By Rev. Mike Shiery

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) (NKJV)

We are born with important innate drives, desires, and needs. Physically we must have food, water, and shelter or we will quickly perish. Emotionally there is the necessity of being loved, and having a proper sense of self-worth or our outlook on life and others will become warped. Spiritually our needs are of no less importance than our physical or emotional wants.

It has been said that there is within every human heart a God-shaped vacuum. It is an emptiness within our soul that demands to be filled because we inherently understand, whether in a conscious or subconscious sense, that we are not complete while that hole remains. So multitudes spend their lives attempting to fill that void with something that will bring peace, contentment, and satisfaction to their daily existence.

The world systems and culture offers lots of options and many people have tried most of them. They have sought satisfaction in drugs or alcohol, contentment in illicit relationships, happiness in a never-ending quest for entertainment, fulfillment in the illusion that materialism brings joy, and security in the thought that they are the ultimate authority in their life. A quick look around an increasingly depraved culture and sick society shows the utter folly of following that road.

Jesus provided the perfect answer to that inborn empty space in our soul. He said that who hungers and thirsts after righteousness would be filled. He knew the craving of the human soul to be complete. And that completeness, the filling of that void, is only possible when we stop chasing the empty illusions of society and passionately desire righteousness in our life. When we want righteousness more than we want anything else, we will obtain it. God never taunts people. If we have a genuine desire to be righteous, God will fulfill that desire. How? It comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ because He is righteous. When we repent of our sins and invite Him to live in our heart, we live in His righteousness. He satisfies the longing of our heart and empowers us to live Godly in this present age.

Turn to Christ. He is the end of your search for fulfillment. Jesus is still the answer. He always has been and always will be.

Pilgrim Bible Church, West Pine Street • Cedar Springs