Satisfied by a Righteousness Beyond Our Own

Just as thirst is quenched by water, our hunger for righteousness is satisfied by the indwelling life of Jesus.

Devotional Credit: eManna
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Today’s devotional from Witness Lee draws our attention to the fourth beatitude: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. This isn’t about striving for moral uprightness by our own effort, but about longing for a righteousness that only Jesus can produce. The devotional reminds us that true righteousness is not just a matter of external obedience, like avoiding murder. It reaches deeper, addressing even the anger of the heart. The new law of the kingdom calls us to a higher standard that goes far beyond the old.

This kind of righteousness cannot be manufactured by the natural life. It is not achieved through discipline, gritted teeth, or a moral checklist. Instead, it is Christ Himself living His life in and through us. The one who fulfills the law now resides in every believer. He is the righteousness we long for, and He alone satisfies.

What God is after is not merely right behavior but the inward expression of His life. When we hunger and thirst, not for perfection, but for Him, He fills us. This hunger is not a sign of deficiency, but a sign of desire for fellowship with Jesus and dependence on His indwelling life.

The writer recalls how this truth shifted his entire outlook. Where once the Sermon on the Mount seemed impossible, now it became a promise. The life within, Christ in us, makes the impossible possible, not through effort, but through abiding trust. When we hunger for Him, we find ourselves filled with the very righteousness we could never achieve alone.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

My child, you are blessed because you hunger and thirst for what is already yours in Me. I placed that desire in you. I gave you a heart that longs to be right with Me and with others. I am the righteousness you seek, and I dwell in you. I fulfill the law not by asking you to do better, but by living My life through you.

You were never meant to carry the burden of self-made holiness. That old way was a tutor, leading you to Me. I have fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law. I have written My commands on your heart. I do not call you to strive, but to yield. I do not wait for your efforts, but for your willingness to trust.

When you long to walk in peace with others, that desire flows from My Spirit. When you sense the weight of impatience or anger, I am already present, inviting you to rest in Me. I am not measuring you by performance, but forming you by My presence. The righteousness you hunger for is not far off. It is within you. I am the satisfaction your soul longs for.

Scripture References: Matthew 5:6, Matthew 5:22, Psalm 42:1–2, Romans 8:3–4, Philippians 3:9, Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 10:16, Colossians 1:27, Ezekiel 36:26–27

Real-Life Analogy

Think of the way your body responds after a long hike under the sun. You return home, open the refrigerator, and pour a glass of water. The first sip doesn’t just satisfy—it revives you. You’re not just drinking because you're supposed to. You're drinking because your body knows what it needs and welcomes the relief.

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is like that. It isn’t about trying to want the right things. It’s about recognizing that Jesus is what your soul needs most. And when you turn to Him, He doesn’t trickle out grace in small measures. He fills you with Himself.

Today, if you're weary from trying to do better, pause and open yourself to the One who has already done all. Say to Him, “Lord, I trust You to satisfy my heart with Your righteousness in this very moment. I yield to You. Live through me today in patience, peace, and love.” Let your soul drink deeply.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, I thank You that I no longer have to chase after righteousness as though it were separate from You. You are my righteousness. You are the satisfaction my heart craves. When I thirst, You fill. When I hunger, You feed. You have made Your home in me, and the life You live through me is far beyond what I could ever accomplish on my own.

I rest in the truth that You have fulfilled the law and now express Your surpassing righteousness through me. I rejoice in the life of trust, knowing that as I hunger for You, I am already being satisfied.