ARE YOU HUNGRY YET?

Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach hurt? Have you ever passed out due to a lack of food? Wait, what am I thinking; I am writing this on a computer, so the chances that a reader has experienced starvation is extremely unlikely. Oh sure, we have all experienced a growling stomach when we are delayed from eating, but real hunger, very unlikely. If you have ever fasted, you might be justified in saying you understand hunger, but otherwise, I seriously doubt that my readers have ever had a bloated stomach from starvation. For that, we should all praise God!

Jesus hungered when fasting for forty days in the wilderness. Of course, Satan came when He was at His weakest, and attempted to get Him to sin (Matt. 4:2-10). His experience reminds me somewhat of the trials of Job. Job was used of God to teach us and Satan that he has only the power God allows him to have. We have no need to fear one that hates us when God Almighty loves us! Although God does not tempt us, He does allow temptation into our lives to strengthen our faith (Jam. 1:13-14). In Proverbs, the writer pleads with God that he be neither rich or poor, but asks God to give him just enough food to meet his need; he did not want to sin against the Lord (Prov. 30:8-9). In His model prayer, Jesus said, "Give us this day our daily bread...and lead us not into temptation..." (Matt. 6:11-13). One could make the point that being unfed and being unwilling to forgive, both make us vulnerable to sin.

Notice what Jesus said to Satan when tempted to turn stones into bread. Jesus said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:3-4). In another place, Jesus told His disciples not to worry about what they shall eat, for God will supply their food (Matt. 6:26). Logically then if we are to sustain ourselves with the Word and with food, and God has promised to provide us with food, it is our job to "feed" upon the Word of God. Peter admonishes new Christians to hunger for the Word of God (1 Pet. 2:2). One might make the argument that milk is for baby Christians and bread or meat is for mature believers (Heb. 5:12-14).

The Psalmist wrote of another kind of hunger that was not physical; he spoke of the hunger of the soul (Ps. 107:9). I thought it strange that I could not find the word "eat" in Psalm 119 since the chapter is one hundred seventy-six verses about God's Word. Then, I found Psalm 119:103. "How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth." Jesus said, "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6). Our soul hungers for righteousness, and we become righteous in God's eyes when we accept Christ by believing His Word (Rom. 10:8-17). We are born-again by the Word, we are nourished by the milk of the Word, and we are to mature enough, not only to eat the "meat" of the Word, but to share it with others (Heb. 5:12). Are you hungry yet?