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Matthew 5:6 - Craving and Yearning for God; The Ultimate Relationship.

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) Blessed are those who 
hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall 
be filled.  

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who 
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will 
be filled.  

Matthew 5:6 (ESV) Blessed are those who 
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall 
be satisfied.  

INTRODUCTION

   No human agent can supply that which will 
satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But Jesus 
says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if 
any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will 
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he 
with Me." "I am the bread of life: he that cometh 
to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth 
on Me shall never thirst." Revelation 3:20; 
John 6:35.  
   As we need food to sustain our physical 
strength, so do we need Christ, the Bread from heaven, 
to sustain spiritual life and impart strength 
to work the works of God. As the body is 
continually receiving the nourishment that sustains life 
and vigor, so the soul must be constantly 
communing with Christ, submitting to Him and depending 
wholly upon Him.  
   As we discern the perfection of our 
Saviour's character we shall desire to become wholly 
transformed and renewed in the image of His purity. The 
more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal 
of character and the more earnest our longing 
to reflect His likeness.  
   The words of God are the wellsprings of 
life. As you seek unto those living springs you 
will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into 
communion with Christ. MB18-20 

COMMENTARY PEARL

A Thirst For Righteousness
   God is the only source of true happiness, 
because He offers those intangibles that we 
mistakenly believe can be found on earth: contentment, 
security, peace, and hope for the future. None of 
these can be found in a job, a human relationship, 
money, power, or position. They are God's alone to 
give. 
   How hard it is for us to believe this, 
however' This is understandable if we haven't given 
our lives to Christ; then, the Bible says, our 
spiritual "eyes" are still blinded, unable to see 
God's truth until the Holy Spirit opens them. But 
it can happen to us as believers also - falling 
into the pattern of the world, vainly pursuing 
happiness in the same ways the world does. 
   That is why the Lord Jesus, in His Sermon 
on the Mount, told where ultimate happiness 
lies: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for 
righteousness, for they shall be filled." This is God's 
promise - and it is true. 
   Riches  or righteousness? Which will 
be your goal?  
   Its a hard lesson to learn: the world 
always delivers less than it promises. God, on the 
other hand, has never failed to keep his word. 
Seek righteousness and discover the blessed life. 
[Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham] 

COMMENTARY

A Culture of Hungers
   The Olympic athlete stood on the medal 
stand listening to his national anthem. Years of 
hard work and dedication were now being rewarded 
with gold and honor. Analysts could point to 
various reasons he won - his technique, his physical 
attributes, his perseverance - but there was one larger 
reason underlying them all. He won a medal because 
he had spent his life hungering for it. 
   To a very large degree, we will be 
defined and directed by our hungers in life. We are 
pointed in the direction of our desires. They 
motivate us, determine our focus, and keep us going 
when were tempted to lose heart. They turn our 
face toward a goal, and we generally grow in the 
direction were facing. 
   That's why Jesus blesses us if we hunger 
and thirst for righteousness - or "rightness," 
justice, and truth for ourselves and for the world. 
That's the direction we will grow in. Unlike an 
Olympic athlete - or anyone else who desires 
something strongly and expends a lot of effort for it 
- we don't get it by hard work. We must seek 
it and be persistent in our desire, and we must 
cooperate with God in His work in us and through us. 
But in a very real sense, this attribute can 
only be given. We hunger and thirst; He fills. 
   We're different from an Olympic athlete 
in another regard too: We don't have to worry 
about whether we will achieve the goal. That's the 
promise of this Beatitude. Jesus doesn't say those 
who hunger and thirst for justice, rightness, 
and truth might be filled, or may find success, 
or could possibly be rewarded. He says we will 
be filled. Its definite. This goal is not 
beyond our reach because its up to Him, and 
everything is within His reach. For those of us who 
hunger for the right things, that's extremely good 
news. The end of our search is not futility and 
frustration. The reward is fulfillment, and it's 
inevitable. Our hungers drive us to exactly the right 
place. [The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional by 
Chris Tiegreen] 

ILLUSTRATION

   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. 
by Sharon Hinck 
   Faith Step: Consider fasting from a meal 
or two, and ask Jesus to increase your hunger 
for knowing Him. [Mornings With Jesus 2019 
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   When my wife makes a meal, she already 
has everything cut up into perfect portions and 
divided into sections. The problem is that I get 
hungry. So, I sometimes swipe a little food while 
shes preparing it. 
   In fact, the moment she says, Dont 
eat that, Im going to eat that. 
   Now, if youre healthy, youre 
typically hungry. Appetite often indicates health. In 
the same way, our spiritual hunger gauges our 
spiritual health. 
   Jesus said, Blessed are those who 
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall 
be filled (Matthew 5:6 NKJV). 
   A lot of people look forward to church on 
Sunday to worship the Lord and hear the Word of 
God. And some people just attend church on Sunday 
because thats what you do on Sunday. Someone 
expects it of them. 
   But when people get involved in Bible 
study or prayer during the week, it tells me 
something about them. It tells me theyre hungry for 
God. They have jobs or are in school, yet 
theyve carved out time to hear the Word of God and 
worship the Lord. 
   To me that says they are spiritually 
healthy people. 
   At the same time, we can do things that 
can spoil our spiritual appetites, like maybe 
sitting in front of the television for three hours. 
There are certain people who, when we hang around 
them, dont build us up spiritually. Rather, 
they tear us down. 
   We need to recognize there is always more 
to learn as Christians. There is always a lot 
that needs to still change in our lives. No 
matter how much you pray, you can always pray more. 
No matter how much you love, you can always 
love more. 
   Blessed are those who hunger and 
thirst for righteousness, for they shall be 
filled. God wants to fill you up to overflowing. 
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Matthew 5:6 - Craving and Yearning For God - 
The Ultimate Relationship! 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160405-1647.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657