“The full soul loatheth the honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” – Proverbs 27:7
In 1932, my father was saved from a life of sin. He longed for more of God. One day he was reading some Gospel tracts that told of a second work of grace called sanctification. He began to hunger for the experience, but was not close to a church to receive any help in seeking the experience.
He heard of a group of Christians about three hundred miles away, but it was in the middle of winter and snow was on the ground. He decided to hitchhike to his destination, but when he arrived, his coat was frozen on his back, the church doors were locked, and nobody was there. He had no choice but to return home somewhat discouraged, but the intensity of his hunger had not subsided. While he sat in his living room with his feet in a pan of water to help them thaw out, he looked to the Lord, and the Lord sanctified him right there!
The intensity of hunger that will cause men and women to seek God and His blessing is not like a simple physical desire that can be satisfied with a mid-morning snack. When the intensity of the hunger reaches to the point where we feel that we will perish if God does not meet our need, we are getting close to reality.
The hunger for God is an insatiable desire; it should never be detoured by inconvenience. It is a sign of spiritual health to have a desire for God’s Word. But that insatiable desire is also a satisfying desire, because God responds to hunger by meeting all the needs of the human spirit. The nourishment we receive from Him may not always be “sweet.” There may be difficult consecrations, restitutions, self sacrifice, or correction that we need. Yet, when we are truly hungry for more of God’s will for us, even the “bitter thing is sweet.”
Today if you desire anything from God, look at the intensity of your hunger. God is waiting for you to come to Him now with an insatiable desire, and He is ready to meet your every need.