Matthew 5:6 - Craving and Yearning for God; The Ultimate Relationship.
Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall
be filled.
Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will
be filled.
Matthew 5:6 (ESV) Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall
be satisfied.
INTRODUCTION
No human agent can supply that which will
satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But Jesus
says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if
any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with Me." "I am the bread of life: he that cometh
to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth
on Me shall never thirst." Revelation 3:20;
John 6:35.
As we need food to sustain our physical
strength, so do we need Christ, the Bread from heaven,
to sustain spiritual life and impart strength
to work the works of God. As the body is
continually receiving the nourishment that sustains life
and vigor, so the soul must be constantly
communing with Christ, submitting to Him and depending
wholly upon Him.
As we discern the perfection of our
Saviour's character we shall desire to become wholly
transformed and renewed in the image of His purity. The
more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal
of character and the more earnest our longing
to reflect His likeness.
The words of God are the wellsprings of
life. As you seek unto those living springs you
will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into
communion with Christ. MB18-20
COMMENTARY PEARL
A Thirst For Righteousness
God is the only source of true happiness,
because He offers those intangibles that we
mistakenly believe can be found on earth: contentment,
security, peace, and hope for the future. None of
these can be found in a job, a human relationship,
money, power, or position. They are God's alone to
give.
How hard it is for us to believe this,
however' This is understandable if we haven't given
our lives to Christ; then, the Bible says, our
spiritual "eyes" are still blinded, unable to see
God's truth until the Holy Spirit opens them. But
it can happen to us as believers also - falling
into the pattern of the world, vainly pursuing
happiness in the same ways the world does.
That is why the Lord Jesus, in His Sermon
on the Mount, told where ultimate happiness
lies: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be filled." This is God's
promise - and it is true.
Riches or righteousness? Which will
be your goal?
Its a hard lesson to learn: the world
always delivers less than it promises. God, on the
other hand, has never failed to keep his word.
Seek righteousness and discover the blessed life.
[Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham]
COMMENTARY
A Culture of Hungers
The Olympic athlete stood on the medal
stand listening to his national anthem. Years of
hard work and dedication were now being rewarded
with gold and honor. Analysts could point to
various reasons he won - his technique, his physical
attributes, his perseverance - but there was one larger
reason underlying them all. He won a medal because
he had spent his life hungering for it.
To a very large degree, we will be
defined and directed by our hungers in life. We are
pointed in the direction of our desires. They
motivate us, determine our focus, and keep us going
when were tempted to lose heart. They turn our
face toward a goal, and we generally grow in the
direction were facing.
That's why Jesus blesses us if we hunger
and thirst for righteousness - or "rightness,"
justice, and truth for ourselves and for the world.
That's the direction we will grow in. Unlike an
Olympic athlete - or anyone else who desires
something strongly and expends a lot of effort for it
- we don't get it by hard work. We must seek
it and be persistent in our desire, and we must
cooperate with God in His work in us and through us.
But in a very real sense, this attribute can
only be given. We hunger and thirst; He fills.
We're different from an Olympic athlete
in another regard too: We don't have to worry
about whether we will achieve the goal. That's the
promise of this Beatitude. Jesus doesn't say those
who hunger and thirst for justice, rightness,
and truth might be filled, or may find success,
or could possibly be rewarded. He says we will
be filled. Its definite. This goal is not
beyond our reach because its up to Him, and
everything is within His reach. For those of us who
hunger for the right things, that's extremely good
news. The end of our search is not futility and
frustration. The reward is fulfillment, and it's
inevitable. Our hungers drive us to exactly the right
place. [The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional by
Chris Tiegreen]
ILLUSTRATION
Yesterday, I snacked on some cheese and
nuts right before dinner. When it was time for
supper, I didn't eat much. Since I was no longer
hungry, the food didn't taste great. Years ago, I
did a three-day fast. The first thing I ate
afterward was a banana. I've never before or since
tasted a banana that delicious. Hunger can make
anything taste amazing.
In much the same way, some days I read a
section of Scripture and the words taste dull.
That's because I'm full of self: self-confidence,
self-indulgence, self-assurance. I don't come to the Bible
with an awareness of my need and emptiness. I
don't come to Jesus hungry.
Then there are other days I'm starving
for the comfort food Jesus supplies. My heart is
breaking while I'm watching a loved one approach the
end of life. Or, despite my best intentions,
I've spent time complaining and whining and now
feel ashamed. Or I'm confronted by loneliness and
ache for connection. Or fear has me in an icy
grip because of a new job that seems too big for
me to handle. As difficult as those days are,
they stir a new hunger in me. They remind me that
Jesus invites those who are in need to come to
Him. In the beautiful upside-down descriptions of
the Beatitudes, He reminds me that a place of
inner poverty and need is a place of blessing.
Today, as we approach the Word, let's
acknowledge our deep need so that we have a new appetite
for the truth. As we hunger and thirst for the
Righteous One, we will find Him in the Scriptures, be
filled with His presence, and be truly satisfied.
by Sharon Hinck
Faith Step: Consider fasting from a meal
or two, and ask Jesus to increase your hunger
for knowing Him. [Mornings With Jesus 2019
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
When my wife makes a meal, she already
has everything cut up into perfect portions and
divided into sections. The problem is that I get
hungry. So, I sometimes swipe a little food while
shes preparing it.
In fact, the moment she says, Dont
eat that, Im going to eat that.
Now, if youre healthy, youre
typically hungry. Appetite often indicates health. In
the same way, our spiritual hunger gauges our
spiritual health.
Jesus said, Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall
be filled (Matthew 5:6 NKJV).
A lot of people look forward to church on
Sunday to worship the Lord and hear the Word of
God. And some people just attend church on Sunday
because thats what you do on Sunday. Someone
expects it of them.
But when people get involved in Bible
study or prayer during the week, it tells me
something about them. It tells me theyre hungry for
God. They have jobs or are in school, yet
theyve carved out time to hear the Word of God and
worship the Lord.
To me that says they are spiritually
healthy people.
At the same time, we can do things that
can spoil our spiritual appetites, like maybe
sitting in front of the television for three hours.
There are certain people who, when we hang around
them, dont build us up spiritually. Rather,
they tear us down.
We need to recognize there is always more
to learn as Christians. There is always a lot
that needs to still change in our lives. No
matter how much you pray, you can always pray more.
No matter how much you love, you can always
love more.
Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
filled. God wants to fill you up to overflowing.
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
Matthew 5:6 - Craving and Yearning For God -
The Ultimate Relationship!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160405-1647.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
