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

Matthew 5:6

This afternoon after church we went out to eat with some friends who are generally observant of what they eat. We should be, right? After all, you are what you eat.” We’ve all heard that phrase and nutritionists generally tell us what we eat has a huge impact on the health of our physical bodies. So, it stands to reason that the same is true for our spiritual bodies as well, right?

In the first century, being truly hungry and thirsty was more of a reality than it is for most of us who live in the 21st-century United States. For us, the end of hunger is found with the nearest Snickers bar or McDonald’s drive-thru. Not so, for them. It is likely many understood the pangs of hunger.

The people who listened to Jesus’ first words during the Sermon on the Mount could relate to His illustration. So, when Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled,” they understood and they longed for the promise of being filled.

As was His custom, Jesus used a physical example to illustrate a spiritual principle.

Most of us recognize the spiritual longing found in our heart of hearts, but what are we filling our hearts with as we try to satisfy that longing in our soul? We have a friend who posts some interesting “spiritual’ thoughts, but those posts are a superficial kind of spirituality that lacks the impact of the Gospel. On the other hand, Jesus’ promise is true and God is not holding anything back from us when we deeply desire the things of God.

The question is are we hungry for the spiritual filling Jesus promised? Are we thirsty for God’s best for our lives? Or are we satisfied with so much less?