“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6
In Matthew Chapter 5, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered eight teachings called The Beatitudes. Beatitudes comes from the Greek word beatus, meaning happy or blessed. Each Beatitude names a virtue and lists an eternal reward for that virtue.
This verse, the fourth Beatitude, brings hope to the Christian, who hungers and thirsts for righteousness in a world where righteousness is rare and fleeting. The believer is happy because they know they will be eternally satisfied when they are in the presence of the Lord.
Got Questions says that this verse can be paraphrased as follows:
“Deeply joyful and spiritually whole are those who actively seek right relationship with God and, in so doing, discover that He alone can completely save and satisfy their souls.”
No matter what is happening around us, we can be confident that one day our soul will be satisfied if we are seeking the righteousness of God. Do not be anxious, do not feel defeated. God’s plan for you in eternity, which extends into this life, will overcome the world.
In his commentary, Matthew Henry says:
“Those who contentedly bear oppression, and quietly refer themselves to God to plead their cause, shall in due time be satisfied, abundantly satisfied, in the wisdom and kindness which shall be manifested in his appearances for them.”
It is not possible to contentedly bear oppression unless we refer ourselves to God to plead our cause. The reward for doing so is indescribably magnificent!
Through what oppressive circumstances are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Do not lose sight of eternity. You will be satisfied, and you will be victorious through Jesus Christ.
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57