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

Have you ever been really hungry? I mean REALLY hungry? Maybe your morning was crazy and you didn't get to have your breakfast and so by 10:30 a.m. your stomach is growling so loud that it's interrupting the work your coworkers are trying to accomplish. Maybe you had to work through lunch, so by 4:30 p.m. you are feeling so weak that you desperately need something to get you through the rest of your day. We all know what it is like to be hungry. There is a physical pain in our stomachs because of the emptiness we are experiencing. We all know what it is like to be thirsty too. And while we can go without food for several days, the lack of liquid can become life-threatening. Our bodiers were designed to function at their bests when they are properly nourished with right amounts of solids and liquids; without them, we would die.

I don't think it was just by coincidence that Jesus chooses to use the analogy of being hungry and thirsty to indicate the level at which a person should pursue a life of righteousness. When a person is hungry or thirsty, he not only feels the pain that is a result of the emptiness inside, but he does something about it! He pursues some kind of food or drink that will satisfy his physical need. But here is where Jesus' analogy gets interesting. On the one hand, Jesus seems to suggest here that a person will be blessed, or "filled" ("satisfied" would be a better translation from the original Greek text), when he pursues righteousness, which will ultimately meet his spiritual need. But on the other hand, a person cannot successfully pursue righteousness on his own. Another time during His ministry, Jesus refers to Himself as the "Bread of Life" (John 6:35) and explains that He is the One who can provide "living water" (John 4:10) to those who desire it. So while we are the ones who are blessed if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus is the One who will ultimately satisfy the spiritual emptiness in our souls. There is a role we play in pursuing (or hungering after) a life of righeousness, but even more so, there is a role Jesus plays in making us that righteous person.

-Jim Vermilya

So, the next time you find yourself physically hungry or thirsty, go have a snack and a beverage. But the next time you feel an emptiness in your spirit for whatever reason, go spend some time with Jesus! He said, "He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35).