Do You Hunger for Righteousness?

© 2021 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

Hunger seems to be the universal experience of all living things.  Scripture tells us that even,

“The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: …” (Psalms 34:10)

Have you noticed that, when you’re hungry, you want to eat?  However, when you’re full of food, your physical hunger vanishes.  Scripture reminds us of this:

“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7)

Hunger exists in both the physical and spiritual realms.  Our creator designed it to make a hungry, living creature seek the nourishment needed for survival and health.  However, dead creatures never get hungry.

Throughout the Bible, God uses physical truths to help us understand spiritual truth.  Thus, experience with physical hunger helps us understand the reality and necessity for spiritual hunger.

But there’s a problem.  All people, born physically alive, are, nevertheless, born spiritually dead.  This is because mankind fell into spiritual death when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden.  Thus, most people, who have frequently experienced physical hunger, have never experienced spiritual hunger because they’re spiritually dead.  In fact, their satisfaction with lots of physical food and other blessings, often numbs their souls to spiritual hunger.

As you experience physical hunger, are you ignoring spiritual hunger?  In the Bible, God shows us that our real need is spiritual hunger.  This is what God uses to save and fill His people with eternal blessings.  He says:

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

“Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. …” (Luke 6:21)

When Jesus came to earth to pay the ransom from sin for His people, He reminded them that He, alone, is the only means by which spiritual hunger can be aroused and filled.

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

But, those who focus only on acquiring temporary food and riches of this world, will be devoid of spiritual hunger.  Without this hunger for eternal salvation, they shall be sent away to remain eternally empty.

“He hath filled the [spiritually] hungry with good things; and the [physically] rich he hath sent empty away.” (Luke 1:53)

What kind of hunger do you have?

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