Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Hungry & Thirsty for the Right Things


Day #15:


Another good day. I'm learning more to run to Jesus every time I am tempted, which is so simple I wonder why it took me this long to figure it out. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." How true & how simple & yet how often have I turned to other things for comfort, to fill a void, to cover up pain or hurt. Why do I not always turn to the Lord & seek His face in all things at all times? I heard a sermon once about hungering & thirsting for more of Jesus. The guy gave this illustration about craving pistachio ice cream. But, instead of having the ice cream, he had chips & then steak & then pie, etc...until he was stuffed. By the time the pistachio ice cream got there, he didn't really want it anymore because he had filled his stomach with other things. Isn't that the same thing we do sometimes? God gives us a hunger & thirst for something to fill that void in our lives so that we will come to Him & know Him. Before we become a child of God, many of us try to fill that void with everything from work to food to drugs to sex to materialism, etc....until, hopefully, we come to our senses and recognize none of these things satisfy fully. That's understandable BEFORE we know the Lord. So why do I, as a Christian (& I'm sure I'm not alone) often search out the same things we did before? We turn to Him for some of our needs, but not all? Do we not have faith that He can satisfy every part of our lives? He can & He does. Every time we come crying to Him, He relieves our fears, pains, everything. Why would we turn to anything else?


Because it's easier. It's easier to turn to the brownies, but they don't satisfy for long. It's easier to turn on a movie & try to escape into it. Movies aren't bad (well, some of them:) but, they will only postpone the inevitable. Why else? Because we live in a fallen world that tells us lies every day. That we need this or that to be happy. That we need to be "strong"...that we can do this life on our own. Maybe we turned to our friends or family. They are good, too. God made us to have relationships. But, if we look to them before we turn to God, it's not enough. People will fail us. They lie, they hurt us...even the best of them. They don't always understand us. They can't be all things to us at all times. God can...He made us. Maybe we're lazy. Maybe we're afraid. Who knows? But, as I go through this whole process, I am not only running away from my addiction to food, I am running closer to my maker & better understanding that He is sufficient, For everything. I love this song...check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Js5OnLeunQ


I hope everyone reading has a marvelous day. Here's to hunger :) Dianna

2 comments:

Leah P said...

It is funny how something so easy can be so difficult for out little pea brains. You wonder what God must be thinking up there. It makes me think about your story about Rocky. How we are so much like him when it comes to serving the Lord and turning to him for everything. God must just be shaking his head at us. "What a bunch of knuckle heads." Well, I am trying to turn to him more. Something happened to a friend of mine, and I almost picked up the phone yesterday. Then I caught myself. I just prayed about it and then when I was done sent a text to Ricky to pray for her. I was so proud of myself! But it really is just that simple. Why can't we do it all the time? We have gotten into these terrible habits through life that we need to break free of them. Its just like the smoker. Just stop smoking cigarettes and you won't die of lung cancer. Sounds easy. But try being that smoker. Its mostly mental. Although, an advantage that we have is that God will help us through this if we ask. Its my biggest problem (which I'm sure is many other peoples problem as well).

janec64 said...

All I can say to that post Dianna is "RIGHT ON"!!!!.