Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
“MOM, I’m still hungry!”
God in heaven above, how on earth can they still be hungry… “Baby, you just ate!”
“But, I’m hungry!!”
They eat nothing but junk… then when it’s time for dinner, they don’t eat anything I fix and they wonder why they’re hungry an hour later… “You wouldn’t be hungry if you ate your green beans!!” That’s probably half true. They’d still be hungry even if they ate half the pantry.
“CAN I HAVE SOME CEREAL?!?!?
I hate myself. Women die of excessive questioning every day. “FINE!”
My mom is the BEST! “Thanks, MOM!”
I’m the worst… “mmmm hmm”
Two billion mothers live on earth, and I recorded this conversation telephonically from nearly all of them yesterday.
Oh God, I’m Hungry
I feel like I’m a bottomless pit. I haven’t tried it, but my brain says I could eat a horse. And as a kid, when I was told I must have a tapeworm, I believed it. Seriously. I eat a lot, y’all. I hear that, if you stack them together, we are hungry for 2 to 6 hours a day. With my metabolism, I’m north of 6 hours.
Our Deepest Hunger Is Spiritual, Not Physical
This blows me away. No matter how much you eat or drink, you’ll be hungry and thirsty again. You could have just tried the 72oz steak challenge at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, TX. Molly Schuyler, a competitive eater (that is such an American title), has two records there. She finished the meal in 4 minutes and 22 seconds. And she was the only one to eat THREE steak meals in one sitting. But, Molly, if she survived, would still be hungry the next day. We’re not pythons, people, we can’t survive for years on one meal. God created us to come to the table day after day.
This is also the pattern for our spiritual life. There’s a hunger beneath every hunger. A thirst no drink can quench. God says He has set eternity in our hearts. Which means even our most basic appetites echo a deeper longing—one that physical bread can’t touch. The hunger pains we feel really isn’t always for something—we search for sustenance because we hunger and thirst for Someone.
Jesus puts it plainly in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Jesus is the feast.
The Beatitudes build toward this hunger: the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek—they’ve been emptied. And now? They long to be filled. Not with rules. Not with religion. But with a righteousness. With God Himself. We were made not just to be full, but to be full of Him.
Buffets and Broken Cisterns
Mexico knows just what we need: endless tacos and cervezas. In 2023, I had the chance to visit Tulum, Mexico, with my family. The house was awesome, the water was nice, but the best part was Xel-Há. This place was amazing, and then I discovered the endless food and drinks. My hollow leg started to quiver in delight. I ate like there was no tomorrow. Molly Schuyler would have been proud that I was an American. But all good things come to an end, and in Mexico, we all know what that means. Like most things in my life, I overdid it. I wasn’t sick, per se; it was just that my body made a lot of noises when it moved. My wife was happy to point out that a human body shouldn’t have an endless supply of garbage tacos and beer-water. For which I disagree.
Isn’t it terrible that gratification is impossible? Ask the woman at the well if she was interested in endless fresh water. Jesus said, Whoever drinks the water [living water] I give them will never thirst. NEVER thirst, guys! How much do you want for that, Jesus?!? Sorry, this kind of water isn’t like a buffet at Western Sizzlin—or Golden Corral, if you’re not from Meridian.
What makes sin so tempting is that it offers fulfillment. But, if you take the offer, you're only trying to fix a hole with a hammer. We’re spitting in the wind, y’all. Jeremiah 2:13 says God’s people “hewed out cisterns that can hold no water.” The prophet nailed it, we’re broken cups. Sin is drinking saltwater. Every sip only makes you thirstier.
Meanwhile, Jesus offers us His living water, and Isaiah invites us to buy without money and drink without cost, which is not a reference to Tulum. Romans 6:23 makes it clear we don’t really want sin; we need righteousness. And that, my friends, isn’t earned—it’s gifted.
And that’s the paradox: the most satisfying thing in the universe can’t be bought… because it’s already been paid for.
So, how hungry are you? Do you want to be full?
The Promise to the Famished
Here’s the promise: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6)
Not “they might be.” Not “if they try hard enough.” They shall be.
Jesus doesn’t bless the full, but the famished. Not those who’ve figured it out, but those who know they haven’t. The poor in spirit. The spiritually empty. The desperate.
Righteousness here isn’t just better morals—It’s being right with God—restored, forgiven, aligned with His grace. It’s a life aligned with His heart. And Jesus says if you long for that—really ache for it—He will fill you. Not with rules. Not with religion. But with Himself.
This is grace: Jesus’ full table, offered to those who are spiritually starving. Come hungry! Turn from sin. Not just away from it, but to Him. He never mocks need—He’ll meet it.
Join in Prayer
Lord Jesus, I confess how often I fill my soul with things that can’t satisfy. I run after comfort, distraction, and sin—when You alone are the feast I need. You say the hungry will be filled, so I bring You my emptiness. Meet me there. Fill me with Your righteousness. Amen.
Thanks for praying! God bless you. We’ll read and pray again next Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
I feel so known.
❤️