Hunger, Thirst, and Be Blessed (Part 2)

“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1Timothy 1:14).

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

Think of it, if we do not hunger and thirst for righteousness, if our desires are not constantly for more of God and his righteousness, then we have all that we want or need from Him. If we are not filled with some measure of dissatisfaction with the way things are, then they have satisfied us. Which is impossible.

We cannot possibly be filled and satisfied in a world so permeated by sin. We cannot ultimately be satiated by a world so overcome with greed and hatred. We cannot possibly be pleased with a world so desperately evil that God sent His only Son down to suffer in it. This cannot be in a world that breaks God’s heart. While we may indeed marvel at the world’s beauty, while we may enjoy what it offers, we must also always be hungry and thirsty for more.

If we do not hunger and thirst it is because we are full of the world. And if we are full of the world, it is no wonder we do not hunger and thirst after righteousness. We are then stagnant and satisfied with a world that is not yet as it should be. The food in our stomach may be masking the ache of hunger in our souls.

Those of us who hunger and thirst for His righteousness, however, will be filled. God sends the first few drops of his mercy as a whisper of the coming showers. He then brings the showers to speak of His coming storms called grace and love.

Even though we, like Paul, may have a keen sense of our failures, this does not stop the rain. How could it? Our sense of unworthiness does not deter His grace. Grace is “poured out … abundantly” along with faith and love in Christ.” Thank God that it was while “were still sinners” that God sent Christ to die for us (Romans 5:8). Love was not and is not deterred by sin.

Stumble as we may in the desert, our souls will be refreshed by the torrents of His grace. And He will give not just enough. Oh no! He gives abundantly to those who hunger and thirst after His righteousness. He will give until we are stuffed full of grace and He expects that tomorrow our mouths will be open and lifted up for more.

He knows we need this, for tomorrow we may misplace some quantity of that grace the storm brought. In our distracted state we may overlook another portion and misconstrue still more of His grace until doubt and fear makes us crazy.

Then we will need that surplus grace and love to remind us that we are not crazy—that He does love us, that the hunger and thirst is good. He will pour into us until even the skeptics among us are filled and brought to rest in His arms hungry for more.

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen (1Timothy 1:17).