1203. The Fact of Hunger–Its Significance
The Fact of Hunger–Its Significance
"He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away" (Luk_1:53).
We now discuss hunger as the normal state of the true believer. Hunger bespeaks life, and health.
1. The abatement of hunger. Whenever a Christian shows a failing appetite for spiritual things, there is no doubt but that he is a backslider. Disease is the deadly foe to hunger, returning strength, in the convalescent, is signified by increasing hunger.
When a child of God does not desire the Word of God more than his necessary food, when his panting after God is not real and sincere he may know that something is wrong in his spiritual condition.
2. The abnormalities of hunger. Sometimes there is a hunger, but it is a hunger for forbidden delicacies; the appetite craves that which is unwholesome and unfit for food. Herein is a real test of spiritual condition.
The Lord gave Israel manna from Heaven, this manna was angels' food. The children of Israel said, "We loathe this light bread." All the while they yearned for the onions, the garlic, the melons and the flesh pots of Egypt.
Thus, it is easy to discover the real condition of the Christian by observing the trend of his yearnings and desires.
When Christ said, "What is your life?" He was judging the life by "what ye eat;" by "what ye drink," and by "what ye put on." "Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?" "After these things do the Gentiles seek"–They gave the first thought to the things which are temporal. When Christians do likewise, they are fleshly, carnal, and walking as men. The true believer seeks first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
3. The intensity of hunger. Our Lord Jesus came not only that we might have life, but that we might have it more abundantly. When the believer's life is filled with deep yearnings after God, he is sure to be filled with a deeper and more abundant life. This is the promise of the Lord, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." They who seek Him early, find Him. When Christ saw the multitudes hungry, He fed them.
When Mary visited Elizabeth she said, "He filleth the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away."
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR