In Habakkuk 2:4, the prophet declared, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Although this is the first time the principle is stated in these words, it is not new. It is as old as God’s dealings with man. The righteous have always and always will live by faith (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, it is important for us to understand faith, and how to develop a faith approach to living. The Beatitudes can help us because they give us basic information about the person who lives a life of faith. Let’s consider the fourth, which describes those who hunger and thirst (Matt. 5:6).
To understand Matthew 5:6, the key is to realize that it is talking about starvation, not a snack-hunger. It is an intense desire to seek what is right at the core of one’s life by seeking God and His righteousness. In Psalm 42:1, David described this attitude with these words, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you….” In Psalm 63:1, he wrote, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Like David, we must make our search for God and His will our top priority in life. All too often, we allow the pleasures of life crowd out our time with God. The things that are really important to us are usually at the top of our priority list. For this reason, our Lord Jesus Christ said, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33).
It’s been said, “Change the hunger, and you change the man; control the hunger and you control the man.” Everyone is hungry and thirsty for something. Your appetite determines the direction of life, but there is only one thing that truly satisfies, righteousness. Therefore, this beatitude determines the growth of faith. This growth desires the mind of God, the character of God, the things of God, and the life of God. It is the essence of faith. For this reason, remember the words of Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
-John Garza