Thirsty for Righteousness

by Amy Ruiz

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” –Matthew 5:6

I’ve observed that every human being is thirsty for something; some for fame or riches, others for companionship and belonging, and still others for other worldly things. But no matter how someone seeks after these things, a thirst remains. It’s like drinking salt water that simply can’t quench a deep thirst. Deep emptiness in our soul cannot be satisfied by worldly things since it simply wasn’t made that way.

If we thirst for things of this world, we will always be left thirsty, but Scripture tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). That’s right; we need to be thirsty for righteousness or in other words, a right relationship with God.

I was talking with our kids the other night about the concept of being thirsty for a right relationship with God. We thought about what it is like to eat pretzels, chips, or other salty foods and not have anything to drink. After a while, the body starts craving water. You feel your throat tighten, your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth, and your mind fixates on satisfying the thirst.

Then we thought about what would happen if we cut out all prayer, Bible reading, and church participation for a month, and just consumed worldly music/movies, filled our days with only work, school, and hobbies, and focused ourselves on satisfying our own selfish desires. It wasn’t a pretty picture when we realized how much more arguing would take place, how strained the relationships in our family and with our friends would be, and eventually the emptiness that would consume our minds. We thought about how horrible it feels to sense separation in our closest relationships, and how much we want to get to the forgiveness and reconciliation when there has been tension. We “thirst” to have things right in our lives.

Even in this hypothetical hypothesis, we all realized how much we would thirst to have that closeness with God back. As much as we are sometimes tired and don’t feel like reading or praying, pursuing that right relationship with God feels so good when you have your thirst satisfied. That prayer time or devotional time becomes like a refreshing glass of cold water to the soul.

If you’re feeling empty or thirsting for something that you can’t quite pinpoint, a closer relationship with God will get you going in the right direction. Prayer, Bible reading, listening to worship music, and attending church are all good places to start on that right path. In my experience, getting right with God does truly satisfy in ways that no one and nothing else ever will.

Dear God, may we always hunger and thirst for You above all else so that we may be satisfied just as You promised. Thank You for desiring a relationship with us and making it possible through Your son Jesus. Amen.