Do you know that we have more Bibles in the world
today but less knowledge of the word of God? Yes, it is sad but true:
Christians are not reading the Bible today! And churches died because of this
lack of hunger and thirst for the knowledge of the word of God and for things
that are spiritual.
To "hunger and thirst" expresses a strong
desire. How many Christians do you know who are hungry for the word of God and
are thirsty for things that belong to God? It’s almost non-existent. Children
of God are going about their daily lives not studying the word of God nor are
doing the work of God: “For all seek their own, not the things which are
Jesus Christ's” (Philippians 2:21).
What are the things that encompass in the word
“righteousness”?
1. THE WORD OF GOD. The Psalmist wrote:
“All thy commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172). The Christian
who is ever hungry and thirsty for righteousness is the Christian who is
meditating on the word of God night and day (Psalm 1:2). Do you hunger for His
word?
2. THE WORKS OF GOD. God wants us to be
fruitful in His kingdom (Matthew 7:19). He wants us to be “always abounding
in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Are you a worker in His
church?
3. THE HOLY LIVING. “He that doeth
righteousness is righteous” (1 John 3:7). God calls us to live holy living
(1 Peter 1:15-16). Are you holy?
4. GOD. David says: “When thou
saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek”
(Psalm 27:8). God said: “”Seek Me.” David immediately complied with the
command. He enjoyed every moment with God: “I was glad when they said unto
me, Let us go into the house of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1). Do you desire God
in your daily living? God says: “Draw near to Me” (James 4:8). Are you
drawing near to God? Do you hunger and thirst for His presence?
5. THE THINGS THAT PLEASE GOD. When
Christ says: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself”, He
means we are to submit to His will (Luke 9:23). As Paul said: “I have been
crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me”
(Galatians 2:20). Paul lived for Christ; he didn’t live for himself. He would
do only those things that please God.
When you say that you are tired and don’t feel like
going to Sunday worship and Thursday bible class, you are self-pleasing and not
God-pleasing. When you say you are busy with your work and have not the time to
serve God, you are self-pleasing and not God-pleasing. When you say your
certain habit is you and not even God can change you, you are self-pleasing and
not God-pleasing; you are seeking your own righteousness and not God’s
righteousness. The Christians who hungers and thirst after righteousness seeks
to please God and do right in the sight of God.
Jesus is not just talking about mere hunger, but about
starving, an intense desire for righteousness. It is a continual hungering and
thirsting. Every day we get hungry. Our stomachs start to growl if we don’t get
food. It is the same with thirst. Likewise, in the spiritual realm, let us be
hungering and thirsting for spiritual food and spiritual exercise every
day.
The Psalmist wrote: “As a deer pants for flowing
streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the
living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2, ESV).
The verse has been made into a beautiful hymn. May we always are hungering and
thirsting for God just as the thirsty deer panting for the waters.
As the deer panteth
for the water
So
my soul longeth after Thee
You
alone are my heart's desire
And
I long to worship Thee.
(Chorus)
You
alone are my strength, my shield
To
You alone may my spirit yield
You
alone are my heart's desire
And
I long to worship Thee.
Jimmy Lau
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