To hunger and thirst is to live with an ache that can’t be ignored. Jesus speaks this word to people who knew the pain of empty stomachs and dry mouths. Their bodies had been pushed to the edge by systems that kept them poor, landless, and vulnerable. Jesus is speaking the language of the oppressed, of those who know what it means to live without enough.
But Jesus takes these physical realities and turns them into a spiritual revolution. He declares that the deepest longing of the human soul is not for bread or water, but for righteousness—for a world made right, for relationships healed, for justice to roll down like waters, for the dignity of every person to be honored. Righteousness is not passive innocence; it’s God’s active work of liberation breaking into human history.
To have an appetite for righteousness is to refuse to be satisfied with the world as it is. It’s to crave God’s transformation in our lives and in our communities. It’s to long for the lifting of burdens, the breaking of chains, the healing of wounds, and the restoration of what oppression has stolen. Hunger is a sign of life—a sign that the Spirit is stirring within us, refusing to let us settle for injustice, complacency, or spiritual apathy.
To have an appetite for righteousness is to feel the dryness of a world where love is scarce, compassion is rationed, and truth is distorted. It’s to feel the parched places in our own souls—the places where we have conformed to the world’s patterns instead of Christ’s call. Thirst drives us toward the living water that Jesus offers, water that overflows into liberation for others.
Jesus promises that those who have an appetite for God will be filled. Not merely comforted or partially satisfied. Filled! Overflowing! Strengthened for the work of justice, mercy, and witness. When we pursue God with urgency, our lives become evidence of God’s reign. Our speech becomes healing. Our actions become testimony. Our presence becomes invitation.
This is the call of discipleship: to crave God and let our craving shape our character, our choices, and our witness before the world.
(We invite your comments. Feel free to share this devotion with your friends and invite them to subscribe by forwarding their email address to the Pastor at: fredjeffsmith@gmail.com)
Mornings with Shiloh airs on WVLA Channel 33 each weekday at 6:58 a. m. CST. Mornings with Shiloh is available on our Youtube channel at 8:00 a.m. CST.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/@ShilohMBCBR/videos
Want to get more involved at Shiloh?
Browse our Ministries