Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Hunger and Thirst
(Matthew 5:6)
Our hearts go out to folks that don’t have resources to provide for the basic necessities of life. While this is never true in America, it is a sad reality for citizens of impoverished, third world countries. Hunger and thirst are dilemma’s faced daily by millions worldwide. When we think of hunger and thirst, we don’t typically classify them as positive conditions.
Jesus, however, used these typically negative concepts to teach an important spiritual reality. Just as the body hungers for food and thirsts for water, so should the spirit of man yearn for righteousness. Just as hunger and thirst are conditions that require continual attention, so is man’s need for righteousness. And, just as hunger and thirst drive men to seek food and water, so should our lack of righteousness motivate us to find it.
In an increasingly secular society, material needs tend to captivate our attention while spiritual needs go unmet. Unfortunately, our society has failed to see the connection between the two. When righteousness is the chief concern, material prosperity takes care of itself (Matthew 6:33). Where materialism reigns supreme, prosperity eventually collapses—unable to bear up under the increasing burden of fraud and corruption. One need only examine America’s current economic crisis—and the events which brought it about—to verify this truth.
The good news is that those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” will not be disappointed. There is no limit to God’s grace for the hungering and thirsting soul!
