In the book of Deuteronomy, God tells His chosen people, Israel, that He let them go hungry so that they would learn to depend on Him. The story goes something like this...
(Deuteronomy 8:2-4) "Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord..."
God humbled Israel with hunger. Then he gave them manna so they would learn to depend on Him and "every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
I wonder today what are the things that God uses to make us hungry for Him? I have not experienced hunger, poverty or hardships as many in the world do. I also confess that my hunger for God and His Word are at times pretty lukewarm. All in all, I consider myself to be one of the most blessed peoples on the earth (out of the small fraction that I know). So, why do I continue in God's blessing when my hunger for Him is not what it should be?
I really don't know the answer but I do know that as God blesses and "feeds" us from His hand, we should never take it for granted.
A country preacher in West Tennessee once asked me (literally), "Preacher boy, where do you get your desire for God from?" And before I could answer, he said, "You can only get it by asking God to give it to you." Pretty wise words from a fellow wearing overalls.
I pray in this early part of the new year that God gives me the grace to have a deep hunger in my soul for Him. I pray that just as I would experience physical hunger without eating, may I experience a constant spiritual hunger that nothing satisfies outside of a close walk with Him, time in His word and hours in His presence.
Anybody hungry out there besides me?
No comments:
Post a Comment