My sweet cat Hannah takes her food seriously. When I get up in the mornings, she runs straight to her empty food bowl, demanding her food. She is passionate about eating, and if Hobson or I get in her way while she’s trying to eat, she swats us away. “Don’t get between me and my food!”
This morning, as I watched her chomp her food down (as if she were starving to death), I was impressed by her ravenous appetite and fearless tenacity. But then, it made me step back and ask myself some questions about my hunger and thirst after God.
Am I that passionate about my daily food from God’s Word?
Do I run straight to His Word first thing in the morning?
Am I focused on His food, His Word, more than anything else when I get up?
Do I push distractions aside and refuse to let anything get in the way of my feasting on God’s Word?
Do I love God’s Word as much as Hannah loves her food?
Do I find the satisfaction in His Word that Hannah finds as she eats with a wholehearted commitment?
It’s a vivid picture of what I want my hunger for God to look like. I want to hunger for His Word with the same intensity that Hannah longs for her food. And His Word is always available, 24 hours a day. I don’t have to wait for someone to dish it out to me.
Hannah also loves her water and drinks as if I’ve withheld water from her for weeks (which I don’t). Do I thirst and hunger for God and His Word in this way?
As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:103: “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Psalm 63:1: “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
Lord, help me long for You and Your Word as much as Hannah longs for her food and water.
Love this!!
Thanks, Mandy! Our sweet pets teach us some of the best lessons.
Me too! Beautiful analogy. I continually pray that my children and grandchildren will hunger and thirst for the nourishment of God’s Word, as well. Thank you, Crickett.
Thanks, Connie!
You’re post made me stop and pray, “Oh Lord, make me hungry for you and your word above all else!
Becky, that makes me smile. Thanks for sharing that. We can pray that for each other.
This was convicting! Thanks for reminding us that time with Him is what it’s all about. You reignited my desire to rush to Jesus first!
Barbara, thanks for sharing! It was convicting for me as God taught me this lesson through Hannah. I want to long for His food as much as she does for hers.
It really is true. Being away from God’s word is like going without water. We don’t do very well without either. We are designed to need both.
Thanks, Linda, for sharing. And I love what you said, we are designed to need both. His Word nourishes us!
I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately. I let distractions take my mind away from the One I love, and I want to pursue Him the hunger and thirst you mention. Thank you!
Heather Bock
http://www.glimpsesofjesus.com
Heather, this is definitely where God is working on me – I want so much to have an undivided heart, and not let distractions get in the way. So now, every time I watch Hannah wholeheartedly go for her food, it reminds me and challenges me to not let anything get in the way. Thanks for sharing!