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Satisfying Our Hunger
Food is essential for maintaining life, and the need for it is something we all have in common. It was once said that, “when a man’s stomach is full it makes no difference whether he is rich or poor.” The basic necessity for food creates an avenue for hospitality, camaraderie, fellowship and love. It is no surprise then, that we are commanded to provide such for our brothers and even our enemies (Matt. 25:34-45, Lk. 3:10-11; Js. 2:15-16; 1 Jn. 3:17-18; Rom. 12:20). The bond created by sharing food has been experienced for years among brethren who have provided for those suffering need in far away places. Satisfying hunger, especially that of someone else, is a special feeling.
The satisfaction of being fed is always preceded by the feeling of hunger. Being hungry is uncomfortable and makes day to day life more difficult. The hungry struggle to be productive and stay focused. Since everyone can relate to the feelings of want and fulfillment when it comes to food, it makes sense that Jesus used this analogy for spiritual teaching. This most basic component of life and the feelings that surround it are physical realities perfectly suited for illustrating the spiritual wants and needs of the soul. Within Scripture we can see exactly what spiritual hunger is and how it ought to be satisfied.
You may be experiencing the feeling of hunger right now as you read this article. The feeling is not uncommon to anyone and we can recognize it at its onset. However, when it comes to spiritual hunger, do we always recognize the sensation? Jesus made a distinction between those who are spiritually hungry and those who are not. In Matthew 5:6 Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The distinction Jesus makes between those who are spiritually hungry and those who are not is this – those who are spiritually hungry recognize their hunger. There are some who don’t recognize their need for spiritual food, but assume they are full and need nothing, as was the case with the Corinthians and Laodiceans (1 Cor. 4:8; Rev. 3:17). The detrimental mistake is that those who take on this attitude are those who need food the most and end up dying a gradual and insidious death, all because of their unwillingness to recognize their hunger. The first question we must answer is this - do we recognize our spiritual hunger?
But we can’t just stop there. What good would we do if we never satisfied our hunger? When we are physically hungry, we satisfy our need with food. Jesus explained exactly what satisfied His hunger in John 4 after his encounter with the woman at the well. After their discussion, his disciples return to him with food. His response was a surprise to them: “I have food to eat that you do not know about” (John 4:32, ESV). He explains in vs. 34 exactly what that food was: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34, ESV). Jesus thrived on doing the Father’s will. Greater than his own physical need for food was a desire to “accomplish His work.” Jesus’ priority was feeding the soul, and feeding a desire to please His Father. In this He considered Himself fed and energized to continue accomplishing His Father’s will.
In order for us to apply this same principle, it is essential that we know exactly what His will is. Feeding on the knowledge of His will is essential for our spiritual nourishment. This was exactly what Israel lacked, and it led to their spiritual starvation. God’s plea in Is. 55:2 was this:
“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Is. 55:2-3a, ESV)
Listening carefully to His instruction ought to be what feeds our soul. By so doing, we can satisfy a craving that mirrors that of Jesus – accomplishing the Father’s will.
In spite of our daily efforts to satisfy our physical hunger, we all would agree that our hunger is never completely satisfied. It may be for a time, but we are eventually going to get hungry again and will need more food. When it comes to spiritual hunger, those who are hungry don’t expect permanent satisfaction. They recognize their need for constant spiritual nourishment. Their hunger is essentially insatiable. Far too often we expect to “eat” once or twice a week and have full strength and focus for maximum productivity for God. Imagine if our attitude toward physical food was like this. We could hardly make it one day, much less one week! Daily spiritual nourishment is essential to our spiritual well being and growth. The Psalmist describes the blessed man as he whose, “delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2, ESV). By this constant meditation, the blessed man will grow (Ps. 1:3). Peter said, “…long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2, ESV). Daily meditation on the word is essential for spiritual growth and satisfaction.
We have been given everything we need to satisfy our spiritual hunger. The questions we must answer are these: Do we recognize our spiritual hunger? Do we seek to satisfy it as Jesus did? In order to obtain spiritual nourishment, we must daily draw near to the true source of spiritual fulfillment – Jesus Christ, the bread of Life (Jn. 6:48).
