Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Hunger (07/04/24)
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TITLE: May I Take Your Order? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Naoma Bird
07/10/24 -
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My name is Naoma and I am a recovering compulsive planner who feels every detail must be addressed and decided before I can complete a project. Unfortunately, this sometimes means the project never gets off the ground. My husband, George, on the other hand, is not concerned with much planning and would rather delay planning until the day before something needs to be done. This too has its downside. So, decisions about even the smallest things, are sometimes frustrating for us both.
The smallest but most frequent source of this frustration for me is deciding what to have for supper. Whether it is supper at home or going to a restaurant it goes something like this:
Me: “What would you like for supper tonight?” Or, if we are going to eat out. “What are you hungry for? (Translates to what kind of a restaurant)?”
George, whose answers may vary from: “Food.”, “I don’t care.”, “Whatever you feel like cooking.” or “Whatever (or wherever if it’s a restaurant) sounds good to you.”
The problem? I want to include him in the decision-making process, but he isn’t interested in the process, he only wants to eat to satisfy his hunger.
When we look up the word hunger the most common definition we see describes it as an intense longing; a strong persistent desire that people have for necessities, a specific and focused longing that they feel they can’t live without.
Darin Eubank, in his article; 5 Ways to Stir Up Spiritual Hunger, * relates our physical hunger to our spiritual hunger in this way: “Physically, we try to stay satisfied as much as possible. The moment we start to feel hungry, we make it a point to get something to eat. For our whole lives, we have trained our bodies and constructed our schedules for this very issue. We understand this concept in the physical, but often we allow ourselves to take this path spiritually as well. We just want satisfaction. We eat when it’s “time” to eat. Like once a week on Sunday mornings. Or maybe even daily if we have some structured time set aside in the mornings or before bed. Is there more?
For many people, this is just the way it is. Spiritually, they’re just okay with eating when it’s time to eat.”
Aren’t we often like that? Our heavenly Father loves us and wants to give us the spiritual food that satisfies us and deepens our relationship with him, but he wants us to be a part of the process.
Jesus calls us to be more intentional in finding satisfaction in our hunger for more of him. He wants us involved in the process of getting spiritually fed. God has a banquet of spiritual food available to us. Sometimes it is the “pure spiritual milk” **from the Word and at other times “solid food” ***. He knows what we need to satisfy our hunger for more of Him and wants to meet our needs.
He tells us in Matthew 7:7-8; “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” We must ask!
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6; “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”. It is in yearning, having a deep desire for God, who is righteousness himself, that will satisfy. So, stay hungry!
In Luke 6:21 – Jesus tells his disciples: “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.”
Our spiritual blessings not material things, will satisfy our deepest longings. They are part of God’s deep love and care for us. He takes delight in giving us good things when we bring our needs, even the desires of our hearts, to him.
So, what are you hungry for? More money, better health, a solid relationship. Maybe it’s peace, power, or wisdom. Every need can be met when your deepest hunger is for more for God’s righteousness.
* Darin Eubank, in his article; 5 Ways to Stir Up Spiritual Hungerhttps://www.kingdombringer.com › blog › 5waystostirup...
** Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1Peter 2:2-3 (NIV)***
***Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14 (NIV)
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Blessings
Your beginning hooked me and your dialogue around hunger was convincing.
Loved it.