Hungry? What kind of appetite?

My granddaughter, raised on a diet without sugars or excessive fats, loves fresh fruit, plain yogurt, and grains! Her tastes were formed by the foods Sean and Natalie gave her.  I wonder if she will develop an appetite more typical of the average American or if she will always prefer a diet that is more healthful? Time will tell. What is most interesting to me is that her appetite is satisfied by smaller quantities of food that are richer in quality!

For what do you hunger?  I am not talking about cheeseburgers or filet mignon. I’m speaking of soul hunger.  We are created to hunger to know our Creator, to be satisfied by worship, but sin hijacks our appetite and we learn to yearn for lesser things. God asks us, "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." (Isaiah 55:2, NIV) The ancient lie keeps on seducing humanity.  From Eden, the tempter has whispered to us that our soul hunger can be satisfied with wealth, knowledge, or achievement.  When he came to Eve, he suggested that God was keeping the best from her, that she should exercise her will, choose to disobey and seek an alternate way to be full! “You won’t die!” the serpent hissed. “God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves." (Genesis 3:4-7, NLT)

Are you hearing the seductions of the serpent?  Is he suggesting that the ache for meaning can be satisfied by buying another symbol of success? Is he telling you that a sexual conquest would make you feel less alone, more alive? Is he holding out an offer of power that will gain respect of others if you’ll sell your integrity, compromise your convictions?

Luke tells of Jesus’ encounter with the Devil.  In the wilds of Judea, He was fasting, praying, alone.  There "the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. Then the Devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life.’ ” (Luke 4:2-4, NLT)  Jesus met the lie with Truth! He quoted Moses who urged the people of the Lord to remember their experience of God’s full provision. "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 8:3, NIV)

Read those words of God from Isaiah, again. "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." (Isaiah 55:2, NIV)  Hungry? 

Here’s the word from the Word.

“Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.” To that they said, “Well, what do we do then to get in on God’s works?”

Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.” They waffled: “Why don’t you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s up, we’ll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

Jesus responded, “The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world.” They jumped at that: “Master, give us this bread, now and forever!” Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever." (John 6:27-35, The Message)