Never Hungry

"The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked."

Proverbs 10:3

God promises many things and He is faithful to keep each one of His words.  But this one has me wondering:  Is there more to hunger than an empty belly?

Righteousness.  There are many things I crave while living this temporary life.  I often drift toward selfishness, thinking if I could only find myself and figure out who I really am then I will be happy.  In my tendency to focus on my own needs and wants, I end up going after the things I think that will bring fulfillment and meaning:  success, pleasure, financial security, material wealth, social status (1 John 2:16).  In spite of my efforts, I never find complete gratification.  I'm always wanting more.

Then I remember that I was made for more than this.  In Christ I've been made right with God, the very thing I need to be able to enjoy His favor, to find His blessing, to prosper spiritually.  And when I truly value His better way of living, craving for all that He values like honesty, fairness in my dealings with others, kindness and obedience to His laws, I will find fulfillment and pleasure.  Finally, contentment will be mine as I walk in peace with my Shepherd.

God promises a happy and satisfied heart when I hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

Living Water.  She came to fill her jar with the life-giving liquid but came away with so much more.  No one valued her.  In fact, most saw her as worth little more than the grime between their toes.  She was despised by women and used by men.  Because of her station in life, she was constrained to visit the community well in the heat of the day to avoid the gossip and scorn of the other women.  Her heart ached for connection, for acceptance, for true love.

Then came the One who offered her Living water that will quench her deep-in-the-depths-of-her-soul yearnings.  Jesus gave her a new beginning as a woman who was seen and loved by the God who made her, and she received His gift of the abundant life with great joy (John 4:13-15).  

When I follow suit and receive the living water Jesus offers me, I will have everything I need flowing through me.  The indwelling Spirit of Jesus will quench my deepest thirsts, fill my empty places and heal my hurting heart.  He came to turn my worst nightmare into a great victory, not the kind of victory where I rise to the pinnacle of success or gain everything I ever wanted, but triumph over evil, worthless living and all that separates me from His love (Romans 8:31-37).  I am secure in His clutches, and this is the kind of success that lasts an eternity.

God promises to quench my deepest thirst with the living water that is found through faith in Jesus.

Bread of Life.  They saw their chance.  If they followed this charismatic and powerful teacher, they would never have to worry about food again.  Their days of hunger would be over.  Never again would they have to scrap for a few morsels to sustain their families.  Life would be good and they could focus on more than just survival.

Then Jesus brought them back to reality (John 6:25-34).  He came to give them more than just physical food to fill their bellies.  He came to fulfill every spiritual need as the Answer to every question they pondered, the solution to each problem they faced.  Jesus declared Himself the Bread of life that would deliver eternal and abundant life to those who believed (John 6:35).

I, too, am offered this full and thriving life as I look forward to life forever in my heavenly home.  When I trust in Jesus as my Savior, submitting to Him as Lord of my life, I will never lack for anything.  If, however, I stray away, looking elsewhere to supply my needs, to answer my questions, to offer solutions to my problems, I'll spend my days searching in futility.

God promises to satisfy my deepest hunger when I give my life to Jesus, the Bread of life.

The one thing I can count on in life is for God to keep His promises.  Therefore, there is no risk in seeking Jesus as my source of happiness, the Living water who will quench my deepest thirsts, and the Bread of life who fully satisfies my deepest cravings.  In Christ, I will never hunger for what really matters.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to be in charge of giving me what I need.

When do I look beyond Jesus to find meaning and purpose?

How am I straying away from my Shepherd who desires to give me what I most need?

Living Water

"Whoever believes in me,

as the Scripture has said,

streams of living water will flow from within him."

John 7:38

There are many things I can turn to in my quest to find healing, satisfaction and fulfillment.  There is religion, drugs, sex, alcohol, sports, a career, raising a family, marriage, medical treatment, and hobbies, to name a few.  None delivers on the promise of happiness nor can mend my broken heart nor bind the wounds of past hurts.  Every solution I try will fall short apart from Jesus.  He is the answer.

Once I dedicate my life to Him and begin to humble myself before Him, giving Him access to my heart so He can mold me, shape me and heal me, then I find an interesting thing happening.  The very Living Water that flowed from Jesus into my life to make me whole, overflows into the lives of others.  

