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

To be hungry or thirsty means to have a strong desire or craving. That is the kind of desire Jesus is talking about here—a deep, driving longing to be right with God.

What is righteousness?

Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right,” characterized by standards of morality, justice, virtue, and uprightness.

The Bible’s definition of righteousness

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, God the Father is righteous, Jesus Christ is the Righteous One, and God gives the gift of righteousness to repentant sinners through Christ. Believers are declared righteous, are being made righteous, and will one day be perfectly righteous—all because they are in a covenant relationship with the living God, who finishes what He starts.

The Bible describes the righteous person as one who trusts in the Lord and holds fast to Him (Psalm 33:18–22).

We all fall short of God’s righteousness

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

God’s standard of righteousness is His own perfection—in every attribute, every attitude, every word, and every action. His law is the plumb line by which all human righteousness is measured—and none of us measure up.

You cannot become righteous by your own efforts

True righteousness is possible only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to make ourselves righteous.

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

We are made righteous in the sight of God because of Jesus

We are accepted and treated as righteous by God solely because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He was treated as if He were a sinner—though He was perfectly holy—so that we could be treated as if we were righteous—though we are not.

Because of what Christ endured in our place, God now treats us as if we had perfectly obeyed His law and never been exposed to its penalty. We have received this precious gift of righteousness from the God of all mercy and grace.

Therefore

Don’t hunger and thirst for success, approval, or self-improvement. Hunger and thirst for righteousness—for Christ Himself.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33 NIV)

“The law of the LORD is perfect,  refreshing the soul.  The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,  making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NIV)

Don’t be a fool—be wise!

  “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” (Proverbs 15:14 NLT)

Garbage in, garbage out!

Some people tell me they can watch or read anything and it doesn’t bother them. That is foolish talk! Just because something doesn’t bother you doesn’t make it acceptable. It only means you have gotten so used to it that it no longer bothers you. It’s like the proverbial frog placed in warm water: if the water is heated up quickly, the frog notices and jumps out. But if it is heated very slowly—one degree at a time—the frog doesn’t notice until it’s too late and it is cooked.

When you can watch or read stuff that is profane, blasphemous, evil, vile, and abusive and it doesn’t bother you, you have a problem. You have become numb to sin! You’ve become a fool (Prov. 15:14 NLT).

Whatever you put in your brain is what you become (or are)!

You have a choice to make regarding what you allow into your head. You can put in trash, or you can put in truth. The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7)

Therefore

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV)

The place you need to go to fill your mind with truth is God’s Word.

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6)

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:24–25 NIV)

As I travel often in my line of work, I see many kinds of buildings and structures built to serve God. Some are awe-inspiring and breathtakingly beautiful. And while they are wonderful places to gather and worship, none of them are where God actually lives.

He does not live in temples built by human hands.

God dwells in the human heart

“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Eze. 36:26)

“The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom. 5:5)

You have God in your heart because you have invited Him there

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Eph. 3:17)

“To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

Therefore

Every breath you take is a gift from God. Every heartbeat is sustained by Him. And if you belong to Christ, He is not merely someone you visit in a building—He lives in you. Live today with gratitude, humility, and confidence, knowing that the God who gives life and breath and everything else has made your heart His home.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:29 NIV)

A yoke is a wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to a plow or cart they are to pull. In this passage, Jesus is inviting weary, burdened people to come to Him and let Him share the load. When we do, He not only helps carry the burden—He gives rest to our souls.

The requirements of the Law are beyond our capacity

In other passages, both Paul and Peter talk about the yoke of bondage that the Law brings—a yoke no one can truly carry.

“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10)

The Law shows us God’s holiness, but it also shows us our weakness. It was never meant to save us—only to lead us to the One who can.

With Jesus, the yoke is light

With Jesus, the yoke is light—not because the Christian life has no challenges, but because He is in the yoke with us, carrying the weight we could never carry ourselves.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30)

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1)

It all comes down to this

“If the Son therefore shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Therefore

Stop trying to pull the load alone. Lay down the yoke of guilt, performance, and self-effort—and take up His yoke instead. Walk with Jesus. Let Him set the pace. Let Him carry the weight. In Him, you will find real freedom and real rest.

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” (Col. 1:21–22 NIV)

It’s super good news!

It starts with a problem—but it ends with an over-the-top, amazing, almost-too-good-to-be-true solution.

The Problem: Sin

The Bible is very clear about our condition apart from God. It says that “there is none righteous” (Romans 3:10), that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that because of our sin we are separated—alienated—from Him (Isaiah 59:2). Left to ourselves, we are hopelessly lost.

