Creatures Of Habit: Study Mfano

Study: The Hunger of The Habit 

We all know what it feels like to be hungry. The need for food is basic to human survival. But we also hunger for more than just food. Our world is filled with non-stop advertisements for things that promise to satisfy our hunger for purpose, belonging, and worth. Many of these promises are empty lies that leave us feeling sick to our stomachs. Even the best and most satisfying things that this world offers, though – like fulfilling work and loving relationships – are merely appetizers. They aren’t the main course. We crave something more…a hunger to know God and to be known by God.

Jesus knew hunger too.  

“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:2). In this pivotal moment, Jesus was physically weak, and Satan the tempter approached Jesus with a proposition. Satisfy your hunger with bread. In fact, take these stones and make them bread. If you really are powerful enough, that is.

Jesus did not take the bait. Instead, Jesus quoted scripture. He recalled a time when the Israelites were hungry too. They had been wandering in the desert, discouraged and in need of food. But, when they needed it most, God came through. Nourishment rained down from heaven. Manna. And everyone got the exact portion they needed. When they could not satisfy their own hunger, God provided and taught them a truth that we all need to learn…“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3b). 

The manna was more than just food. It was a manifestation of what we truly all hunger for: the presence of God. The manna was evidence that God was with his people. He had not abandoned them. He had not forgotten them. He saw them and gave them their portion every morning. As we study the Word of God, we will encounter this same truth. God is with us. He has not forgotten us.

Our hunger for the presence of God is satisfied in the Word of God.

• What are you hungry for in life right now?
• Do you recognize your hunger for God? 
• On a scale of 1-10, where is your spiritual appetite right now?

Read Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:1-11, remembering that His Word provides daily nourishment for our souls and reminds us of who He is and who He has created us to be.