“. . for they shall be satisfied.” Matt 5:6
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”
Isaiah 61:10a
As Christians, we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ – the One who willingly left the glory of heaven, endured the anguish of the cross, and bore the punishment for our sin. He carried the shame that we deserved, and yet, because of God’s grace, we are covered with His righteousness and can stand justified before Him. To be righteous means to live rightly in the sight of God – to be in a restored, holy relationship with Him and with others. But Jesus doesn’t just call us to righteousness – He calls us to hunger and thirst for it.
That kind of hunger isn’t casual. It’s not optional. It’s the deep, almost painful, longing we feel when we need food or water. As Gamaliel Bradford wrote, it is “a thirst no earthly stream can satisfy, a hunger that must be fed on Christ or die.” In the same way our bodies need food, our souls need Christ. He is not a luxury in our lives – He is our necessity.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.”
Psalm 89:14
So what does this look like for us – especially as we serve in ministry this summer?
Jesus gives us the answer: “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33).
It means actively seeking God daily – spending time in His Word, depending on Him in prayer, and recognising that we cannot do anything in our own strength. Whether we are preparing food, sharing our testimony, or leading activities, we start by going to God first – asking for His wisdom, guidance, and strength.
To hunger and thirst for righteousness also means desiring God’s character – not just in our own lives, but in the world around us. It means caring about justice, integrity, and truth. It means standing for what is right, especially for those who are overlooked, weak, or in need. And it means pursuing holiness personally – living with honesty, generosity, and a pure heart. Not just outwardly doing the right things, but inwardly becoming more like Christ.
When we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus promises something powerful: we will be satisfied. Not by the world, not by success, not by comfort – but by Him alone.
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