Spiritual Hunger

The Holy Spirit: Be Taught – VOTD.08.06.18

[We received] the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words…Those who live in the Spirit are able to carefully evaluate all things, and they are subject to the scrutiny of no one but God. 1 Corinthians 2:12-15

I’ve needed to drop dairy from my diet for the past 18 months and along with eggs which I’m allergic to, and it’s meant a big change in how I eat. On the plus side, I feel a lot better, on the down side, eating outside the home is a bit of a challenge. But I found a way to do it. I just go to the vegan menu / dishes at gatherings. And so I’ve met a lot of vegans in the process (even though I am not a vegan).

One of the things I have to admire about the vegans I meet is their passion. They want to get away from processed food and eat the raw and real, the organic, non-GMO, etc.. And just like in the natural so many people are sort of wanting to get away from the unprocessed and have the raw and the organic… I see the same thing happening spiritually in the Body of Christ.  (more…)

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In Search of a Hungry Heart pt 2 – VOTD.08.15.17

A woman named Martha welcomed (Jesus) into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

Martha’s choice: Good      Mary’s choice: Best

Last time we talked about common reasons that believers have wimpy appetites when it comes to hungering and thirsting for God: We know how this works in the natural. Our bodies were designed to require nourishment, so it’s normal for us to feel hungry—unless our appetites have been suppressed by sickness or quenched by something we ate previously.

The spiritual sicknesses we covered last time were things like unbelief and unforgiveness. Today I want to look at quenching our spiritual appetites and what we can do about that.

Spiritual snacking can ruin our appetite for Jesus—We’re talking about allowing other things or people or even duties and obligations to come before communing with Jesus. These things may be perfectly OK, even good stuff. But their result has the same effect on our appetites for Jesus as being in sin. (more…)

Continue ReadingIn Search of a Hungry Heart pt 2 – VOTD.08.15.17

In Search of a Hungry Heart pt 1 – VOTD.08.14.17

As the deer pants for streams of water, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalms 42:1,2

It’s likely that all Christians struggle at times with their spiritual appetites. We know they aren’t what they once were, or what they might be, or we look at other believers who are hungering and thirsting for the presence of God and wonder what’s wrong with us.

Many have never experienced a hunger for God in any tangible way; some even teach that such a hunger doesn’t exist once we’re saved in the first place. “Once Jesus lives in you,” they teach, “you have all of Jesus there is to have.” While that is true in one sense, it doesn’t mean we live in an experience of all of Jesus that He wants to reveal to us.

Spiritual hunger is not something unusual that is reserved for only a few impassioned believers; the normal state of a Christian is to be thirsty and hungry for God. He “satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Ps 107:9). All we need is to be thirsty and hungry.

Song of Songs presents a parable where Jesus lays a banquet of His presence before us. And if we’re not feasting out at that banquet it’s usually because either we’re sick—or we’ve been snacking on something else.

The most common spiritual “sicknesses” are unbelief and unforgiveness. “Without faith it is impossible to please (God), for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). Most of us believe that God exists, but if we don’t really believe that He will respond to our pursuit of Him with a greater experience of Himself, we are likely to be half-hearted seekers. (more…)

Continue ReadingIn Search of a Hungry Heart pt 1 – VOTD.08.14.17