The Solution: The Gospel (Good News!)

The Bible calls God’s solution “the gospel,” which literally means “good news.” The good news is that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and to “bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Our promise verse says it this way:

“He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”

Now that is why it is rightfully called good news!

You Must Receive God’s Gift Personally

Even though Jesus has done all the work on the cross, each person must personally receive this gift.

The Bible says:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God—to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

And again:

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9)

Praying “The Sinner’s Prayer”

“The Sinner’s Prayer” is simply a way to express, in words, what is happening in your heart when you turn to God through Jesus Christ. It can go something like this:

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and that my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and I want to turn away from my sinful life and turn to You. Please forgive me. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, rose from the dead, is alive today, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life—to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

I prayed a similar prayer more than 50 years ago, and Jesus has truly changed my life.

And I know—He will change yours, too.

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10 NIV)

A well-known battle strategy is to divide people so they cannot use their combined strength and resources. When divided, they become weak, vulnerable, and easily conquered.

Jesus spoke directly about this: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24–25)

Satan still uses this “divide them” strategy today—especially to weaken the church and the family.

To Weaken the Church

God’s Kingdom was never meant to be divided. Yet today, instead of working together as one strong body, the church is often split into many smaller groups and factions—separated by doctrines, traditions, and differences of opinion.

In many cities, churches sit near each other, yet operate independently rather than in unity.

Jesus warned about this kind of spiritual danger: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition…” (Mark 7:13 KJV)

When tradition becomes more important than God’s Word, unity and power are lost.

To Weaken Marriages and Families

Jesus also said: “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

The family structure has changed dramatically over the years. What once were close-knit, God-centered homes have often become divided, distracted, and fractured. Division weakens the very foundation God designed to be a place of strength and protection.

Get Into Agreement So God Can Work

Paul wrote: “Each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ.’ Has Christ been divided?” (1 Cor. 1:12–13 NASB)

God’s desire is unity—because unity releases His power

Jesus promised: “If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matt. 18:19–20)

Therefore

When we walk in agreement, God’s power flows freely. When we allow division, we weaken what God wants to strengthen. Choose unity. Protect it. Fight for it.

“Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:3)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14–15 NIV)

Boldly and Confidently

God invites us to come to Him with confidence in prayer—not fear, not hesitation, not uncertainty. But there is an important key: we are to ask according to His will.

How do you know what God’s will is?

You discover it in His Word. You read what He has promised, you believe it, and you bring your requests into agreement with it. When your prayers line up with God’s Word, you can pray with confidence.

Prayer is not about convincing God to do what we want—it is about learning to want what God has already said He will do.

God Gives Generously

If you are ever unsure what to do, God encourages you to ask Him—especially for wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV)

God is not stingy! He is not reluctant. He is not annoyed by your asking. He is a generous Father who delights to help His children.

Therefore

Learn God’s Word. Pray in agreement with it. And come to God with confidence—knowing that when you ask according to His will, He hears you, and His answer is already on the way.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence…” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV)

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2 ESV)

Everybody dies—that is simply part of life in this world.

The Bible says:

“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27 ESV)

It is easy to forget that we are only temporarily here. The longer you live, the more real this becomes. As the years pass, more and more people we love step into eternity—parents, relatives, friends, and loved ones.

But for those who belong to Christ, death is not the end—it is a homegoing.

Jesus Himself has promised that He has gone ahead to prepare a place for those who trust in Him. Not a vague place. Not a temporary place. A real, personal, prepared place—made by the Savior who loves us.

That means those who have died in Christ are not lost. They are home. And it means something wonderful is also waiting for us.

Therefore

Do not hold too tightly to this world. Live faithfully, walk with confidence, and rest in hope—because your future is not uncertain. Your Savior has already gone ahead of you and prepared your place.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20 NASB)

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (James 4:6 NIV)

What Is God’s Grace?

Grace (from the Greek New Testament word charis) means God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God that we do not deserve and can never earn. It is not a reward for good behavior—it is a gift from a loving God.

And if that were not enough, God promises something even more wonderful: He gives more grace.

According to this verse, God pours His favor especially on the humble—those who are meek, teachable, respectful, and willing to depend on Him instead of themselves.

God’s grace is not small or limited. It is abundant and overflowing

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

Through Jesus, we do not just receive grace once—we live in grace

“Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Romans 5:1–2 NIV)

Therefore

Stop trying to earn what God freely gives. Walk humbly, depend fully on Him, and rejoice—because no matter how great the need, He gives more grace.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV)