The Gift of Hunger—Two2Grow, Saturday, November 7
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 NIV
I recently spoke to a man who has terminal, late-stage cancer, and he told me that one thing he really misses is being able to have an appetite and enjoy eating. Even something less severe, such as a common cold or the flu, makes us reject the food we usually love. As most parents know, when your kids say no to ice cream or cake, you know they are not faking it and can be allowed to stay home from school!
In the same way sickness makes us lose our appetite, compromise and a calloused heart make us lose our hunger for God. Spiritual hunger is a sign of a healthy Christian. You can tell the health level of your heart by checking your hunger for God.
Here are some ways you know if you are hungry for God:
· You start to lose interest in the things of this world that captured your heart before.
· You begin to have a holy dissatisfaction with your present state.
· You sense a deep longing to press deeper into Christ.
· You notice a desire to encounter God.
· You seek out the company of others who are hungry for God.
· You begin to find yourself praying in unusual places (sometimes even in your dreams).
· You don’t have to be reminded to read and meditate on God’s Word.
· You want to go to church and do it with an expectant heart.
God responds to a hungry heart, so protect and nurture your hunger.
Jesus, help me to hunger more for you! Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
I recently spoke to a man who has terminal, late-stage cancer, and he told me that one thing he really misses is being able to have an appetite and enjoy eating. Even something less severe, such as a common cold or the flu, makes us reject the food we usually love. As most parents know, when your kids say no to ice cream or cake, you know they are not faking it and can be allowed to stay home from school!
In the same way sickness makes us lose our appetite, compromise and a calloused heart make us lose our hunger for God. Spiritual hunger is a sign of a healthy Christian. You can tell the health level of your heart by checking your hunger for God.
Here are some ways you know if you are hungry for God:
· You start to lose interest in the things of this world that captured your heart before.
· You begin to have a holy dissatisfaction with your present state.
· You sense a deep longing to press deeper into Christ.
· You notice a desire to encounter God.
· You seek out the company of others who are hungry for God.
· You begin to find yourself praying in unusual places (sometimes even in your dreams).
· You don’t have to be reminded to read and meditate on God’s Word.
· You want to go to church and do it with an expectant heart.
God responds to a hungry heart, so protect and nurture your hunger.
Jesus, help me to hunger more for you! Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD