Are you starving?

 

"When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies." Jeremiah 15:16

It's so easy to tell when a child is hungry, tired or simply worn out by the way they behave. They haven't yet learned patience (like so many of us adults, me included) and so will act out until their needs are met. I'm sure this is God's way of making sure that they get their rest and proper nutrition. We use the term "Hangry" in our house to describe this condition of being hungry to the point you are actually irritable and angry - throw tired in the mix and you've got cranky people. Amazing how moods can miraculously improve after eating a pizza or taking a nap. Our bodies were meant to be fed several times a day, every day. The same God that gave us the need to be "physically fed" also gave us the need to be "spiritually fed".  By that definition, the majority of the population is spiritually starving to death!

We wonder why the world seems to be an unfriendly place when the answer is so simple. We live in a world of "hangry" people - people hungry (to the point of starvation) for God's presence in their lives. And yet they don't know what's wrong.  They feed their bodies but neglect to feed their souls and wonder why they aren't happy (the opposite of hangry). Just as we need food to survive, we need Christ to thrive. Deuteronomy 8:3 says, "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." There's no amount of food in this world to take away the spiritual "Hangries" - lack of time spent with the Father.

Jesus repeated these words in Matthew 4:4 when he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. After fasting forty days, he said, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Rather than address his physical need (he had to be starved!) first, He focused on the more important one, the need for us to feast on the Word. We should follow the example and lead others to do the same. What the world is really hungry for can't be found at McDonald's.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the Word to feed our souls. I pray that we would be as mindful of feeding our souls as we do our bodies. Remind us that our bodies will return to dust no matter how great we eat or how often we exercise, but we will have eternal life in Heaven by taking care to feed our souls and be spiritually healthy. I pray that we see that feasting on the Word is more important than anything else. In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.


Happy Running!!!
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I surrender - Hillsong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgsqfjRslzA