Hunger for the Word
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus famously recalls this Scripture from Deuteronomy during his temptations in the wilderness. Man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. The Psalmist puts this another way: As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1). So, the question to consider is: are you hungry and thirsty for the Word?
I don’t know about you; but eating is something I have no problem doing! The problem is that I usually like it sugary, salty, or fried! (I know many of you can relate.) God designed us to eat, and it’s necessary to eat. And so it is, that we’re also designed to have fellowship with God and to consume his Word.
Are you hungry to know Him more in and through His Word? Does your soul crave his Word like your stomach wants that next meal?
Sadly, our flesh would rather be filled with the unhealthy fillers of this world: money, work, entertainment, etc. You name it, and the flesh probably craves it. But the great irony about the Word of God is that when we consume it, we only grow hungrier for it. Whereas, when you eat, you become satisfied. When you grow in the Word, you’ll desire to know Him more. So, what are we going to allow our soul to consume?
My plea to you is to consume the Word! Seriously, pick up the Good Book and feast! If you’re hungry, then eat. The Scriptures are a treasure chest of truth; or maybe a more fitting analogy, they’re a buffet for your soul. And in this way, you can’t eat too much! We can’t know the true Jesus apart from his revealed Word; through his means of grace. So, let’s grow big (in a good way) as we dig into the Word. Let’s take seriously the benefit it is to our souls to pick up the Word of God and be filled by him.
In Christ,
Pastor Alex
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