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One night as Brad and I prepared to put our kids to bed, our middle child, Hunter, had an emotional meltdown. Our little gumdrop went from sweet to sour in two seconds flat. The day had been packed full with school and other activities, and it was late. He should have turned into a pumpkin a smidgen before his meltdown took place. You know how those days are.
In an eight-year-old kind of way, Hunter was completely irrational. Tears flowed freely as he floated down his raging river of drama. He said that nobody loved him and that he felt mistreated. I had to just shake my head and wonder, “How in the world could one of my children feel unloved?”
The love Brad and I have for our children is immovable-mountain strong. We are not perfect, nor do we love them perfectly, but we do tell them of our love daily with words. We show them through our actions. We hug and affirm. We laugh and play with them. We spend our lives loving our children. It amazes me that any of our children could think, for even one second, that they are not loved.
As we endured the tear-filled bedtime drama, Brad and I suddenly realized why our son had such a dim perspective: he was hungry. Really hungry.
Earlier that evening, Hunter had chosen not to finish his dinner. Our son believes he should have choices. We assure him that he does have choices—eat or be hungry.
Simple as that.
As I emptied the dishwasher the next morning, it occurred to me that we were created to be hungry. Our bodies need constant nourishment, and hunger is simply a trigger designed by God to stimulate a necessary response. Whether we’re talking about physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual hunger, you and I are temporarily satisfied when an appropriate response meets a need.
Think about it…
The satisfying response to physical hunger is food and drink.
The satisfying response to emotional hunger is love (among other things).
The satisfying response to mental hunger is knowledge.
And the only satisfying response to spiritual hunger is God. Nothing can take His place. Not the latest-greatest beauty gimmick, not the most fabulous outfit, not a hunky man or a good smelling baby. Not money in the bank, not that promotion you might be after, not the affection you might be craving, and not the appreciation you desire for your efforts.
Nothing can supplant God if you want to satisfy your spiritual hunger.
Our souls constantly demand to be fed, and make no mistake about it: if God does not have the proper place in your life, your soul will remain hungry. When I invite God into my days, I experience His satisfying presence no matter what I face. But when I don’t pray, when I don’t read my Bible, and when I don’t praise, I get hungry. Really hungry (not to mention grouchy).
Christians are hungry people. Just like the Israelites who wandered in the desert, we need God’s daily bread, His spiritual manna. Jesus taught us to ask for a daily portion. In the New Testament book of Matthew, Jesus took a moment to teach His followers how to pray. In that prayer, commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, He said, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).
Jesus didn’t ask to be fed for an entire week—just for the day.
We would be wise to do the same.
Some people might think that once we become Christians all of our spiritual hunger subsides. Not so! I’ve found that the more I get to know God, the more I want to know Him. The more I experience His peace, presence, and power in my life, the more I want to experience His peace, presence, and power. I crave Him more.
Every day we eat bread (food) to keep us healthy and strong. We stay healthy and strong spiritually by continually communing with Jesus. He calls Himself the Bread of Life as well as the Living Water. In order for food and water to sustain and strengthen us physically, we must eat and drink it. Likewise, we need to call on Jesus each day to sustain us spiritually.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the invitation to come, eat, drink, and be satisfied in You.
You are all that I need, and more than enough.
I pray that You will bear the weight of the burdens on my heart today,
and ask that You would fill my soul with Your rest.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
FOR YOUR REFLECTION and RESPONSE
Read and meditate on Psalm 63:1-8.
GET WITH GOD. Abide. Seek Him. Experience His grace and be renewed in His goodness.
Where does this topic find you today? I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment.
Hugs and Love,
GWEN
Today’s devotion is an excerpt from my book Broken Into Beautiful. Every step of healing begins with the heart of God. If you’d like to learn more about how your brokenness can be transformed into a picture of God’s beauty, get your copy today. To order the book go to Amazon or, for a signed copy, visit my web store.
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Comments 15
Dear Gwen
I am Jabulani I enjoy reading your books and it helps me grow spiritual may God bless you more . I fead my soul with the word of God and all my fears starve to dead . through you books I manage to conquer my fears with faith.my flesh with spirit as it said from word to flesh and flesh to spirit .thank you for helping me with my spiritual growth .am now learning to live life in the spirit
Thank you Love Jabulani from south africa
Today is January 24, 2017 and I am beginning to feel overwhelmed about finances that I do not know if they will happen. I am retired and have no extra money in the bank! I purchased new glasses. Then, I dropped my phone in the dishwater. I have insurance on my phone, well it does not cover water damage. I said, look I do not have $75.00 for another phone. What I am paying insurance for. He said that my phone will only last about three and it is still working. It is my only phone and will not put it on a credit card because I just charge so much per month on it. I need my dentures relined because I see day light in the top pair. I told God today that I trust him and I know he will take care of me. Also, my engine light game on in My 2007 Toyota which is paid for. I started a new Bible study last night called a step study for Celebrate Recovery where we talk about our hurts, hang-ups and habits. When you do not have money it is scary sometimes but I just have to trust God in everything in my finances. Thanks for listening!