Fruit of His Spirit

I labor hard every week, doing my duty to serve in the church.  It feels good to help others and be a part of something bigger than myself.  Focusing on others helps me to divert my attention away from my own hurts, my failing marriage and the kids' behavioral problems.  I work diligently to love others, stay calm, speak kindly and extend grace.  With so much to live for, then, why is it that I cry myself to sleep every night and feel so empty inside?  Why is my life such a mess when I try so hard to do the right thing for God?

It's easy to get things backwards.  My nature tells me that I must work hard in order to reap a benefit in my life.  I think that I must try to be a better Christian and as I struggle through, God will see my efforts and take pity on me and help me.  I try to love my husband, but he's just so cruel to me.  No one can put up with that kind of treatment and be expected to maintain a kind and compassionate attitude.  It's as if I'm saying, "I'm glad Jesus died for me and I want to follow Him, but nothing is working.  My efforts are all in vain!"

The thing is, what my flesh tells me is contrary to the way God actually works in my life. Even though I feel pressure to try, I can never act in a loving, kind way, patiently enduring abuse, faithfully staying true to my faith, treating others gently despite their harshness, returning good for evil, exhibiting self-control at the table as well as in how I show my emotions, and do it all with a joyous attitude!  My sinful nature just doesn't naturally produce this kind of fruit.  (Galatians 5:16-26)

When I make Jesus Lord of my life, I must instead go through a life-long process of purification and maturation where I become less and He becomes more.  With not as much of my flesh rising up against His Spirit, He has more of a free reign in my heart.  Then I will notice a flow of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control where before I failed in my own effort.

Submitting to Jesus as my Lord means streams of living water will flow from me in the form of His fruit. 

Love

The world says love is a feeling and it is something I can "fall into" and then "fall out of."  Love is supposed to feel sweet, warm and cozy.  When it seems to vanish like a puff of steam in the cold air, I fall into a heap, reeling from the rejection of another failed relationship.

God, however, sets me straight by saying that love is so much deeper than a feeling.  God Himself is love, so if I want to learn of love I will need to go to the Source.  He says that "love cares more for others than for self.  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.  Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always 'me first,' doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.  Love never dies."  (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 MSG)

If I want to love others the way God loves me, as described above, I cannot do it in my own effort.  Instead, it has to come from Him.  I am empowered to love others this way because He first loved me, even though I am highly unlovable. (1 John 4:19) I am selfish, hard-headed, prideful and judgmental  to name a few fleshly attributes that tend to repel others.  Despite my ugliness, God loves me enough to send His Son to die for my sins.  There is no greater love than this!  (John 15:13)

This is the love that runs through me as a follower of Jesus.  When I allow it to flow freely, I will find myself forgiving more easily, seeing the good in others instead of only the negative, and quickly forgetting offenses committed against me.

Submitting to Jesus as Lord of my life means streams of living water will flow from me in the form of love.

Mercy and Compassion

The girl caught in a prostitution ring.

The man living on the street.

The countless who lost their homes in a deadly storm.

The alcoholic who continuously lies to himself and others that "it's just a drink."

The young woman who denies her beliefs and does the unthinkable.

The old man suffering in the nursing home who wants nothing more than to end his life.

There is a lot of suffering in this world.  Affliction is the result of sin, either mine or others.  When I view the hurting with my sinful eyes, I can blame people for their own mess, think there is nothing I can do as one person, or am repulsed by what I see.  In short, I am not naturally drawn to those who are in pain and agony.

Once I make Jesus Lord of my life, however, I will notice a shift.  Those who I used to think were only getting what they deserved now become like a magnet, drawing out a sense of concern from within me.  Where I used to want to get away from those who were struggling, now I'm compelled to help.  Where once I sneered at the sin, now I sense the pain.

It is written in Lamentations 3:22 that, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." With that kind of Spirit residing within me, am I surprised when I reach out to the down and out or broken-hearted?  He does not give me what I deserve, which is death, so how can I be so hard on others? It is His mercy and compassion that flows through me when I let go of my fears, doubts and other sins that block its' flow.

Submitting to Jesus as Lord of my life means streams of living water will flow from me in the form of mercy and compassion.

Life is full of distractions to keep me away from the Truth.  When I finally accept Jesus as my Savior and make Him Lord of my life, things begin to come into focus.  Not only will I feel more fulfilled and purposeful, but I'll notice His fruit, love as well as mercy and compassion flowing out to those around me.  Only Jesus can supply this living water that will never cease to satisfy.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will let the love of God rule in my life.

How do I rely on my own efforts to be the kind of person I think I should be instead of letting God change me into who He created me to be?

When do I think I am required to love others instead of letting God love those I find hard to love?

