INTRO: This poem is based on the fourth of The Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 verse 6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.‘ This Beatitude has both a physical and spiritual meaning. Jesus lived on earth at a time when many of the Jews struggled, living in poverty, burdened by high taxes payable to the Roman Empire. Nothing much has changed physically in the world today.
On the day when Jesus taught these Beatitudes, he spoke of a future world where the pain and sorrow of this present world will no longer exist Revelation 21:4-5. But Jesus also spoke of an immediate quenching of spiritual hunger and thirst available through faith and trust in Him Psalm 107:9. Beverley Joy.
PODCAST – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
The world is thirsty for love, joy, and peace
Seeking relief in pleasure and things
Searching for money, attention, and affection
Drinking from cups of clay, cracked, and broken.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life
Whoever comes to me shall never hunger
Whoever drinks my water shall never thirst”
For out of His heart flow a river of love.
God’s spiritual feast waits to satisfy
The hungry soul that longs for His joy
As a thirsty deer pants for the water
Our soul thirsts after our Heavenly Father.
Hunger is a very strong desire
Of desperation, starving for more
Consuming our thoughts until satisfied
We fear death from hunger and thirst.
It’s impossible to live without food and water
As it is without spiritual nourishment
If we eat unhealthy food, we suffer illness
As spiritual junk food brings spiritual unwellness.
When drowning, we struggle for air
We drown spiritually ignoring God’s care
Thrashing about, in search of a life raft
Look, God’s raft of salvation rescues us.
Believers in God crave His righteousness
As a starving man wants food and water
Our soul thirsts for God, and our flesh grows faint
God provides relief at His desert oasis.
The world tries to eliminate life’s pain
God’s way will get rid of the problem
The problem behind the pain is the sin
Jesus made the way to be right with Him.
After we pursue being right with God
Then we can access His happiness
It’s not a feeling of happiness
But true satisfaction and contentment.
God satisfies the longing in our heart
The hungry soul He fills with good things
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good
Those who seek God lack no spiritual peace.
Our soul is consumed with longing for God
Yet, we want for nothing, we are satisfied
With God’s goodness, we can’t get enough
For we’ve tasted that the Lord is good.
A hunger to know more of God and His Word
A hunger to know God’s character
Drink deeply in His fountain of truth
Feed into the meat of God’s Holy Word.
A hunger to conform one’s life to God’s Will
A craving to spend time in God’s presence
Are spiritually satisfied children of God
For God’s pantry is always full and nutritious.
Beverley Joy © 2021 Simply Story Poetry. All Rights Reserved.
You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms here
Read or listen to other poems in this series: You can read or listen to other poems in this series The Beatitudes of Jesus – An Introduction, Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit?, Blessed Are Those Who Mourn? Blessed Are The Meek? Blessed are Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness? Blessed are the Merciful? Blessed are the Pure?
References: Chuck Swindoll – Insight , John MacArthur – Grace To You, Alistair Begg – Truth For Life
Matthew 5:1-12 The Zondervan NASB Study Bible copyright © 1999 Zondervan
Some of the Bible verses referred to in the above references: John 7:38, John 6:35, Jerm 2:13, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 107:9, Psalm 34:8-10, Psalm 23:1
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