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

There is a great promise in today's verse: if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will be satisfied.

In order to be satisfied, you've got to pursue righteousness with everything you have. God wants our 100-percent effort. Why is it that I'll give my 100-percent effort on the tennis court or when planning a party, but when it comes to pursuing righteousness, sometimes I coast? When I'm not giving God my best, an empty feeling creeps into my life. Today's promise in Matthew 5:6 challenges me to pull out the stops, roll up my sleeves, and with reckless abandon, dive into the arms of the Savior. If I pursue with all my spirit and energy what God has placed on my heart, the result will be satisfaction.

I like what Charles Paul Conn wrote:

Whatever it is,
However impossible it seems,
Whatever the obstacle that lies between you and it,
If it is noble,
If it is consistent with God's kingdom,
You must hunger after it
And stretch yourself to reach it.*

GOING DEEPER:
1. What promise does God give us in Matthew 5:6?

2. Pray specifically right now that God would cause you to hunger and thirst for righteousness. If you are sincere in your prayer, God will increase your desire to seek Him.

FURTHER READING:
Romans 5:8

_{* Ted W. Engstrom, The Pursuit of Excellence (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982), p. 21.}