Permission to Hunger

I have met many Christians over the years who I share a precious and deep desire with  - You long and ache for more of God. You want to go deeper. You want an encounter. You want revelation in the Word. You want to see with your own eyes the things the Bible promises. You’re looking for the real thing and you’re not satisfied with just going through the motions. I just want to tell you that you're not alone.

I have found over the last several years that there is a unifying desire that usually draws people to our spiritual family. When people come here they are looking for something, that at times, they can’t even put their finger on. They know they want a solid church family and to develop good relationships in a place with good worship and preaching, and quality ministry to their kids. And there are so many good churches that offer all these things. But for some reason they can’t quite figure out why they are discontent. 

For some it’s just a feeling, like a curiosity. For others it’s more intense, it’s a longing. For others it’s a gnawing and aching on the inside. You know there must be more. You hunger to experience everything you believe. Even though you’re not sure how to get there you know there is a place in God that is greater than what you’ve tasted and you want to go there. I can totally relate to this aching and longing.

Discontentment isn’t always a negative thing. In fact it may be the very impetus you need to compel you into something more. If you're discontent it doesn’t mean that you’re a negative person. Discontentment just means you know there is more than you’ve experienced in God and you’re unwilling to settle for less. You know what you’ve done in the past hasn’t scratched the itch and so you find yourself on a journey looking for what your heart is telling you is possible. 

The challenge with pursuing God is that it isn’t always tidy. In fact it never is. We can’t expect a sterile pursuit to bring about the breakthrough that we long to see. There is always a bit of a mess in the midst of a pursuit that brings forth breakthroughs. I want to encourage you to stay in the mess of pursuit and risk being untidy to experience all that God has for you. 

For some this means that you will spend long hours in prayer with fasting. This may be slightly disruptive but the outcomes are worth the cost. For others it may mean experiencing the pain of misunderstanding at the hands of friends and family. Following hard after Jesus always has a measure of misunderstanding associated with it. Whatever the cost, I want to encourage you to risk it for the sake of obtaining something greater in God. We can’t earn an encounter with Him but we can hunger in a way that puts us in the way of His inbreaking.  

Consider David’s words from Psalm 42 as encouragement for your to continue to pursue God:

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, "Where is your God?" 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me… 

David described how he longs for God like a hunted deer longed for the life sustaining power of water. Herein is the secret to hunger: when you really touch spiritual hunger you realize that the only thing that could possibly satisfy you is God and God alone. This hunger will bring you into tears and mourning. At times you may even be the scorn of those who do not understand you. All of these challenges compelled David into deeper pursuit, “I pour out my soul”. 

I want to give you encouragement and permission to pursue God beyond the norm. If “normal” pursuit would have brought us to the place where our souls are satisfied, wouldn’t we be there by now? 

Keep pressing in, keep knocking, keep seeking, keep asking. Search for Him as for fine gold and precious treasure. He promises when we seek we will find, when we knock the door will be opened. Let the hunger grow deep and compel you into pursuit. This is our wonderful portion in this age, to search Him out. As you long for Him know this, He longs to encounter you even more than you long to encounter Him. And for all the seeking we offer He gives us a sure promise… we will find Him! Keep hungering my friend, you will be filled!