Are You Hungry?

You probably remember it well from years ago or perhaps you are at a time in your life where it is happening now. If not, you probably remember it from when you were a child.

It is a lovely summer day. The door slams shut and the child runs into the house, sweaty, and a little bit dirty from playing outside. “I’m hungry,” he yells as he looks for Mom or Dad. “Can I have something to eat?” All of  that playing makes them hungry. The playing comes to a standstill until they eat something.

Play is a child’s work. This carries over into our adult life. We work hard physically and mentally. Sometimes we even forget to eat a meal as we lose ourselves in our activities. Eventually, that gnawing in our stomach brings us back to reality. We are hungry! We need and want something to eat. The longer we wait, the more intense that gnawing feeling gets. Soon we aren’t able to concentrate on anything else. We want food now! We are at a standstill until we get something to eat. That gnawing feeling won’t leave us alone. We have to resolve this issue. Then, once we are fully satiated, we can finally resume doing what we were doing.

This hunger reminds me of what we see happening in the world today. The challenging times we are living in are affecting people. We see things happening as predicted in the Bible. We are told members of families will turn against each other. We see this happening all around us. We see people who used to have faith turn away from it. We see people of faith questioning and doubting their faith. All of these things make us sad. The Bible tells us that in the end times people will grow cold and we see this happening. We observe people who don’t want to commit to their faith. They are fence-sitters. The Bible tells us we will have to choose. We cannot be fence-sitters. We are either for or against the Lord. Seeing these things weigh heavily on Christians. They worry about their loved ones and friends. Will they get right with God before it is too late? Do they have any idea of what they will miss out on if they don’t build a relationship with the Lord? We wonder why they would deny themselves this great gift of forgiveness and eternal life that God offers them.

We also notice things to be encouraged about as we observe some people’s faith growing. We see some people developing a real relationship with God. We see people asking questions because they want to know more about their Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. They are hungry! They are hungry for answers, for hope, for encouragement, and for the assurance of their eternal future in heaven. Observing these positive things, we are encouraged.

I recently had a conversation with someone very dear to me. She was lamenting over the state of society and specifically concerned over the eternal future of her family and friends. She was searching for answers. We talked a bit about how the Holy Spirit works and she asked many questions. We all have questions. We all seek answers. I mentioned about how we should read our Bible for answers. As we talked, she said, “I have my Bible on my nightstand by my bed every night.” That statement struck me. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t. I regret now that I didn’t say it. What I wanted to say to her was, “But…do you read it?” I am glad she has that Bible on the nightstand by her bed, but the truth is, it doesn’t do her any good if she doesn’t read it. She is hungry for the answers. She is hungry for the Word, but the Word is sitting on the nightstand by her bed.  

What about you? Are you hungry? Are you longing for answers from God? Are you starving for knowledge of things eternal?

Where do we go when we are hungry for the answers to questions of God? We go to the Bible. We go to church. We go to Bible study. We ask questions. We talk to other Christians and the Pastors. We pray about it. We ask God to send the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and lead us to the answers we seek. Not necessarily to the answers we want, but to the truth of God’s word and his plan of salvation.

We turn off the TV, our devices, and we spend quiet time with God in prayer. We tell God, “I’m hungry! I’m hungry for your word. I’m hungry for answers. Please feed me, Lord. Please fill me up!” He will, you know. He will keep a banquet before you so your hunger is satisfied. He just asks that you open up that Bible on your nightstand and read it. You will find that banquet inside of it.

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  ~ John 6:35 NIV