Gwen,
to find the words to explain my heart today is pretty difficult. The depth of my heartfelt gratitude and thankfulness to my Lord for where He has brought me is almost impossible! The last two years of my life have been extremely difficult but God has been faithful and has walked me thru, carried me thru and placed loving sisters in the Lord to be encouraging, affirming and willing to be vulnerable to make a difference in others…I am one of the “others” that has been blessed time & time again as God has led you to allow yourself to be vulnerable, an encourager, speaking truth as He leads so He could reach down & touch someone’s life like mine thru you being a willing servant. I love Him so much…am so hungry for more and more of Him. One day at a time….that is all He asks of me as I continue to heal walking this path in my life.
God Bless you, sister Gwen, One things I can say that I go to sleep praise and sing to Him, and I woke up with my mouth give Him praise and thanking Him for another day that I can seek Him, with all that I am, I have to seek God through His word and in prayer, He is part of my life every day, every minute of my life, who do I have no one to have fellowship but Only Him., I am thankful for your devotion and am more thankful for the love Jesus has for each of us…
Have a blessed week!
Realizing when I am hungry, I need to feast on His word more. I know He is the Bread of Life. Thank you woman of God for all that you do.
Gwen, I am so blessed to wake up and find your posts (which was a huge conviction and yet a just in season message). Your posts help me make sense of my life in Christ (or rather how to experience my life in Christ). It gives me that push I need to do more with less, to be more of me, not of who I think I should be, knowing (or rather learning) that I am sufficient for God. I was baptized Catholic as a little girl, went to church almost every day as you did in those days in Catholic school. Never had a clue about most of what the priests or nuns were talking about, never read the bible until I was an adult (and read might be an exaggeration). I am finding my way back to church (okay, I feel the need, but haven’t made it out to an actual church) and you and the other GIG and Kelly Balarie are all leading me to breakthroughs I never imagined. I guess you can teach an old dog something new!!! Thank you.
He is ALL that I need and MORE than enough!….Amen! Surely, I needed that reminder. And David’s Psalms speak to my heart today…”Because Your loving-kindness IS better than life…”(v.3), oh how I know that and I long for it. The trials of this world can be so weighty…may remember to rejoice in the midst.
Finds me hungry and thirsty for His greatness to
to nourish and strengthen me. Awesome God!
Thanks for your blog and your encouraging words in your beautiful songs.
love you Gwen ,you are my sister – in -christ we should be all hungry for God’s word he makes the world a better place we need to learn from that sculpture .
Gwen…you’ve did it again! I can relate so well with this… Thank you! You’ve explained this hunger in me to know, understand, praise, seek, spend time with Jesus. It has grown so much…. Not that I don’t struggle to find him in my own human emotional self, but the feelings to be near Him keeps strengthen in me daily!! I feel so lost on days when I try to keep control of things of life…. But when He breaks through that fog of despair from trying go do it on my own, I feel that positive energy fill me and take over the frustrations and replace it with Joy!! Thank you Lord Jesus for never giving up on me!! Thank you Gwen for always having the right words (wonder where you get them…Lol) and sharing them with others to help in their walk with Jesus!
This is a great psalm! I love it. I pray often, Lord make me hungry and thirsty for You and Your word! And He certainly has kept me that way. When I lived in Buffalo, NY there was a girl who came to a place where I gathered, she was told to look for the “thirsty girl”. When I realized she was talking about me it just brought tears to my eyes. I am thirsty and Lord may I always remain thirsty and hungry to be with you❤️❤️❤️
I love the scriptures. Thank you for allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in teaching this devotion. It was awesome. Oh satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love that I may sing for joy and be glad all of MY days. I want to say it all day long. Thirsting for God is so fulfilling. I am also going to commit to memorize Psalm 63: 1-8. God is soooo good!
I feel this way often. I have a deep desire to be in the word to hear from God. There are times when I can study for hours upon hours because I just feel that I need to be with Him. I thought it was my obsessive nature, but it is more than that, it is a deep need. I can’t explain it, I just know when I must do it. Thank you for sharing this.
You are sharing my thoughts sister! Thank you. It is great to hear your passion for the Lord!!!
Gwen God woke me early this morning. I do not know what I would do with out HIM!!!!