HUNGRY OR SATISFIED?
PROVERBS 27:7 NKJ
PROVERBS 27:7 NKJ
7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
The proverbs are packed with nuggets of wisdom. The Psalms are also full of God's wisdom, and we also see such expression and praise in the Psalms. There is such value in spending time with both Psalms and Proverbs. In these two books, we learn about God's nature and how to express our hearts to Him. We also learn the practical side of God's wisdom. Proverbs gives God-sense as opposed to common sense.
This verse seven is that practical God sense. Someone who is satisfied and full does not care at all for the honeycomb. In the day where candy was not a thing, the honeycomb was a tasty treat. But even something as tasty as the honeycomb is loathed or trampled on when one is full. Trampled on is strong wording, but the point is clear, when full nothing is appealing. But when one is hungry, it's a different ball game. When someone is hungry, everything tastes good. Even bitter things are sweet.
Is this proverb dieting advice? I do not believe the intent is to reveal purely food-related counsel. The intent is to show the power of hunger and the apathy of being satisfied.
When someone is hungry for a relationship, they can be much more prone to compromise values and standards. The hunger for acceptance can create some bad alliances.
When there is a satisfied soul, often drive is not as strong. Some NFL coaches did not want their players becoming "born again" because they felt it diminished the players' drive to succeed. The hunger was just not there.
APPLICATION:
Proverbs is one big application book but let's look at a couple of things.
When we receive the Lord as Savior, there is a satisfaction in our soul that so often reduces the hunger for so many things the world has to offer.
On the other hand, we can also get so hungry for God that it drives us to push past the comfort of our flesh and pursue Him in prayer, fellowship, and in His word. And we can also get so full of things of this earth that we become apathetic towards the things of God. We don't want to go there.
So, the big question remains. What are we full of, and what are we hungry for?
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help me stir up a hunger for You in my heart.