WHEN HUNGER IS NOT GOOD
Proverbs 27:7 NKJV
7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
I recently did a devotional on the benefits of hunger. The hunger I was referring to was the spiritual hunger Jesus spoke of in His Sermon on the Mount. The blessed were the ones who hunger and thirst after righteousness; they will be filled. This hunger is the spiritual drive that motivates us to pursue a deeper walk with the Lord. This is a good hunger. The person who is satisfied and not hungry is less inclined to pursue God. A spiritual hunger for God and His Word is a good hunger.
And yet our verse for today seems to speak of a different hunger. To the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet. Here is another take on hunger. If someone is hungry for a relationship, they can ignore the signs that point to a bad relationship. So hungry, desperate even, for a companion that they pass by all the warning signals. And even when they know a relationship is wrong, their hunger will override all the warnings. As a pastor, I have seen this happen way too many times.
We can apply this hunger to other areas as well. Someone hungry for money can make some bad decisions as their hunger dominates their common sense. And for believers, a hunger for money, affection, acceptance, or approval can cause someone who has a genuine life with God to compromise what they know to be right. Even to the point of overriding the witness of the Holy Spirit within them.
So, we can call this overriding hunger a hunger for the world and all it has to offer. John labeled this the lust, or desire, of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I have heard these strong desires referred to as passions, possessions, and positions. And John warns against having this hunger drive us. (1 John 2:15-17) John said don’t love, or hunger, for the world and what it desires. This is not saying we live our lives as monks or nuns with nothing of this world tying us down. The bigger challenge is not isolating from the world but rather living in the world without the world living in us.
Developing a greater relationship with the Lord is immensely satisfying. And the more we are satisfied with Him, the less the desires of the world pull on us. More of God acts as an appetite suppressant for the things of this world. It’s helpful to realize that we have to develop a hunger for God. Or maybe rekindle the hunger that was there when we first came to the Lord. But that hunger for God will not drop on us. We cultivate that hunger by devoting time and effort to our relationship with Him. But as John said, this world and all its desires are passing away. And worldly hunger is never satisfied. But God can fill places in our lives that nothing of this world can. And God’s things are never bitter and never bad.
PRAYER
Lord, I desire a hunger for You, not the things that are temporary and passing away. You are the relationship that makes all of life sweeter.