Hungry?
“I’m
dying for something to eat,” I sometimes say to Bev. Really, I do not know a
thing about hunger. Our cupboards are overflowing with abundance
and my waistline gives evidence of that.
As I age, I am somewhat more aware of both the quality and quantity of
my diet. Last week, a gourmet chef prepared
a meal of complex flavors from the best ingredients. After dining at that table, I was deeply
satisfied without feeling ‘stuffed!’ When
I was a kid if offered me a plate of leafy greens including baby spinach,
arugula, and various lettuces, garnished with nuts or seeds, and brushed with a
balsamic dressing, I would have pushed it aside as inedible. No
more! I love the mixed flavors of a well-made salad! I have learned
that cheeseburgers and macaroni are not good nutrition nor can they really
satisfy my hunger.
Are
you spiritually malnourished, hungry for something you cannot describe, filled
with longings you cannot satisfy? God is
calling you to a feast! Moses spoke to
God’s people telling them, "Remember
how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to
humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or
not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which
neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on
bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:2-4, NIV)
Our soul
hunger will be satisfied by the table that is set by the Spirit of the
Lord. However, we can, and many do,
temporarily eliminate our hunger by buying things, chasing excitement, or
looking for some emotional high. Let's be honest - given the choice
between an exciting football game or a two-hour church service - most people
would choose the football game. Why? Sad to say, what
should offer us an encounter with the living God can be poorly prepared, like a
bad dinner. But assuming that there is a commitment to creating a
quality worship experience that honors God, even then many choose football. Why?
Because it is harder to appreciate the satisfaction of the hunger of our soul
that can be found in listening to God, in opening our heart and mind to His
Presence, and acting in obedience to His call. It is much easier to
find satisfaction, albeit temporary, in the hype and fun of the
game! I am not suggesting that a football game is bad, but man
cannot live on football alone! Jesus says the same, but simply- "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV)
Do
you know what you’re hungering for, really? Solomon knew soul hunger and had
the means to try everything on life’s
plate in his pursuit of satisfaction.
After building great monuments, chasing women by the hundreds, bringing
orchestras to entertain him, and feeding every sensual appetite, he cried in
frustration, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” He was empty, his soul still hungry. His
advice? "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days
of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure
in them”—" (Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV)
How
are you trying to satisfy your soul's hunger? Turn to God!
Receive Christ, and pursue His ways. Invite the Holy Spirit whet
your appetite for the Word and for worship (which by the way does not just
happen in church buildings) so that you will eat and be satisfied.
Here's a word from the Word. Read this line from Isaiah’s words thoughtfully: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live." (Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV)
________________
Satisfied
All
my lifelong I had panted
For
a draught from some cool spring
That
I hoped would quench the burning
Of
the thirst I felt within
Feeding
on the husks around me
Till
my strength was almost gone
Longed
my soul for something better
Only
still to hunger on
Hallelujah I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has
craved
Jesus satisfies my longings
Thro' His blood I now am
saved
Well
of water ever springing
Bread
of life so rich and free
Untold
wealth that never faileth
My
Redeemer is to me
Clara
Tear Willims | Ralph E. Hudson
Public
Domain
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