are spiritually hungry we will come to the source of spiritual life- JESUS.

KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE

To hunger and thirst means that it is something that continues. We have to continue to hunger and thirst. We don’t and shouldn’t stop hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It is a constant pursuit to live a life of righteousness.

To long to be more and more like Jesus.