You know how it is when you go to the restaurant and you aren’t really hungry?
You look at the menu and mutter, “Let’s see now … ‘rib-eye steak.’ Nah, doesn’t sound good. ‘Lasagna?’ Nope, not in the mood. ‘Enchiladas?’ (This place has a varied menu). No, my stomach couldn’t handle the hot stuff today. ‘Hamburgers?’ Too fattening.”
The waitress taps her foot, pencil poised to scribble your order as you peruse fifty possibilities. Nothing sounds good. “They just don’t have much choice in this place,” you grumble.
The next week you go to a cafeteria, Luby’s for example. You’re ravenously hungry as you look over the possibilities before you.“I’ll take potatoe salad and green salad,” you tell the serving ladies, slowly gathering steam like a freight train. “And give me some beef stew, and oh, yeah, how about some chicken-fried steak? I believe I’ll try the spagetti too. Some chicken and rice would be good. Then some green beans, corn, French fries. Spinach? Why not? (You’re on a roll). I’ll take the Boston Cream pie, too. And some banana pudding, and some coconut cake. Yes, put one of those pickles on there too.”
The harried ladies waiting on you have to go for a break after they’re finished serving you, they are so tired. You have to make three trips to get all your food to the table. It costs so much that your credit card starts to smoke when the cashier puts it into the machine to pay your bill.
What was the difference? You were hungry.
It’s like that with God. Notice the verbs in these verses. (I’ve underlined them for those who slept in English class).
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. (Prov. 2, NIV).
This fellow desires something from God. There’s nothing “ho-hum” about his attitude. He’s famished.
What are you hungry for? What’s on your menu?
I woke up a bit early Monday, and lay awhile in bed thinking about the weekend’s football games. It was one of those rare times when both of my favorite football teams won. (It’s good to play St. Mary’s School for Women in order to get a victory now and then. :))
Then I wondered. Do I spend as much time thinking about God, ruminating about God, hungering to know the Lord better as I do thinking and reading about sports and other hobbies?
Passion inspires growth because it compels you to spend you time pursing excellence in the area you’re excited about.
When Solomon wrote Proverbs chapter two he was passionate about God. The benefits of knowing Him enticed this king. Listen to what treasures are in store for those who pursue a deeper comprehension of God–wisdom, knowledge and understanding (2:6, 9); you’ll know what direction to take and how to live your life; you’ll have an intimate knowledge and friendship with Jesus; victory and protection will be yours (2:7,8) ; you’ll be saved from crooked business deals and the temptations of illicit sexual relationships (2:12-20).
You’ll still be standing at the end of the game when those who weren’t so smart in God’s ways have fallen (2:21, 22).
But how does this knowledge of God come? By faith. Hungrily we read and meditate on His Word so we’ll understand what to do. Eagerly we get together with other Christians to hear what they are learning about God. Passionately we spend time in prayer and worship so that the Holy Spirit can teach us about God.
Faithfully we serve Him, viewing each challenge in life as an opportunity to grow into a bigger person in order to meet even greater challenges in the future. We commit ourselves wholeheartedly to His church. We want to be faithful in order to encourage the person running alongside us.
God has some succulent dishes on the menu. Are you hungry?
Prayer—Lord make me hungry for You and your ways. Help me be excited about the things that excite You. Challenge my heart with the benefits of knowing You more and more intimately. Because I do love You Lord. In Jesus’ Name.
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Think about it–
Zig Ziglar calls TV the “income reducer and the morality buster.” Jim Rome says that “poor people have big TVs, rich people have big libraries.” (source Mountain Wings)
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