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

Out of desperation I call my husband at work. But I hear his voicemail instead. Here I am, at home with two screaming babies while he’s in a quiet conference room with other adults. So I decide to leave a message, but I don’t say anything. For forty-five seconds I let his voicemail record the shrill cries of two infants.

I hang up and try everything in my mommy-arsenal to soothe the shrieking cherubs. I feed them, change them, bathe them, and dress them. When that doesn’t work, I swaddle and bounce, sway and burble. Still, nothing. As a last resort, I drive around the neighborhood. A ride in the minivan usually quiets both of them. Then I have a brilliant idea. I know where we can go, and it won’t even require getting out of the car.

I find the nearest drive-thru and whisper thank you to the girl who hands me a paper bag with my cheeseburger and fries. I pull into a nearby parking space, and with both babies finally asleep, I eat my happy meal and cry.

Several years have passed since I left the now-infamous message on my husband’s voicemail at work. But even now, whenever I feel down, guess where I’m tempted to go? Not to my knees. Not to God’s Word. But to the nearest drive-thru altar.

This isn’t what I want to be true of me. I want to hunger and thirst for righteousness more than a cheeseburger and fries. Because only God can fill a hungry heart. The deep hunger I feel inside can never be truly satisfied with food or anything else. Only when we come to the banquet of the King and dine in His presence, feasting on the goodness of His Word, are we truly filled.

This story was written by Denise J. Hughes and appears in A Moment to Breathe, a 365-day devotional from the (in)courage community.