By A. Trevor Sutton
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6 ESV).
Salt and pepper. Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs. Biscuits and gravy. (Are you getting hungry yet?!)
Certain foods just seem to go together. You have one and you begin to crave the other. It’s nearly automatic.
Just as some foods go together, the same can be said about other things in life. For instance, the desert and thirst go together. The drier the air and the higher the temperature, the deeper our thirst.
Cacti are uniquely suited for life in the desert. Without leaves, these plants do not lose much moisture to evaporation. Their thick, waxy skin holds water in. Some cacti can live as long as two years without water.
Life in this sinful world is a lot like living in a desert. The temptations we face parch our souls. The evil we see all around us leaves us tired. The sins into which we fall never satisfy us in the way we think they might. Troubled relationships and stressful careers leave us spiritually dehydrated.
Are you thirsty right now? Are you thirsty for peace, contentment, and rest? Are you thirsting for freedom from guilt? Are you longing for something better in life? Jesus makes a big promise to thirsty people:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6 ESV).
It’s a big promise! But it has its limits. Our Savior does not promise to satisfy our materialistic greed, for example. He does not promise to gratify our thirst for power. He will not fuel our narcissism or satisfy our cravings for those things God’s Law forbids.
Rather, Jesus promises to satisfy those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. He promises to satisfy us with what is truly good and right. Jesus quenches our thirst for godly peace and contentment, love and mercy.
Rooted in Christ, you can survive even the arid desert of the present world system. With your roots deeply anchored in Jesus, you will fare even better than a cactus in the Mohave Desert. Evil will not be able to burn you up and falsehood will not leave your soul parched. Stress will not scorch you and troubles at work or home will not leave you dry.
Jesus’ promise is for you: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37 ESV).
Prayer: Jesus, I am thirsty. Satisfy me with your life-giving waters . . .
Editor’s note: Today’s devotion is slightly adapted from the Men’s Ministry devotion book: Man of God: Rooted in Christ. For it and other items from the Man of God line, visit ctain.com.
Editor’s note: Jessica L .
