SPIRITUAL HUNGER

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matt 5:6, NASB). Spiritual hunger is the product of faith. It is not a vague and indiscernible probing for something unidentified. The soul with true spiritual hunger is the one that has tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Psa 34:8). The goodness of the Lord (or His grace) whets the appetite for more. It also brings an acute awareness that much more can be seen and realized of the Lord than has been experienced thus far. Spiritual hunger is stronger than fleshly hunger. Holy men have spoken of this circumstance. The patriarch Job once said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). It brings a driving compulsion that dwarfs all competitive influences. Paul stated the nature of this hunger eloquently. "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil 3:8). Those lacking this driving compulsion have either not tasted of the Lord, or have forgotten they were once purged from their sins (2 Pet 1:9). Unfortunately, spiritual hunger is not as apparent in the professed church as it should be. This hunger also springs from an acute sensitivity of the depravity of "this present evil world." What the redeemed soul longs for, this world cannot supply. How precisely David expressed this condition. He speaks for every one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary, To see Thy power and Thy glory" (Psa 63:1-2). These postings are devoted to addressing spiritual thirst. That is our sole purpose. They are not intended to be inquiries into academic novelties. If they do not contribute to the satisfaction of the soul, they have served no lasting purpose. Pray for all such ministries, that participants will have an piercing awareness of their role in nourishing the saints of the most high God!

-- MONDAY: HIGH PRIEST OF THINGS TO COME --