Diligent to the End

"With flattery he will corrupt

those who have violated the covenant,

but the people who know their God

will firmly resist him."

Daniel 11:32

"A lot of churches have not moved with the times."

"It's God's will for you to live in prosperity not in poverty."

"If you want financial blessings you need to sow financially."

"You can make some mistakes but that doesn't make you a sinner."

These are some quotes from a popular pastor and author.  He is very charismatic and his message sounds good on the surface.  For those who are following Jesus and rooted in His Word, however, red flags are waving madly in the air.  There is something off. It isn't quite right.   I must be careful.

I am inundated with positive and inspiring messages on a daily basis.  I am told I can have my best life now, that God is just waiting to send over a truckload of money if only I would believe, and that my destiny is in my hands if I would only follow my heart.  It is easy for me to get off track and start following a belief system that is contrary to God's Word.  The message may be attractive and appealing, it may help to make me feel better about my life, or even serve to bring me out of a time of struggle, but if it's not the truth then I should not be adhering to its principles.

As I read the Bible, I learn that I will be faced with many false teachers in the end times.  It is important for me to be capable of recognizing the falsehoods so that I will be able to resist accepting their teachings as truth and stay diligent to God's ways to the end.  

Rightly Related

I used to own one of those hose reels that conveniently keeps the outdoor hose rolled up on a wheel.  There is a small section of hose that hooks to the faucet and then the longer length of hose connects to the reel.  If that small section is not lined up perfectly with the spigot, it will leak like a sieve, spraying water all over the place.  But, if I carefully align the hose with the spout, it spills not one drop of water. 

In a similar way, I must be rightly related to God in order to receive the flow of living water.  Many times, though, I get off track by following other people, fertilizing an area of sin in my life until it grows so large that it blocks the light of my Savior, or neglecting to pay attention to Him. Placing Him in the proper position as Lord of my life means that everything else will fall into place.  At least it will end up the way He wants it, not the way I imagine it should be.


Lining my life up with God's means desiring Him as my highest priority.  There are many times in my life where doing things for him becomes more important than hanging out with Him, but as Martha found out, "Only one thing is needed." (Luke 10:38-42)  That "thing" is making Jesus my most desirable pursuit. 


How effortless I find myself sliding into a state of perpetual toil for Jesus' sake instead of sitting at His feet.  It is important that I remove all things that distract me from simply living in right relationship with my God.  As Oswald Chambers said, "If you want to be of use to God, get rightly related to Jesus Christ and He will make you of use unconsciously every minute you live."


Living my life connected to the Source is important; not only for production of His fruit, but also for strength to stand strong against deceptive teachings. 


Keeping myself aligned with God gives me the strength to stay diligent to His ways until the end.

Seek to Know Him 

I recently read that employers are utilizing social networking sites to help in their quest to hire quality workers.  Sometimes a perspective employee looks good on paper and in person, but their personal life leaves much to be desired.  The way a person lives their life tells a lot about their values and integrity, inspiring human resource personnel to do a little research.

Much in the same way, if I want to know about God, I need to spend some time doing some digging.  He makes it easy by providing the Bible with all it's teachings and guidance.  Even more, though, God is available to us as followers of Christ.  He does not play games with us, but is readily available to those who are truly trying to find Him.  As He told the people of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

In order for me to truly know God, I must trust Him, live my life in tandem with Him, or as David said,  taste Him and see that He is good.  Henry Blackaby, pastor and author of Experiencing God, put it this way.  " You will never be satisfied just to know about God.  Really knowing God only comes through experience as he reveals himself to you."

Although employers vicariously become a part of perspective employees lives through the Internet, I cannot do the same in my relationship with God.  Rather, it is my calling to concretely and tangibly invite Him into every part of my life, melding Him into my being so that His Spirit and mine are indistinguishable.  

Seeking to know God intimately is important in my quest to please Him and stay true to Him to the end.

Do What He Says

A professional student is one who loves learning so much, he stays in college indefinitely, earning degree after degree without ever embarking on a career path.  The security of their life as a student is comfortable, making it tempting to continue the learning forever.  Studying and learning new things is wonderful, but it is always with the intention of using the knowledge in some tangible way in the future.  

James talked about the importance of not remaining simply a student of God's Word, but to also put it into practice.  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says." (James 1:22)

God's Word is useful for many things: teaching me, reprimanding me, correcting my ways and training me in His ways.  (2 Timothy 3:16)  These are all action words, propelling me into deed, not simply an exercise in intellect.  My mind processes the lessons and my body carries them out.  In order for this to happen, I must be fully committed to Him; anything less and I will argue my way out of it, find an excuse to wait until later or justify my present condition.  

