PONDERING... What's The Longing Of Your Heart? (Matthew 5:6)

What’s The Longing Of Your Heart? (Go Night Devotion)

(Originally delivered as 5-minute devotions at a nursing home and children’s ranch.)

GIST: If you have an all-consuming desire for Jesus, you’ll experience true fulfillment.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:6

As always, it is a blessing to be with you guys. We look forward to these evenings and really just want to come sharing Jesus. He’s our everything, and we want you to know how much He loves you. Today, I want to continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount and look at one more of what have become known as the beatitudes. These verses all start with the word blessed which could be translated as true and lasting happiness. So, Jesus here is laying out the keys to happiness, and they all seem to flip conventional wisdom on its head. This verse is no different. Let’s look at Matthew 5:6. 

“6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Many people in this country don’t really know what it means to be hungry and thirsty. Some do. In fact, people all over the world experience true hunger and thirst every day. Our bodies need food and water to survive, and when we’re deprived of these, it’s nearly impossible to even think about anything else. This was a very real problem for the original audience Jesus preached this sermon to, so they would not have associated hunger and thirst with happiness in the least. Yet, what he’s expressing here is that if we have that kind of all-consuming desire for Jesus, we’ll experience true fulfillment. (← That’s the gist, by the way ☺️.) 

I. Blessed By Right Longings

Let’s start by noting that this promise of true blessedness, true happiness is tied to wanting the right thing. There are so many things in this world that we want, and we’ll spend all kinds of time, money, and energy chasing after the things we want most. However, what in this world can provide true and lasting fulfillment? Nothing material, because that fades. Nothing relational, because every other human in this world is just as flawed as we are and can let us down and leave us and pass away. So chasing after anything like this will leave us empty. 

However, if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we won’t be let down! Longing for righteousness means wanting to be with Jesus. Righteousness is the state that is acceptable to God, it is being right in the eyes of the one who is the standard of right! The only way that is possible for us as sinful humans is if we’ve given our everything to Jesus Christ who took our place, bore our punishment, and made it possible, through His resurrection, for us to covered in His righteousness. To hunger and thirst for that is to want nothing more than to be with Jesus! AND if that is our longing, we’re given a→ 

II. Promise Of True Fulfillment

Long for Jesus, and you will be satisfied. The word there implies complete fulfillment, having more than you need and all that you could possibly want. If you truly desire Jesus, He will show Himself to you. He will work in your life. He will change everything. Will all the pain go away? No. But will you have a hope and joy that can never be taken away? Absolutely. Will you have a Savior who never leaves you nor forsakes you? Always. So...what are you putting all your energy toward? The one who lasts and will fill you abundantly, or people and things that pass away?

TAKEAWAY

1. Have an all-consuming desire for Jesus.

2. You’ll experience true fulfillment.