Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfi ed. Matthew 5:6 (ESV)
Yesterday, I snacked on some cheese and nuts right before dinner. When it was time for supper, I didn’t eat much. Since I was no longer hungry, the food didn’t taste great. Years ago, I did a three-day fast. The first thing I ate afterward was a banana. I’ve never before or since tasted a banana that delicious. Hunger can make anything taste amazing.
In much the same way, some days I read a section of Scripture and the words taste dull. That’s because I’m full of self: self-confidence, self-indulgence, self-assurance. I don’t come to the Bible with an awareness of my need and emptiness. I don’t come to Jesus hungry.
Then there are other days I’m starving for the comfort food Jesus supplies. My heart is breaking while I’m watching a loved one approach the end of life. Or, despite my best intentions, I’ve spent time complaining and whining and now feel ashamed. Or I’m confronted by loneliness and ache for connection. Or fear has me in an icy grip because of a new job that seems too big for me to handle. As difficult as those days are, they stir a new hunger in me. They remind me that Jesus invites those who are in need to come to Him. In the beautiful upside-down descriptions of the Beatitudes, He reminds me that a place of inner poverty and need is a place of blessing.
Today, as we approach the Word, let’s acknowledge our deep need so that we have a new appetite for the truth. As we hunger and thirst for the Righteous One, we will find Him in the Scriptures, be filled with His presence, and be truly satisfied.
Faith Step: Consider fasting from a meal or two, and ask Jesus to increase your hunger for knowing Him.