Sometimes its easier to do things for God and call it good.  That reminds me of the time a king made a sacrifice to God in order to make up for his disobedience.  When the priest arrived, God gave him the following message: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)

In order to please God, I must take Him seriously and follow His ways faithfully.  Then I will be able to distinguish between His and counterfeit teachings.

Doing what God says keeps me too busy in His Kingdom to get distracted by false teachers.

Resisting all the phony messages from teachers who claim to follow God is important in this day and age.  To do so, it is vital that I stay rightly related to God, that I spend my life seeking to know Him, and that I don't just learn but put His lessons into practice.  Then I will be able to firmly resist the corrupt and stay diligent to Him to the end.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will be able to stand firm against all the alluring, ungodly messages inundating my mind.

In what areas am I most susceptible to influence?

When do I seek to do more for God rather than seek to know Him?

Purpose for the Pain

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Romans 8:35,37

When going through times of trouble, periods of persecution or interludes of sadness, I often cease to feel God's presence.  My own anguish threatens to envelope me, sealing me off from the Lord's presence. 

But He never left me.  He is always there, rather it is I who left Him.  Not intentionally, as in, "I don't need Him anymore, I can do this on my own."  Instead, it's more of a, "woe is me, how did I get in so deep?  I cannot find my way out of this mess."  

My focus becomes entirely consumed by the problems and I don't see, feel or sense God anymore.  I am drowning in the issues of life.

But hard times don't need to separate me from God, instead they can be tools that serve to strengthen my relationship with Him. 

Draw Me Closer

When times of trouble come, it is easy for me to allow the difficulties to take control.  Soon, I am overwhelmed and can see no way out.

If, instead, I intentionally take a moment and seek God, I will find that He is still present, in control and waiting for me to call on Him.  As the psalmist described God's desire for us in Psalm 50:15,  he records God's proclomation. ". . .call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

God is ready to act but it takes a step of faith for me to give a problem to Him before He will get involved.  His desire is to draw me closer, and many times the hardships are the only thing that will turn me toward Him.  Otherwise, I am completely content to live my life as it is. 

God uses adversity to draw me closer, but I must not let the troubles take control lest they overwhelm me.  If I intentionally turn away from the problem, and focus on Him as the solution, I will find Him there, closer than I ever realized.

Struggles are God's way of teaching me to cry out to Him.

Grow my Faith

When I was pregnant with triplets and on bedrest in the hospital, I learned quite a few things about babies under stress.  I found out that baby girls seem to withstand difficult pregnancies better than boys, that multiples tend to develop faster, and that the baby under the most stress seems to fare the best.   Infants born with multiple problems and low birth weight often have a better chance than those born early but with less difficulties.  The stress of the struggle tends to give the baby a better chance of survival.

It is the same with me.  If I never experienced any hard times, my faith would be weak.  I'd never get the chance to test it out! 

Trials are not simply there to make life interesting.  They are opportunities to trust God, to believe that He will do as He promised.  Difficulties give me a chance to see God in a whole new way, giving me more faith.

English clergyman George Herbert is known to have said, "Storms make oaks take deeper roots."  I want to have deep roots that draw from the living water that never goes dry.

As I go through the storms of life, instead of despairing, I can rejoice.  God is giving me another opportunity to trust Him and grow the roots of my faith.

Experience His Comfort

I remember the times when I skinned my knee, stubbed my toe or hurt myself in some way as a child.  I would then get to see a different side of my dad.  He would lighten the mood by calling for, "Dr Shane, Dr Shane, please come to the treatment room!"  Then he would lovingly clean my wound, instantly putting me at ease and making me feel better.  Everything was going to be okay!

God is the same way!  When I am hurt, I can turn to Him and He will comfort me.  As David wrote in Psalm 34:18, " The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

God provides hard times as a chance to get to know Him better.  I would never become familiar with His caring, gentle side if I didn't experience hardships.  

Difficulties are often seen as the bane of my existence, but in reality I can look at them as an opportunity to draw closer to God, to grow my faith and to experience His comfort.  There is a purpose for the pain!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will take whatever come to me today as an opportunity to learn more about God.

How do I let troubles take control instead of turning to God and letting Him handle them for me?

When have I experienced the God of all comfort?