Hunger

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Hunger

Survivors of the Andes plane crash did not want or like to eat human flesh, but they were hungry and when a person is hungry, there are no limits – he will pay whatever he needs to pay and do whatever he needs to do. Sixteen of the 45 passengers on board the plane which crashed in the Andes in the 1970s only survived because they ate human flesh.

The Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

The characteristic of a person who hungers and thirsts for righteousness is obedience to the voice of God, no matter what needs to be done – if they feel like it or not, decisions have to be made, if they have to leave someone behind, what will they lose, who will like it, etc.?

When someone hungry they do not waste time with the opinions of others because hunger is individual. In other words, no one can eat for them and they cannot eat for anyone else.

There are two people in the Bible who can show us the difference between hunger and religiosity. One was the rich young ruler who, despite having money and keeping the commandments, he knew that something was lacking in him because nothing fulfilled him. The Lord Jesus knew exactly what his problem was, so He told him to sacrifice but, because he was not hungry, he went away feeling sad; he didn’t have the strength to obey.

The other was Zacchaeus who was not liked by the people. He was a tax collector, who was short in stature and a thief, but hunger moved him to climb a tree and then come down quickly when the Lord Jesus called him. When there is hunger, there is no delay; hunger does not wait and does not accept excuses.

Zacchaeus did not need the Lord Jesus to show or tell him anything; he knew what he had to do and did it. He decided to repair his life with God, and didn’t wait for the crowd to leave, nor did he need time to think things over, or talk about it first with his family! He was hungry and did what he had to do so, the Lord Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house”. He ate like never before.

Religious people know what they have to do, but they lack hunger, so they’re overcome by feelings, emotions and excuses. They does not have the strength to obey and live in the discipline of the Kingdom of Heaven. Even though his intentions are good, his only guarantee is, there is always something missing and there are always people around to blame.

When a person hungers and thirsts for righteousness (God), he has the strength to take action, make decisions, walk on his own two legs and walk away from what is wrong – like sin, things and people which prevent him from being filled, from being a source of life through the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Bishop Edir Macedo
www.bispomacedo.com.br/en
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6 Comments

  • Reply

    Theresa

    11th May 2016

    Bishop this message is powerful because God is teaching us not to trust in anything in this world but to trust in God.As Christians we should hunger for obedience and learn to make our own decision.

  • Reply

    Mandisa Cele

    13th May 2016

    I really enjoyed this post, and I learned from it quite a lot too. So now I know how to differentiate between religiosity and hunger. So for us to be completely fulfilled, we need to hunger for God. And not be religious.

  • Reply

    busisiwe

    15th May 2016

    It's true, when we are hungry we make every efforts to get what we want, no matter who says what, we make a way to eat something. Even in our Spiritual life, for us to receive Him we have to be hungry first, because that's when we are going to make a way

  • Reply

    Patricia Monyamane

    1st June 2016

    Yes, i belive that when one hears the voice of Holy Spirit ,she/he is fully conviced that its God taking to him/her.Therefore those who are thirsty cannot wait to see themselves living according to the voice which is instucting them within.

  • Reply

    Immaculate Alyano

    3rd June 2016

    Bishop! it's true that when someone is hungry, he finds as if he is stuck in a mud trying every possible means to come out, when he's out,he feels as the luckiest of all.So,same applied to the desire of the Holy Spirit! When a person is truely in need to be born of God, total surcrifices are needed, he has to surrender his old will to recieve the new life in abandancy than waiting for someone else's sacrifices or to spoon feed him yet knowing all what to do.

  • Reply

    Franscina nyambose

    30th June 2016

    We must be hungry for the words of God and to maintaint our salvation like we feed our stomach ,and we do what ever to eat. this attitude we must do in our spiritual lifes.

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