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

Through the years I’ve purchased many things that came with various “guarantees”.  Some of them were legitimate and good, others were not worth the paper they were written on.  Money-back guarantees get a lot of attention and frequently will be a selling point for a particular product.  However, even those prove to not be completely accurate.  They frequently fail to let you know that you have to pay for the shipping and sometimes are charged a restocking fee and by the time you are done you’ve paid almost what you did to purchase the worthless item, to begin with. 

I’ve had people give me “guarantees” with their word only to find that their word was not worth very much because they either had no intention of fulfilling their promise or were not willing to make the sacrifice required to do so.  So, guarantees are only worth as much as the person or entity behind them.

That brings me to the verse above – It Is Rock Solid!  It is a guarantee made by our Lord Jesus Himself and you can take it to the bank.  It works all the time, every time, and anytime.  It works everywhere and under any conditions and is backed up by the integrity of the Son of God!  I’ve had people tell me regarding their church or pastor, “I’m not being fed.”  I have several thoughts regarding that statement:

• If that is true that there is no spiritual nourishment coming from your church or pastor, why are you there complaining?
• Why aren’t you feasting on the spiritual nourishment that the Lord has provided in the Written Word and through fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit?
• Are you hungry and thirsty, spiritually?  If so, the Lord has promised that you would be satisfied.  Therefore, either He did not tell the truth, or you are not truly “hungry” or “thirsty”.

I am by no means suggesting that people hop from church to church. I have discovered that frequently the problem does not lie in the church or pastor but the individual who is issued the complaint.  That is not to excuse any preacher that does not feed the sheep or any church that does not place God first and foremost. 

I suggest that the first step is to allow the Holy Spirit to shine the spotlight of God upon our hearts to be sure that the problem does not lie in us.  That being said, if I hunger and thirst for righteousness, I will be satisfied.  There is NEVER a lack of Spiritual Nourishment available to the “hungry” and “thirsty” soul.  It may mean that we have to become more than babies and feed ourselves rather than expect someone to spoon-feed us.  Yet, my purpose for this devotional is not to castigate but encourage you.  “Seek first, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and you will be satisfied and grow spiritually.” 

As you grow, you become able to assist others along the way in their spiritual development.  There is no famine for the Word of God as long as we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit.  We are promised that He will not only “teach” us but “guide” us into all truth. 

Be encouraged and allow your spiritual hunger and thirst to become so intense that you cannot wait until the next feeding time, either on your own, via your local congregation, or through fellowship with other believers.  God wants you to be spiritually satisfied or fed and filled. 

Blessings as you enjoy this wonderful day in the Lord!