The Hungry and the Satisfied

The Hungry and the Satisfied

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matt. 5:6.

Apparently, everyone praises righteousness, and one would think that it is a hunger for what is right, both for the one and the other person in the world. But people do not require righteousness from themselves, only from others. It is the others who shall do what is right toward them, but this is the opposite of hungering for righteousness.

No one seeks God, is righteous, or prudent by nature. “They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable” (Rom. 3:12), namely, for doing what is right.

God’s Spirit works a hunger for righteousness in all the hearts of men who receive His Word. Experience proves that they are in the minority, despite the fact that Jesus says they are blessed and shall be filled with righteousness.

Hunger for righteousness opens our eyes to our own unrighteousness and incompetence when it is a matter of doing the good. It drives us into praying to God who both can and will help. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9.

When our own unrighteousness becomes unbearable to us, we are receptive to the work of the Holy Spirit unto righteousness. Then we are guided from darkness and Satan’s power to light and God’s power.

Even if we sense resistance in our flesh, we nevertheless have the mind to follow Jesus, whatever it might cost. Everything we have to suffer in order to advance to righteousness in life is to be regarded as nothing, for the love of God endures all things, and the hope of eternal glory sustains us. Besides, the joy and peace that God gives weighs more heavily in the scales than the enjoyment of living for oneself.

Hunger for righteousness is an effective power that drives you onward on God’s way. You are neither satisfied nor filled before you have partaken of the life of Christ. You emerge from all tribulations richer and more blessed than you were before. Nothing can take away your joy and peace; it is eternal.

“The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.” Prov. 16:26.

It is written about Jesus that “He shall see the travail of His soul, and be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11), namely, by the Lord’s will prospering through Him. V. 10. Because He had a mind to do the works that were prepared for Him and did not draw back from travailing, the Father could bless and exalt Him. Nothing of God’s work of salvation is by chance; everything goes according to laws. We shall reap what we have sown.

The Scriptures exhort us to fight, to labor, to run, to strive, to use violence, to be diligent, to be even more diligent, not to draw back, etc., etc. All this makes us blessed when we carry it out to God’s pleasure by the grace of Christ. It satisfies our hunger when we do it.

Jesus says, “Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” Luke 6:25.

Those who are full do not grieve because of their own unrighteousness, except when it goes so far that their own honor suffers as a result; however, they are bothered all the more by the others’ unrighteousness. They go to meetings and hear the Word being spoken, sharing it with others to whom it applies so fittingly. The one who is full is quite satisfied with hearing the Word, because in that way he receives the power of knowledge in order to deal with the others even more, because it is vital for him to have a good basis for his judgment and slander.

They follow their natural inclinations, thinking that everything is in order when they have heard how it should be. As far as they are concerned, they have no desire for anything more. Jesus says: Woe to you! You will hunger in eternity without being filled. This is the only treatment that could help them.