What did you eat? Are you hungry?

What did you eat April 15, 2005? ... this was a question that Tim raised during a Bible Study on Sunday.  Do you know?  Do you even know what you ate last week?  I don't remember what I ate that day, not even sure about last week ... Why is this important?  Well, the analogy that Tim gave was that although we don't remember what we ate, the likelihood of it all is that we ate and it gave us strength even if we don't remember what it was.  It is so with Spiritual food ... reading our Bible, praying, spending time with Jesus.  There is no condemnation if we don't remember what we read months ago, it did it's job in us by strengthening us and the Lord will remind us again if it is relevant for this moment.

As I thought about this, the analogy has kept growing in my mind.  When I haven't eaten and I need nutrients, I feel some symptoms ... I may feel weak, light-headed, I may get a sugar-low, I may even get grouchy ...
When I don't eat Spiritually, I also have symptoms, except we often don't identify them as "Spiritual Hunger", but rather we embrace them as part of our character, as reality ... I feel fear, doubt, self reliance, "faith-low" ... and yes "grouchy" seems to fit in both categories ... these should be symptoms that trigger in our mind the realization that we are hungry or thirsty ... Spiritually hungry and thirsty for God!!!

If I haven't spent time in the Word and prayer, I start feeling fear with all that is going on, I doubt that I am doing the right thing ... is this crazy or what?  ... but the moment I "eat" and "drink" and that Spiritual food enters my heart, my spirit, the joy inexplicable returns, the peace that passes understanding!  His calling is renewed in my heart and the fear is gone, His love enters in.

As the worship song ... We are Hungry, we are thirsty, for more of You ...

As the deer pants for the water brooks, 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

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
-Psalm 63:1

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
-Rev. 22:17

Practical Instruction ...

About a month ago in my devotions, I was reading 1 Kings 13.  It is the very perplexing passage about the man of God that is sent with a message to the King and is instructed by God in v 9: For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’”

Then later in this passage, he encounters a false prophet that tells him that God told him to invite him in to eat and drink.  His guard is down, he does and … it is his demise.  If you haven't read it ... check it out ...

It is a very hard passage to read and at the time of my devotion, I was debating between pushing hard to go to the February trip or waiting for the April trip as my boss had suggested would be better.  At that time, the Lord used this passage to remind me to only listen to His instruction and to pursue the February trip.

Well, I was just talking with my mom about the trip to Haiti and sharing that I have an appointment next week at passport health to get vaccinations and orientation.  As I talked with her, she mentioned “The greatest risk in Haiti is food and water contamination.” … not anything new to any of us.  To this I replied: “Yes, but the base where we're staying is safe and we are instructed to not drink or eat outside of there.”.  The moment I said that, the Lord reminded me of this passage in 1 Kings 13!  How so very practical and specific!!!!  A warning to not eat or drink on the way for danger of death!!!!  God is so kind and merciful!

I know in times past, when I have purposed in my heart to fast, I have failed and eaten something simply because I have forgotten that I was fasting and ate when food was presented to me at work in a casual way by a friend, not because I was starving and fell prey to temptation.  At that time, the Lord reminded me that I could only fast in His strength.  I believe the Lord re-iterated this to my heart now with this passage to show how I need His strength and the power of the Holy Spirit even for something so simple and practical as only eating and drinking the water that is safe, along with a strong warning of genuine danger if I do not obey.