May 15 | Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who are hungering and are thirsting for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

Some people in our world don’t care if the right thing is done. We have literature and movies that extol the villain instead of the hero. Some don’t want to do the job at work or at home. They look to cut corners and use shortcuts.

But their inability to do the right thing shows up in the end product of their work. It looks shoddy because it is. When Jesus talks about hungering and thirsting for righteousness, it’s not about doing a good job.

In fact, hungering and thirsting for righteousness is longing for the right thing to be done morally and relationally. In all of our relationships God wants us to do the right thing for everyone involved. Righteousness is the outworking of a holy life.

Those who long for righteousness to exist in a world full of unrighteousness are asking for an impossible thing. And that is why they are so blessed. When they see righteousness happen they are ecstatic. Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.

We are gratified when we see others do the right thing in each situation. It’s a fresh view of God’s goodness in a world full of the opposite. Righteousness comes out of a desire to see God’s kingdom expand on the earth.

And we are his children who bless the Lord with righteousness. When you act righteously for everyone involved, God looks at his child like a doting Father.

Action Step: Look for ways to do the right thing for everyone involved. Ask God for wisdom on how to handle the tough situations in your life.

Father, I want to put a smile on your face with how I handle tough situations today. Give me your wisdom and lead me into righteousness. May everyone I deal with today be satisfied with the righteous approach I use today.