Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Who's Hungry?

There are many captions to this picture.  What's yours?

When I first saw this photo, it was one that my friend Patty Gilliland had posted on her Facebook page from her mission trip to Ethiopia.  It spoke so much to me.  Then I heard the background story to the photo and was struck even more.  These four little curious pairs of eyes were peering through the nearest available opening to see...at what was happening on the other side of the fence.

What were they looking for?  

I suppose they were just looking for what they could see.  Given their age I am sure that their curiosity ruled, and watching Americans was quite an opportunity given this was the first time a mission team had been to their Ethiopian community.  But the sticks, posts, and corrugated tin kept them out and away from the action.  It was VBS day for the team so there was a flurry of goodness that was happening on the other side.   

It's curious to me about where they were...well, it's obvious they were on the other side of where they wanted to be.  But when I look between the lines at this photo, I see their hunger.  Not their physical hunger but their spiritual hunger.  Look into their eyes...and see the windows to their souls.

I have seen that in myself many times.  I was so hungry to know what God has for me, for my family.  Finally I stopped wondering and just asked...


"God...what do you have for me today?"  His answer?  "Me"

God wants to be our day.  God wants to be the point of everything, of all our praising, thanking, trusting, asking and pleading.  God wants us close and wants us to come to Him hungry.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

The promise in this verse is that in being hungry for God first, for who He is, and His kingdom then His righteousness, justice, fairness, goodness, honor, respectability, uprightness, virtues will be added.  His kingdom will be yours, God will be the point.  God is the point.  But only to the one who seeks....the one who hungers for God.   



Hunger for God  for who He is..not for just what God can do.  
We wants us to want to spend time with Him, to crave His presence.  
Because He hungers for you....

If you have ever felt far from God..it's your sin that separates.  
"God hates the lonliness we feel by the distance we create."  Sam Roberts


3 comments:

Unknown said...

Another great post, thanks for posting to me all the time! LOL This really hit me in the heart. I need to be hungry and craving for God more, more, more!!

Jessica said...

One of the things I speak of often was the hunger that we saw for God, especially from the kids. It has honestly made my ministry with children here so much more difficult & challenging from an inward perspective. I face the question daily...am I that hungry for God? And the days I'm answering no (which is more often than I care to admit, honestly!) I have to sit back & wonder why while figuring out what to do about...then acting on it. Yes, Janelle. You hit the nail on the head. And thank you for yet another gentle reminder.

Levi said...

Spot on!