“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  Matthew 5:6

This beatitude is about longing—a longing for wholeness and an ache for things to be made right. It’s about desiring what God desires.  He is eager to restore paradise, to put the world in order, and to bring shalom to everyone and everything. 

Unless we’ve become cynical and given up, we’ve carried this longing since childhood. From the first time we felt injustice and from the initial wound we sustained from imperfect love, we’ve walked around homesick for heaven. We knew that things were supposed to be different. 

If we are like Jesus, our hunger and thirst for righteousness will only grow as we age. It takes courage to ache for shalom. Unless we are sure of our Hope, we won’t wait well. We’ll find it’s easier to settle for imperfection and numb ourselves to the disappointments we feel. 

Are you, like me, longing for justice where there’s oppression and for mercy where there’s cruelty? 

Are you longing for peace in your relationships, for deeper sharing, and for love without manipulation or self-centeredness?  

Are you longing for an undivided heart where you can walk closely with God without conflicting motives? 

Jesus says that our appetites for these things will be filled because our hunger and thirst are alive and well. We are not wrong for having aching hearts; we’re connected to the heart of God. So, let’s continue to weep, fast, pray, and persevere even if most of the world is numb. Let’s stay awake and dare to kindle the faith that says beauty can, and will, rise from the ashes. Right now, the longing for it can feel like grief, but this ache is a gift. It keeps our eyes on Jesus. It keeps us on our knees praying for the restoration of things.  

In many ways, this can happen now. Jesus told us the kingdom is here. Paradise can be restored in hearts that are being sanctified. Jesus, in all His perfection, offers us Himself. He is Bread, and He invites us to eat. The Bread of Life satisfies. Our inner world can thrive even as our mortal flesh decays. We don’t have to wait for eternity to experience internal shalom. The Word and the Spirit will make all things new inside of us. The words of Jesus in this Beatitude are fulfilled now, in the heart of every child of God who pursues Him relentlessly and lives in His presence. 

Satisfy me, Jesus, not with easy answers, but with You. I won’t numb this ache. It’s not too much because You meet me in the middle of it. Thank you. Amen.