Hunger

Dictionary.com defines hunger as follows:

hun·ger

/ˈhʌŋgər/ Show Spellenoun

1. a compelling need or desire for food.

2. the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food: to collapse from hunger. 

3. a shortage of food; famine.

4. a strong or compelling desire or craving: hunger for power. 

 

verb (used without object)

5. to feel hunger; be hungry.

6. to have a strong desire.

 

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God's Word shows us something powerful about the word 'hunger.'

 

Matthew 5:6

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled."

 

John 6:35

"And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

 

My spirit is stirred to simply share, and maybe stir up, a hunger within you for more of the things of God. Jesus Himself said that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. Jesus is that Bread that our entire being longs for, hungers for.

 

I think of a sinner being born again; a person longing for renewal, cleansing...there is a hunger within that sinner to be accepted, to realize their purpose, to be forgiven. That hunger and thirst drives them to seek and find. Once that hungry person is found at the Table of the Lord they find the Bread of Life that trumps everything the world and it's sensual system has to offer.

 

And yes, a person can be filled (fed up) with good things and bad things; good and evil; righteousness and wickedness; wisdom and foolishness. Check out some of these Proverbs of how one can 'be filled.'

 

Proverbs 1:31

"Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies."

Proverbs 12:21

"No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil."

Proverbs 14:14

"The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above."

Proverbs 18:20

"A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled."

 

Those are some strong and straight forward verses on how one can be filled. What kind of hunger do we have today? Is it a hunger for righteousness or wickedness? I know this is another message entirely but are we so confused as to call the wicked things we are doing righteous and the righteous things we can do, wicked? Something to ponder on but back to hunger. I also see in the book of Luke where more leaders in The Church were selected and one of the pre-requisites was to 'be filled.'

 

Luke 1:15

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb."

 

There are only 2 pre-requisites for someone to receive the precious Gift of the Holy Spirit and be filled. 1. You must be a born-again, blood bought believer; for the Gift of God's Spirit is for the believer only. 2. You must have HUNGER!

 

You must hunger after God's presence and resist the enemy.

You must thirst for His righteousness and desire to put on Christ.

You must hunger for HIM!

 

Don't take my word for it but God's Word. Read the verses above again and let it stir you up. I'm not writing this blog today to write some deep church doctrine or even to tip over your religious cow. I'm simply a passionate follower of Jesus who wants to be more like his Savior and Lord; doing the will and work of the Father. And I just want to encourage you to do the same.

 

Our God is so faithful and true. He promises that those who hunger for Him, for His righteousness, for His Spirit...WILL BE FILLED! And we won't want anything else!

 

HUNGER FOR JESUS!