Understanding a Profound Promise in Everyday Terms
What Does It Mean to Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?
If you’ve ever been really, truly hungry or thirsty, you know just how powerful and urgent those feelings can be. Maybe you’ve gone a long time without eating, or you’ve spent a hot day working and all you can think about is a cold drink. Those needs take over all your thoughts. In the Bible, Jesus uses this intense feeling—hunger and thirst—to describe how strongly we should want righteousness.
But what is righteousness? Simply put, it’s living in a way that’s right, good, and pleasing to God. It’s about being honest, kind, and just, treating others well, and seeking to do what is right even when it’s hard. And it’s also the kind of goodness that we can’t get on our own; it comes from trusting in God and accepting God’s help.
Why Use Hunger and Thirst to Describe Desire?
We all have needs. Food and water are the most basic, and when we lack them, our bodies and minds cry out for relief. In the same way, the Bible says our souls have needs too—deep needs for meaning, forgiveness, peace, and a sense of being right with God and other people.
When Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” He’s telling us that wanting to live a good, honest, and holy life is as important—and as urgent—as wanting food and water when you’re starving. This hunger isn’t a passing wish or a faint hope; it’s a deep, driving desire. It’s not just an idea, but a feeling that can shape your choices and your life.
What Does “They Shall Be Filled” Mean?
Here’s the amazing part: Jesus doesn’t just say that those who want righteousness are good people—He says they are blessed. And more than that, He promises they will be satisfied.
Imagine the joy of finally eating when you’re hungry, or drinking cool water when you’re parched. That’s how God responds to people who truly want to be good and to live the right way. If you desire to be forgiven, if you want to change, if you are tired of the mess and mistakes in life and want to do better—God promises your need will be met.
This isn’t just a theory. The Bible gives example after example of God providing what people need when they earnestly seek Him. In one passage, Isaiah says, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1). In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst” (John 4:14). Over and over, God promises that those who truly want forgiveness, peace, and to be made right will not be ignored or go away disappointed.
Chasing the Wrong Things
But not all hunger and thirst leads to satisfaction. Many people spend their lives chasing things they think will make them happy—money, pleasure, popularity, or success. These things may satisfy for a while, but sooner or later, the hunger returns. There’s never enough; the satisfaction doesn’t last. You may have seen people who seem to have everything but still feel empty inside. That’s because our deepest needs go beyond physical comfort or material gain.
Jesus points to a “more excellent way” of seeking: rather than chasing after things that don’t last, set your heart on righteousness. Make pleasing God and doing what’s right your main goal. That’s how you find true and lasting satisfaction.
Two Kinds of Righteousness
The passage explains two sides of righteousness:
· Righteousness before God: This is the kind of goodness we can’t earn ourselves. It’s about being forgiven and accepted by God, not because we’re perfect, but because of faith. The Bible says Jesus is our righteousness—He makes us right before God when we trust Him.
· Righteousness in daily life: This is about living out goodness, honesty, and kindness every day. It’s treating others as we want to be treated, standing up for what’s right, and choosing love over selfishness.
Both kinds of righteousness are important. God desires that we seek both—to be made right with Him, and to live out that goodness in the world.
What About Justice and Innocence?
Some people understand this hunger and thirst as wanting to clear their name, to be seen as innocent or just, especially if they’ve been wrongly accused. While the desire for justice and to be recognized as good is natural, the passage suggests that Jesus is talking about a deeper, spiritual hunger—for the kind of goodness that comes from God, and not just from what others think of us.
How Do We Seek Righteousness?
So, how do you actually “hunger and thirst for righteousness”?
· Recognize your need: Like hunger and thirst, this starts with admitting you don’t have everything together. It’s ok to feel a need for forgiveness, peace, and help. That’s the first step.
· Ask God for help: The Bible says if we seek, we’ll find; if we ask, it will be given. Pray honestly—tell God you want to be better, you want to be forgiven, you want to change.
· Trust in Jesus: The good news is that Jesus has already done what we couldn’t do. He offers His own righteousness to anyone who believes, so we can stand before God clean and accepted.
· Live it out: Once you’ve received forgiveness, start making choices that reflect that new life. Show kindness, stand up for justice, forgive others, and live with integrity. Let that hunger for goodness shape your daily life.
The Promise: Real Satisfaction
So many people spend their lives feeling empty, restless, or unsatisfied, even when they have all the comforts they could want. Jesus promises that if you seek righteousness—if you truly desire to be forgiven, to be good, and to live rightly—you won’t go away hungry. God will fill you up, like a starving person fed a feast, or a thirsty traveler given cool water.
This is a promise you can count on. No matter how far you’ve wandered, or how much you’ve messed up, if you want to change, God is ready to help.
Conclusion: The Blessing of a Hungry Heart
To sum it up: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” If you want to live a life that matters, that’s good and true, start with a hungry heart—not for things that pass away, but for what lasts. Seek God, seek goodness, and you will find the deep satisfaction your soul is longing for.
It’s not complicated. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to want what’s right, and trust God to help you. That’s a promise worth holding onto—one that brings true joy, peace, and fulfillment, not just for a moment, but for a lifetime and beyond.
Minister A Francine Green
August 2025
afrancinegreen.com 