Hunger: April 13, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY APRIL 13, 2012.

HUNGER

DEFINITION:

Craving for food; strong desire; urgent need.

SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Matthew 5:6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

This week we have been looking at the Beatitudes that Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount one Beatitude each day. Today we look at the Beatitude on spiritual hunger.

We have often heard it said that the world is hungry for the gospel, but if this was true of everyone the whole world would be saved in a very short time. The truth is that the people of the world hunger and thirst, not for righteousness, but to satisfy their lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I John 2:16-17 tells us this. Lust and pride can never be satisfied.

The scripture describes two kinds of righteousness which men hunger and thirst after. One is legal or self-righteousness. This is man’s own vain effort to establish his own righteousness by his own works, the works of the law. Titus 3:5 tells us that such “law works” cannot save a person from eternal damnation. These “law works” only produce self-righteousness which is, in God’s sight, like filthy rags, according to Isaiah 64:6.

The second kind of righteousness is the righteousness of God. Righteousness is what is right by God’s standards.

Romans 10:4 says that “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” And in Romans 3:22 (NIV), Paul tells us how we are made righteous. “Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Faith alone brings righteousness and only believers who have received righteousness will know the blessedness of Salvation which brings peace and joy. In this life there is no greater blessing than this.

Jesus is referring here to hunger and thirst as to have a starving spirit. It is a real hunger and starvation of the soul for righteousness. The word that Jesus uses here is translated from the Greek in the accusative case to mean all righteousness. When the word is used in the genitive case it means that a person sometimes feels a little hunger or thirst for a small bit of something. But Jesus says in this Beatitude, blessed are they that hunger and thirst for all righteousness, not for little tidbits.

It is important that we note that the person who hungers and thirsts to be righteous and to do righteousness shall be blessed. Many just want bits and pieces just enough to make them comfortable. This gives a person false security and leads ultimately to loose living.

You are blessed when you have worked up a good appetite for God. He is the food and drink that satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Christ does not say, “Blessed are the righteous,” because no one is righteous. He does say, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” Man is born imperfect and has only one hope and that is to seek God who does not want anyone to perish for their unrighteousness but wants to make everyone righteous through Jesus’ atonement He made for us on Calvary. That is just what God does and He does this because He loves us.

Righteousness is the only thing that will fill and satisfy man’s innermost needs. And finally, being filled means to be filled with the spirit. In Ephesians 5:18 it says that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace.

Are you satisfied because you have received a full measure of God’s righteousness or are you still hungry?

LEARNING:

We are memorizing this week the sixth commandment found in Exodus 20:13.

You shall not murder.

PRAYER:

Help me today to take a new look as to how I should hunger and thirst after righteousness in my life. Help me to spend more time reading Your Word and communicating with You so that I may have the blessing of Your righteousness in my life. Thank you for the gift of Your Son that makes it possible for me to be made righteous in Your sight.