HUNGER FOR GOD
«God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied» (Matthew 5:6, NLT).
I have just discovered the importance of fasting. For years I only intellectually agreed and firmed this discipline is good and has a Biblical foundation. Recently, I was desperate enough to truly fast. Now I am convinced fasting is a way to make room, to take the time for God to speak to us more clearly. In our very busy and accelerated lives, risk we often run is the risk of not hungering for God. We are so satisfied with other things that, if we do not fast, if we do not take the time, we do not even notice what we are missing.
In his book Hunger for God, evangelist John Piper points out: «The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison, but apple pie. What eases our hunger for heaven is not the banquet of the wicked, but constantly snacking on the world’s table between meals. . . . The greatest adversary of God’s love does not lie in your enemies, but in your gifts. And the deadliest appetites are not for toxic poison, but rather what we feel for the simple pleasures of this world.» It seems like unless we make room, through fasting and prayer, we will settle for too little. We will be like the multitudes who came to Jesus only for the bread and fish. What a waste! Jesus can and wants to give us much more than bread and fish. However, we will not hunger for God if our stomachs are always full or if every minute of our day is full of noise and entertainment. To paraphrase Piper, fasting acts as an intensifier of spiritual hunger, reviving the flames of love.
Today I want to invite you to make room, to empty something out of your life so that God can fill it with something new and better. It might be an hour a day without television or your cell phone, or a day without eating or criticizing, Although I still have a lot to learn about fasting, I have noticed that the more room I make for silence and reflection, the louder I hear His voice. God is faithful. If we make room, He will come and live in our hearts more fully,
Dear Lord, I want to hunger and thirst for You. Do not allow my heart be filled with anything other than the Bread of life. Show me if there are things I need to fast from to make more space for You in my life.
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.