This is one of the most profound of all the Beatitudes. On the surface, it seems rather simple, but when you really dig deep into the real meaning of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, you find it is far from simplistic. Remember that blessed means a peaceful contentment which goes beyond the mere feeling of happiness. What is profound about this Beatitude is this--to be peacefully contented requires that I be unhappy about where I am. In other words, the path to happiness is discontentment. If you want to be satisfied, you first have to be hungry. I mean truly hungry. The kind of hunger that says, "If I don't eat right now, I'm going to faint." The "I can't go another step" kind of hunger. Of course we are talking about the desire for what only God can fill.

Man is created with an insatiable appetite for spiritual things. We can satisfy that appetite with what God offers us or with what the world offers us. When you fill your hunger with the things of this world, it doesn't really satisfy and you are left wanting more. The more you eat, the emptier you become. The opposite is true of righteousness. The more you eat, the more satisfied you become, which leaves you hungry for more, not because you are empty, but because you are full.

What are you feeding off of today? Lord, help us to have a driving hunger for what You have to offer us. Help us never to be content with where we are at, but always hungry and thirsty for more of You.