HOW HUNGRY AND THIRSTY ARE YOU?
My Old Testament daily reading is in the Psalms, and I was blest and challenged as I read Psalm 107 last night and especially verse 9 NKJV For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.
MESSAGE He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry get plenty to eat.
The question came to me immediately “How hungry and thirsty am I? My response was NOT HUNGRY AND THIRSTY ENOUGH.
When we are born automatically there develops within us the HUNGER DRIVE, I would suggest when we are born again THE SPIRITUAL HUNGER DRIVE, should start to develop automatically within us, and this is sure helped and encouraged by Biblical Discipleship. The reality is that sin will blunt our spiritual hunger, PLUS, we have to discipline ourselves and seek to “feed” our spiritual hunger drive, this we do by PRAYING, and asking the Lord to increase our spiritual hunger, this prayer God will readily and quickly answer, and as we co-operate with Him and discipline ourselves we can be overwhelmed by an insatiable hunger for Him and His Word.
As the Psalmist declares God “satisfies” the longing soul, so we need to ask ourselves “are we really longing after God?” or “do I feel unsatisfied?” It will never be God’s fault, if we feel unsatisfied, so the responsibility lies with us to continue to ask what is the reason or reasons I am not being satisfied?
The Psalmist goes on and says God wants to FILL us with GOODNESS. I don’t know about you, but I want to know more of the GOODNESS OF GOD in my life. King David in his Shepherd Psalm (23) tells us NLT Surely your GOODNESS and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.
As an awesome result of us being born again, we have received in us God’s DNA and this is so reflected in what Paul calls THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT in Gal:5:22-23 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, GOODNESS, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
What a glorious inheritance we have as a child of God, as we ask and let God increase our SPIRITUAL HUNGER DRIVE, that we are filled with His Goodness.
A favorite verse of mine is Rom. 2:4 NKJV the GOODNESS of God leads you to repentance? Thank God for His goodness that led us to that initial place of repentance that caused us to be born again of the Spirit of God. I want to suggest to you that as we continue to stay thirsty and HUNGRY, it helps us to maintain an attitude of REPENTANCE, let us never forget that Repentance is as much if not more a word to Christians, that we continue to change and turn away from anything that will rob us of the Father’s blessing. Wecan continue to know HIS SATISFACTION as we maintain our hunger and thirst for God and His Word.
Remember the word of Jesus in the Beatitudes in Matt. 5:6 NKJV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
PASSION “How enriched you are when you crave righteousness! For you will be surrounded with fruitfulness.
MESSAGE “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
So, may I ask you, Are you hungry and thirsty for God and His Word? Does your spiritual hunger and thirst need to increase, then let us ask, Matt. 7:7-8 NKJV Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Here is some glorious promises for you. Eph:3:20 NKJV Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ASK or think, according to the power that works in us.
1 John 3:22 NKJV And whatever we ASK we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
May this simple meditation, be a blessing to you.
