| "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for | | | | poor in spirit, the mournful and the |
| righteousness, for they shall be filled" | | | | meek)."It means if you thirst after |
| (Matthew 5:6)."If you do right, you won't get | | | | righteousness, you want to live a godly |
| hungry or thirsty," says Zach, age | | | | life," says Morgan, 10. "It also means you |
| 6.Actually, the thirst here is something | | | | would act like God would want you to |
| different, says Anna, 10: "It means that | | | | live.""There is only One Being who can |
| people who want righteousness thirst for it | | | | satisfy the last aching abyss of the human |
| like water."Have you ever been thirsty -- I | | | | heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ," |
| mean really thirsty?In the Arizona desert, I | | | | wrote author Oswald Chambers.God doesn't ask |
| once took a walk I'll never forget. From my | | | | us to deny our burning desire for intimacy, |
| elevated campsite, the Colorado River looked | | | | beauty and adventure. Religion does that. |
| like an easy 30-minute trek. I learned the | | | | Jesus invites us to intimate communion with |
| meaning of "as the crow flies" because the | | | | himself and his Father that satisfies the |
| dry ravine I followed was anything but | | | | deepest longings of our souls.Jesus upset the |
| straight and made the trip much longer. After | | | | religious system of his day by awakening the |
| my canteen ran dry, I began to be thirsty | | | | desires of people's hearts. Consider his |
| like never before.God will quench the thirst | | | | statement: "Ask, and it will be given to you; |
| of those who desire him as a man walking in | | | | seek, and you will find; knock, and it will |
| the Arizona desert with a dry canteen craves | | | | be opened to you" (Luke 11:9).It's whom you |
| water. There's nothing casual about this kind | | | | ask, where you seek and what door you knock |
| of thirst. It's desperate."I think it means | | | | on that makes all the difference. A journey |
| when Jesus was at the well and told the lady | | | | into God himself makes every other adventure |
| about everlasting water," says Lauren, 8, | | | | look dull."Those who thirst after |
| "she took the water and was satisfied."Yes, | | | | righteousness will be filled with it," says |
| the woman at the well with whom Jesus spoke | | | | Nick, 10. "They will be blessed with love |
| had been married five times and was living | | | | from God."Point to ponder: God will satisfy |
| with a man who was not her husband, yet Jesus | | | | your deepest desires if you look to him for |
| doesn't give her a lecture on immorality. He | | | | fulfillment.Scripture to remember: "Blessed |
| spoke to her about her thirst (John 4:14)."If | | | | are those who hunger and thirst for |
| we try to gain transcendence through | | | | righteousness, for they shall be filled" |
| indulgence, soon enough familiarity breeds | | | | (Matthew 5:6).Question to consider: Where are |
| contempt and we are driven to search for | | | | you looking to satisfy your deepest desires |
| mystery elsewhere," write authors Brent | | | | and longings?Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated |
| Curtis and John Eldredge in an amazing book | | | | columnist, producer, author, speaker and |
| titled "The Sacred Romance.""To thirst after | | | | website developer. To see Carey's Kid TV |
| righteousness means wanting to live according | | | | Interviews and more, visit The Kids Talk |
| to God's will instead of the world's," says | | | | About God website contains free, online |
| Kristen, 10. "This is the only way to be | | | | content for children and families. Print free |
| happy and filled. If you thirst after | | | | lessons from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and |
| righteousness, God will bless you."You are | | | | make your own book. Watch for free the |
| what you desire to eat! There's a God-shaped | | | | adventures of an 11-year-old girl traveling |
| hole in all of us that only God can | | | | around the world, visiting missionaries in |
| fill."Yes, God is in the filling business. In | | | | the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print |
| fact, the word "fill" means to be satisfied | | | | Bible pictures drawn by kids that illustrate |
| in the sense of being stuffed after a | | | | Scripture verses. Receive a complimentary, |
| sumptuous meal.If you're eating the junk food | | | | weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional |
| of the self-centered life, you'll never be | | | | Bible Lessons. Bible quotations in this |
| satisfied. The hungry and thirsty are the | | | | column are from the New King James Version. |
| desperate of the previous Beatitudes (the | | | | |