September 30

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. — Matt 5:6 BSB

Hunger is a painful sensation. It’s not simply a desire for food, but a need accompanied by pain. In the same way, spiritual hunger is more than a mere desire for Christ. As Scripture says, "The sluggard desires, and has nothing." True spiritual hunger involves a painful yearning. It’s not just a wish for spiritual sustenance, but a sense that without it, the soul will perish. Only this kind of hunger constitutes spiritual desire. Many claim to have a desire for Christ, but if it’s truly spiritual, it will be fulfilled. However, real spiritual desire is always accompanied by painful awareness, something that many who profess to desire Christ don’t understand. "The desire of the slothful kills him," because he is content with mere desire and doesn’t take the kingdom of heaven by force.

"Thirst" carries an even deeper meaning. While hunger is painful, thirst is far more agonizing. People can survive longer without food than they can without water. Extreme thirst is perhaps the most excruciating physical sensation a human can endure. The Holy Spirit uses this imagery to convey the intensity of a soul’s longing for Christ. A soul that truly thirsts for Him feels that it must have Christ or die; it must have His blood applied to the conscience or be lost in sin; it must "know Him and the power of His resurrection," or it will descend into eternal misery. The presence of Jesus, the love of God poured into the heart—without these, the soul feels as though it is the most miserable of all.