Do you hunger and thirst for God’s Revelation.
Hunger and thirst are natural expressions of the basic human desire and need for food and water. One of the clear indicators that something is wrong physically is when we lose our appetite. It is the same spiritually.
To hunger and thirst for God is at the very root of our being. It’s the way God made us. When there is no hunger for the presence of God, it is an indicator that something is wrong spiritually. Because that hunger is so basic to human nature, it often finds fulfillment in other areas rather than in seeking God. Much as eating unhealthy junk food can dull physical appetite, so that which is not of God can dull our spiritual appetite.
This happens to believers and non- believers as they look for happiness and fulfillment in any area except in their relationship with God. It may be in human relationships, quest for power or money, or escape to physical pleasure. The saddest examples, however, are of Christians who allow their appetite for God to be dulled by other things . . . even religious things. Our churches are filled with believers who are so satiated by activities, programs and projects that they no longer have a hunger for God.
It is obvious that the imagery of hungering and thirsting after God is a scriptural concept. From the prophets of the Old Testament to Jesus and on through to the book of Revelation, the people of God are depicted as those who have developed a desire for God. Could it be that the missing element in the Church today is that desire for God Himself?
“Since the best teacher of prayer is the Holy Spirit, the best way to learn to pray is by praying. Whether, and how much we pray is, I think, finally a matter of appetite, of hunger for God and all that He is and desires.”
Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”‘ – John 4:10-14
As Christians, we believe that each of us have a spirit that makes us ‘ourselves’. This spirit is what informs our thinking, loving, doing and being. We believe that our spirits need to be nourished in ways similar to our physical bodies. When someone talks of being ‘fed’ or ‘watered’, ‘hungry’ or ‘thirsty’ spiritually, this is what they are referring to – the nourishment of their spirits.
But what will sate our thirst and what will satisfy our hunger spiritually?
‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.’ – John 7:38-39
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.
What is this spiritual hunger?
You might be asking yourself – how is spiritual hunger different from spiritual thirst?
I think of it this way: when you’re thirsty, you want water but when you’re hungry you need food.
Spiritual hunger according to the Bible refers to the Word of God which is the bread of life. If we are spiritually hungry, then we are longing for more of the Word of God.
We all have questions and we had to find our answers in God’s Word. This increased our spiritual hunger for God’s Word so much, we devour the Bible through intense studying of all the areas we question. This is the very reason for our increased spiritual fervour for God’s Word. I hope we never stop wanting to read God’s Word, and that we never stop growing in our understanding of His Ways and what He wants of us or else we will end up with
Spiritual starvation.
Like physical hunger though, the longer we go without nourishment, the less hungry we become eventually. You then enter – without realising – starvation mode. Spiritual starvation looks like less and less of a desire for God’s Word. If we have no desire for God’s word or no interest in reading the Bible – perhaps we are in a state of spiritual starvation. Come to Jesus and ask God to bring back your spiritual hunger, so you can eat spiritual bread again.
Prayer
"Lord Jesus, my soul aches at the mere mention of Your name and my heart leaps for every rumor of Your coming, and each possibility that You will manifest Your presence. I’m not satisfied with mere spiritual dainties. I’m ravenously hungry for You in Your fullness. I’m desperate to feast on the bread of Your presence and quench my thirst with the wine of Your Spirit.” Amen.
Sol.Fiona