"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6 NIV).

What does it mean to be "righteous"? Can we obtain it by observing some strict religious or moral code? The scriptures tell us that no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). But the Bible also gives us hope that God has made a way for our "righteousness." This righteousness from God comes through faith in Christ" (Romans 3:21).

Feeling empty. In Isaiah 55:12, we also see the analogy of hunger and thirst used to illustrate filling the soul. I've often heard people refer to feeling empty inside. And others suggest that we all have a "God-shaped vacuum" inside of us that only God can fill. Sometimes we don't even know why we feel so empty—without value, meaning, or purpose. And we try to satisfy our sense of a "meaningless existence" by staying busy, buying more "stuff," or searching for another fulfilling relationship.

The scriptures indicate that only God can fill our emptiness—with His righteousness. And there is nothing we can do to fill it—outside of seeking a relationship with Christ. Even as Christians, we often forget this truth. We try to fill the empty voids in our lives with everything, but Christ. And God's Word tells us that we will never be satisfied until we put Him first in our lives.

Getting personal. For a long time, I tried to fill my emptiness with other things. Since I was raised in the Bible belt, I thought that if I stayed out of trouble and did a lot of things for God, He would accept me. But I discovered that I could never "do enough" or "be good enough," and the emptiness remained inside of me for years. 

When I finally began to seek my righteousness in Christ, I discovered that I had never really made a personal connection with Him. I knew all about him from my religious training. But I realized that His Spirit really didn't live in me, as promised in God's Word (Romans 8:9). 

Now, I know what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness and be filled. And I've discovered that only Christ can fill my empty soul. And when I embrace His "truth," I sense His Spirit filling my soul with "love, joy, peace... (Galatians 5:22).

Writing prompts

1. What do you think it means to "hunger and thirst for righteousness?
2. What does the Matthew 5:6 mean by "filled"?
3. What personal connection did you make with this passage?