Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6
When I don’t hunger and thirst after righteousness, I need revival.
Many of us enjoy eating – some more obviously than others. I think that even if we did not have to eat to stay alive, we would do it just because we enjoy the taste of most food and the satisfaction that comes from eating. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a juicy cheeseburger with fries, or a well-prepared steak and a loaded baked potato? And don’t even get me started on dessert – banana pudding, German chocolate cake, éclairs, ice cream sundaes with brownies! Am I making you hungry yet?
Most of us can be hungry for food even when our stomachs are not telling us we are hungry! And yet, when it comes to the things of God (for which we should have a much stronger appetite) we become apathetic. We want righteousness and holiness, but only when it is convenient and it doesn’t interfere with the other things we have going on in our lives. We wouldn’t mind being right with God, but it is not a priority. Our desire is toward things of a much more physical nature rather than of a spiritual nature. Spirituality is certainly not at the forefront of our minds.
When a person comes down with an illness, he is often left with no appetite. The desire for food ceases as the pain or sickness creeps in. If that lack of appetite continues, that person may suffer serious malnutrition which could even lead to his death. It is no less serious when a spiritual appetite for holiness and righteousness fades. When a spiritual appetite is non-existent, then the spiritual well-being of that person suffers horribly. Answering the calls of a soul longing for righteousness should be no less natural than answering the calls of a growling stomach. If we are children of God, then it should come naturally for us to want to please our Heavenly Father.
In America, where we have just about as much food as we could ever desire, our hunger pangs can be immediately satisfied if we so desire. Let each small pang of hunger throughout the day be a reminder to hunger and thirst after righteousness. A serious hunger for the Word of God and for the things of God is at the front of the mind of every Christian who is excited about living for God. If you don’t hunger and thirst after righteousness, then you need revival. Beg God to give you that craving and voracity for the things of God.
Read also: 2 Chronicles 29:1-11
Quote of the day: "There is no pleasure without purity, and there is no happiness without holiness."