Holy Hunger: Developing an Appetite for Truth, Part Two
Holy Hunger, Part One
Holy Hunger, Part Three
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They say you should never go to the grocery store hungry. Well, tonight I did. After dinner I went for a walk, completely burned off my tuna salad roll-up and sweet potato fries (yum!), and was ready to eat again. But it was getting late, I was getting tired, and I could NOT put off grocery shopping any longer–plus we only had frozen peas, an onion, salsa and maple syrup and none of that sounded good. So off I went, promising myself I would NOT succumb to the temptation to buy more than was on my list.
I am strong. I am woman. Hear me roar.
Who am I kidding? A hungry girl in a grocery store at night is just bad news. I won’t tell you what I spent, but I will tell you that Chocolate Chip Vanilla Jello Pudding Mix was NOT on my list. And neither were Amy’s Organic Pizza Bites. Or the brownie mix. Or the Sun Chips. Uh-hem.
Never let it be said that I eat like a girl. I grew up with four older brothers with outrageous appetites. I learned to eat from the best! I thought all men ate like my brothers until I met my husband. Now my husband, HE eats like a girl. (Sorry honey, you know it’s true). To this day, I out-eat him at every meal. I used to be proud of that. Before my metabolism came to a screeching halt. And before he started training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Every time I look at him he’s getting smaller. Last night he put on a suit he bought when he was in high school. HIGH SCHOOL! Dear readers, that was 1986. The suit still fit him.
What EVER!
Anyway, back to the spiritual analogy (I really shouldn’t blog at midnight–it’s so hard to keep me on task)…
All that to say, God wants us to have an outrageous appetite for His word and for His presence. And because my brain is toast (mmmmmm….toast!), I’ll just jump right into the meat (MEAT!!) of this post.
Here are a few questions I ask myself on a regular basis to keep my spiritual diet in check:
1. Do I only consume those spiritual things that are familiar to me (anything new is automatically “bad” or “wrong”), or does God find me delighting in His variety and creativity?
2. Do I require God to present the Truth to me with all the bells and whistles (big show, newest songs, video clips and mood lighting), or can He find me in the quiet of my heart, seeking hard after Him?
3. Am I filling up with junk (mindless TV, gossip websites, negative conversation) that spoils my appetite for the meal, or do I anxiously anticipate the times when I can feast on the richness of His presence?
4. Do I only accept nourishment from God on my terms and in my timing, or am I ready to receive from Him when He calls me to the table?
5. When I sit down to read the Bible, do I make God play the “just three bites” game with me (also known as “just fifteen minutes” or “just two chapters”), or do I take the time to savor the morsels of Truth He has prepared for me and dropped into my heart?
6. Do I treat time with God like steamed cauliflower (I’ll eat it, but only because it’s good for me) or five cheese lasagna (Why can’t all food be this good?)
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)
I think it’s pretty cool that the very thing we need to survive, grow and thrive in this world is also delicious and beautiful. God’s word is not bland and boring, leaving us wishing we could consume something delicious. Neither is it tasty, but lacking nutrients (like Chocolate Chip Vanilla Jello Pudding), causing us to be filled but not malnourished. To the contrary…this is really good stuff!! Sort of like brownie mix and Sun Chips…but really, really good for you at the same time.
I really need to stop blogging at midnight.
Come back tomorrow for Five Ways to Whet Your Appetite… I promise to start the post earlier and less hungry.
Thanks Sandy for your ever creative and so relatable style!!! You had me at "well"…
So true, I find at times that my appetite for the Lord is like my son's appetite. Feast or Famine and often sprinkled with picky eating. Nothing like sabotaging your spiritual walk by mimicking the dietary habits of a 2 year old.
But God is good and is gracious…And oh how savory, tasty He is!!! Why do we forget that?