The Hungry and Thirsty Shall Be Filled, October 24

The Hungry and Thirsty Shall Be Filled, October 24

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

Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God; and “God is love.” It is conformity to the law of God; for “all thy commandments are righteousness;” and “love is the fulfilling of the law.” Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it....

No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But Jesus says: “... I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

As we need food to sustain our physical strength, so do we need Christ, the bread from heaven, to sustain spiritual life, and impart strength to work the works of God. As the body is continually receiving the nourishment that sustains life and vigor, so the soul must be constantly communing with Christ, submitting to Him, and depending wholly upon Him.

As the weary traveler seeks the spring in the desert, and, finding it, quenches his burning thirst, so will the Christian thirst for and obtain the pure water of life, of which Christ is the fountain.... We need not seek to quench our thirst at shallow streams; for the great fountain is just above us, of whose abundant waters we may freely drink, if we will rise a little higher in the pathway of faith.

The words of God are the well-springs of life. As you seek unto those living springs, you will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into communion with Christ.... You will know that Christ is leading you; a divine Teacher is at your side.50 [305]