The fourth Beatitude is this:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
(Matthew 5:6)
Righteousness
Righteousness encompasses those things Paul lists in Philippians:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
Righteousness is a life style. It means subjecting our will to the direction of Jesus. It is accepting our duty to live a life like Christ; doing what he would have done and doing it how he would have done it. Being righteous means understanding whether something is right or wrong, just or unjust, godly or ungodly because the Holy Spirit, living in us has the power to convict.
The Holy Spirit’s conviction leads to transition and then to conversion.
For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; And the upright will behold His face. (Psalms 11:7)
Seeing God’s face? That’s righteousness.
Hunger and Thirst
Hunger and thirst are ongoing appetites. We eat a hearty breakfast and are hungry again for lunch. We have a glass of water in the afternoon and another before bedtime. Hunger and thirst must be satisfied often.
Similarly, we seek constant nourishment of righteousness. As a person seeks after God, his thirst for righteousness must be met continuously. This Beatitude is God’s promise that a hunger and thirst for righteousness is pleasing to Him. The person will be blessed by God’s satisfying that hunger and thirst. God desires to be sought and He desires to be known.
A child of God seeks righteousness on a second-to second basis, desiring to be possessed by righteousness, to constantly live in it, to be absorbed into it and by it. A righteous life fills the true believer with peace and joy.
That’s a blessing!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we love you so. Jesus, we desire to live a life like you did—following your example of righteousness. Holy Spirit, we ask you to help us attune our minds and hearts to your leading so that our hunger and thirst for righteousness can be increased and then filled in a way that is pleasing to you. Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? In what practical way do you hunger and thirst for righteousness?
1 comment:
wow, this is very helpful to me to filling my thirst!
Love the feeling of having the Holy Sprit living in me, it helps to keep me in check... I need that :-)
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