Spiritual Hunger

You can always tell when an appetite changes because it will always produce something different. If our appetites change from the things of God to the things of the world, that hunger will produce the things of the world. Inversely, if our appetites change from the things of the world to the things of God, that hunger will produce the things of God.

What is being produced in your life today? What things are coming from your day-to-day walk, speech, actions, motivations, and passions? If you are primarily producing the things of the world, your appetite has changed from the things of the Spirit to the things of the world. If you are primarily producing the things of the Spirit, your appetite has changed from the things of the world to the things of the Spirit.

If my appetite is for things like reading the Bible, prayer, and worship, both private and corporate, then I have a proper hunger. However, if I don’t have an appetite for these things, my hunger is for improper things.

Let’s see what the Bible says about hunger. In John 6:25-70, Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. What does this mean? The disciples were somewhat confused as well. Jesus was calling Himself the source of our spiritual nourishment. He was telling us that when we are hungry, spiritually, we can go to Him and be full.

In Isaiah 55:1-2, we see this analogy used again. Those who are thirsty and hungry but do not have money are told they can drink and eat. If they don’t have money, how is this possible? Their thirst and hunger are of the spiritual type – and God’s Kingdom does not charge!

We need to get our hunger back for spiritual bread. We need an appetite for the things of God. We need to throw off being satisfied with the mundane. We need to long for the nourishment of the Word, of prayer, and of worship. Our stomachs need to growl in longing for His presence. When we do this, our souls will be satisfied, and our lives will change.