60 – A hunger for righteousness

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6 KJV

Hunger is often a physiological response to our body’s need for food. It is part of what motivates us to eat and is therefore necessary for the growth and development of any human being. That said, while hunger is physiological, what we are driven to eat is psychological. A person may be hungry, however, his appetite drives him to what he would actually eat. No matter how hungry a lion is, grass is never appealing to it. It wouldn’t even consider eating grass to save its life if other animals around are enjoying it.

Our cravings for food are more often than not, based on what we expose ourselves to. Our brains are smart and designed in such a way that the body knows what it needs for growth. If a person craves ice cream, it would most likely be because the body is missing an essential nutrient that ice cream contains and so based on previous experiences, it craves what it knows will fill this vacancy, at least to an extent. This craving often does not consider the many other ills associated with excessively indulging in ice cream. The Children of Israel left Egypt by the mighty hand of God. Yet when they were in the wilderness, their appetite was a huge stumbling block to them. God brought them to the wilderness and gave them Manna, which David called angel’s food, Psalm 78:25. However, this was not appealing to them. Their desire for the cucumber, onions, and garlic of Egypt caused them to murmur and rebel against God, which ultimately resulted in them missing out on the promise, Numbers 11:5.

We have been brought out of the spiritual Egypt, sin, and our journey is to the promised land filled with righteousness, peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. However, our ability to partake of these things is dependent on our desire. Hebrews 11:15 speaks of the Patriarchs who left their land, seeking for a better country made by God. The writer said that if they had been mindful, or craved where they came out from, they would have had an opportunity to return. The same goes for us. There is a reason Paul asks us to be transformed by renewing our minds, Romans 12:2 and David said says taste and see that the Lord is good, Psalm 34:8. The more we desire our old way of life, the more opportunities or temptations we will have to go back to it. A man is only drawn by his lust. In a similar way, the more he desires or longs for a new way of life, or righteousness, the more opportunities he will have to partake of it.

Seeing that our hunger or desire can either drive us to God or destruction, how do we use it to our advantage? Recall that cravings are a natural response to a deficiency within us. This means cravings on their own simply tell us what we need. A girl may desire affection or attention, which is not a bad thing. However, this need could drive her into the wrong arms over and over again. The issue is not the need, but how she chooses to satisfy it. This same girl could get this need for affection met by friends, her father, or even better, meditating on God’s word. Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone, but by the proceeding Word of God, Matthew 4:4. This means that contained in the Words of God to us is a balanced diet. All the essential nutrients we need to grow spiritually are in the Word of God. There is no need to be ashamed of our desires. We do not always know what we need, but God does. This is why Paul asks us to pray about everything, phillipians 4:6. God’s response is His Word specific to that situation. Our job then is to taste it and let our minds register that these nutrients are actually in it. It takes faith and trust to believe that we can find all we need in God and His Word.

Final thoughts: A newborn, regardless of how aromatic his mum’s dish is, will not crave solid food. However, when the time is right, his mum begins to take away milk and give him solid food. This results in a protest initially. However, the more this child is exposed to solid food, the less their desire for milk. Their body begins to understand that all the essential nutrients they need to grow and even more are found in the solid food and so they begin to crave for that. Desiring the Word of God is the same. God, knowing the power of our desires, gives us diverse experiences, to pull us gradually away from what we have used to satisfy our needs previously and introduces new aspects of Himself. The endpoint is so our desires will change and turn towards Him. It takes work and discipline to consciously expose ourselves to the Word of God, even when our flesh revolts. It takes faith and trust to believe His word, that in Him is all we need for life and godliness.

Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, thank You because in You is all I need for life and godliness. Lord for such a long time, I have been used to satisfying my desires with everything else but You. Now I know that I need You! Help me to change my desires. Let me taste what You mean when You say, in Your presence is fulness of Joy and at Your right-hand pleasures forever! Lord I have [ this desire]. Show me what I really need and help me to taste and see that You are good enough to meet my needs!