There was a commercial on TV when I was a child. I don't remember what they were selling, but it was a scene of an old well pump on a farm and a voice reciting Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
Whenever the commercial came on, I would think, "I don't know what righteousness is, but it must be hard work. You're hungry and thirsty after you're done doing it!"
I was right, just not for the reasons my young mind thought; righteousness is exhausting! Seeking God's "right rule" for ourselves and those around us can wear us out. It is seeking freedom for the oppressed, lifting up those who have been mowed down by the world, offering comfort to the hurting, and showing mercy to the desperate.
All of this while seeking a "right relationship with God" for ourselves. Such a pursuit would wear us out if it weren't for Jesus' promise, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Thirst quenched, hunger sated; that is the promise of this blessing.
