September 9 – Avoiding Spiritual Hunger

 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35  (NASB)

When we are hungry, are we really?. The physical hunger we feel is often only the expectation of doing something we do by habit at certain times.  True physical hunger is when our bodies lack what they need to live. So it is with real spiritual hunger. As humans we naturally have spiritual cravings and desire spiritual truth and these needs can only be filled and satisfied by our Creator. The yearning for spiritual truth and for eternal life is the hunger Jesus promises to fill. Our Bible verse today may be a familiar one but it may also be new to some of you. It includes a very wonderful promise and like all of God's promises, we can depend on it. Jesus is speaking about spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst. We've shared this promise for you today because we believe that many who read this daily blog have these spiritual needs and are trusting the Lord each day to meet these needs. You are eating of the bread of life and drinking of the water of life and are finding the satisfaction that Jesus promised. Let's be thankful that God feeds us with Himself through His Word.

198

January 18 – Serving When and Where Needed

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’… And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
- Matthew 25:35-36, 40 (ESV)

The promise given to us today is one that promises the result of our obedience and service in the name of Jesus.  In the … spaces above, the righteous people ask God when they had done these good things for Him? The answer is v. 40.  Serving those in need in the name of Jesus, is obedience and reckoned as a service to God. Reading the larger passage gives us a clear idea of what happens at the end of days.  But the promise we have is a little different in that Jesus is promising that He knows and will reward those who trust and obey His words now. These works of obedience distinguishes those who have accepted Jesus and His work for us from those who do not believe and have rejected, mocked, ridiculed, and scorned the offer of salvation.  Do we judge the need others have with any thought to our convenience or inconvenience?  That is not the measure Jesus gave His followers. Rejoice today if you have believed and received by faith the offer Jesus has made.  It is part of what Jesus promises “your reward in heaven is great;” (Matthew 5:12 NASB)

# # #

July 11 – Hungry and Thirsty?

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”   Psalm 107:8-9 (NASB)

We are thankful to be reminded again how much our heavenly Father is doing for us in our Christian lives. In Old Testament days those who worshiped Him with this psalm were thanking Him and we have much reason to thank Him for what He does for us in our day.  Our verse reminds us that God satisfies the thirsty and the hungry.  We can believe because we have had that experience.  We have sensed how God can satisfy the longing of our hearts when we turn to Him.  It is wonderful to realize how God knows what our hearts are longing for and when we turn to Him in faith He responds .  Our verses also remind us how our Lord can fully satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst and that He does it by giving us spiritually good things. 

# # #

August 8 – Satisfies All the Way

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)

Do you know that we have a God who satisfies our spiritual longings.  We all have spiritual needs that only our Lord can take care of.  Just as our bodies need liquid to satisfy our thirst and food for our hunger so our souls become thirsty and hungry for spiritual help which only God can give.  How wonderful then to know how these spiritual needs can be met.  And how good to know that they can be fully met.  Not half way but all the way is how God cares for us.  He doesn't give us a half full glass but one that is overflowing.  That is what our verse means by “satisfies” our thirst and “fills” our hunger.  And it is done with “good things.”  Today, if we are longing for spiritual comfort and encouragement, God has promised that He can and will satisfy that longing.  Do we believe this promise?  We certainly can because God always fulfills His promises and is faithful to do what He says He will do for us.  

# # #

January 9 – By Experience we Know

“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 42:1-2 (ESV) 

Today's verse may be familiar for some and for others, this may be the first time they have read it. We realize that when a deer gets thirsty it looks for a nice cool stream of water because of its past experiences. The deer has learned from its early days how good it is to drink from a clear stream. It has been satisfied that way and it longs for that to be repeated over and over again.  When our souls have been satisfied by close contact with God we, too, will long for this experience to be repeated over and over again. Our promise is that it is when we appear before God, we will receive full satisfaction that our hearts and soul long for. It is only God who can give us that full satisfaction – and that is why we learn to seek it only from Him and not from the distractions in the world around us. Often tempted to look elsewhere, we learn by experience that God is the one who promises and fulfills the promises. Let's seek Him today.

September 9 – Avoiding Spiritual Hunger

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35  (NIV)

Our Bible verse today may be a familiar one but it may also be new to some of you. It includes a very wonderful promise and like all of God's promises, we can depend on it. Jesus is speaking about spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst. As humans we naturally have spiritual cravings and desire spiritual truth and these needs can only be filled and satisfied by our Creator. We've shared this promise for you today because we believe that many who read this daily blog have these spiritual needs and are trusting the Lord each day to meet these needs. You are eating of the bread of life and drinking of the water of life and are finding the satisfaction that Jesus promised. Let's be thankful in these days of so much unsettled circumstances that God feeds us with Himself through His Word.

August 5 – Satisfaction That Never Ends

“He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6 (NIV)

When Jesus was here on earth He promised those who listened to him that he would satisfy their spiritual thirst. The Apostle John included and recorded His words in John 7:37 “If a man is thirsty let Him come to me and drink.” Then, when he wrote The Revelation of Jesus Christ, John recorded the words again in the next to the last chapter in the Bible.  Our Lord knows our needs so well and He wants us to always remember that He can satisfy our deepest desires. What is your heart longing for today? Jesus is the one who can satisfy it today. 

September 13

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”  Revelation 22:17 (NIV)

We find many invitations in the Bible. They tell of the many blessings which God offers to those who accept His invitation. This verse is an invitation that has been good since even before the day it was written. While still on the earth before his death and resurrection Jesus had offered "Let anyone who is thirsty, come to Me and drink." (John 7:37 (NIV))  There has always been the opportunity to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. That has always been the great desire of our Lord – to satisfy the thirsty soul. And He offers this satisfaction as a free gift. If your heart is longing for spiritual satisfaction today, just in faith accept it from your Lord and it is yours.