by Dave Reyes
On Sunday I challenged our church to develop a hunger for God. You can click here to hear the message. I ran out of time before getting to the practical steps on becoming hungry for God. So, here are four practical ways to develop a hunger for God.
1. IN ORDER TO BE FILLED YOU MUST HUNGER AND THIRST FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Being close to God is right. Do you want to be close to God? Does it bother you when you are not close to God? When you watch something you shouldn’t watch? When you go someplace you shouldn’t go? When you say something you shouldn’t say? When you treat somebody unfairly?
Being blessed by God is right. Do you hunger for God’s blessings? For God to save your children? For God to help your children to turn out right? For God to save your husband or wife?
Being used by God is right. How bad do you want to be used by God? I had been teaching in a Christian school for almost five years. I was busy teaching, coaching basketball and football, directing the Christmas plays, and editing the yearbook. I was serving God, but I knew in my heart that there was something more that I was supposed to be doing. I had been called to preach as a ten-year-old boy. I had opportunities to preach in the Christian school chapel once in a while, but I had a desire to preach more. I was working with people, but I wanted to spend more time sharing the gospel, reaching families, and preaching the Bible.
One day as I was building a fence in the small backyard of our little duplex I was talking to God about my situation. I wasn’t complaining, but I was trying to make it clear to Him that I wanted to do more. I wanted to be a pastor. As I dug one post hole after another in that Texas clay I found myself asking, maybe even begging, God to call me to be a pastor. It wasn’t long until I realized that is exactly what He was doing. He put a desire in my heart to be used by Him and for Him. That was a day that changed the entire course of my life.
I encourage you to let God build a desire in your heart to serve Him. Let Him call you to ministry. It’s been more than twelve years since God called me to be a pastor and I must say that being used by God is the greatest way I can imagine spending my life.
2. WHEN YOU FILL YOUR OWN NEEDS YOUR OWN WAY, YOUR SATISFACTION WILL BE TEMPORARY.
Luke 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
If you comfort yourself with riches now, your comfort will be limited to your riches. If you are full of the temporary today, you will be hungry for the eternal tomorrow. If you live to enjoy life today, you will be miserable tomorrow.
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
3. JESUS IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF LASTING FULFILLMENT.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
You must want what He has enough to come to Him. If you are full of your own bread you will not enjoy the Bread of Life. When Jesus fills you, you will be satisfied.
4. GOD ONLY FILLS THE SOUL THAT DESIRES TO BE FILLED.
Psalm 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground:
Satisfaction only comes to a longing soul. Filling only comes to a hungry soul. Quenching only comes to a thirsty soul. Getting something out of your Bible reading is determined by whether you are desiring to get something. And you won’t desire to get something from the Bible if you are already full of everything else.
The difference between a boring sermon and a life-changing sermon is often whether or not you are desiring to be changed. If you come to church with a heart that is filled with the world, you won’t get anything from the music or the message. You might learn something, but it won’t affect your heart. Come to church hungry! Start your day hungry!
“God, please fill me with your power!”
“God, please make yourself real to me again today!”
“God, please teach me something from your Word that will help me in a real way today!”
Moses was hungry for God. He prayed to see God. God let Him see himself. Can you imagine the boldness that Moses must have had because he had seen God? Can you imagine the unshakable faith you would have after seeing God? God wants to make Himself real to you, but you have to be hungry for Him first.
by Dave Reyes
Original article can be found at http://www.newheightsabq.org/2015/02/23/how-to-get-hungry-for-god/