hunger and thirst for God

April 2, 2014 by Tina Marin

We have now entered the season of Lent. For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words. ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes. Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.” To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’ Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are! Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us. We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection! ✞ ♥

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

Ever had that overwhelming desire to know our Creator and God more fully? To know His forgiveness is complete? Sure you have…me, too! As we walk through our life there are those moments when the desire is so intense that we want to devour every bit of information we can glean.

As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God.
I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?
Psalms 42:1-2 HCSB

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You;
my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory.
Psalms 63:1-2 HCSB

How can we satisfy our hunger and thirst for God?

By becoming immersed in His Word
By listening to music that uplifts us
By simply being still and listening to His creation that is all around us

When was the last time you sat in communion with God? I cannot remember the last time I was able to sit for more than 2 minutes and listen for God.

You may say, ‘How can I hear God?’ That is as simple as listening and observing God’s creation. Most of us have a devotional time. When we are in those moments, is it by ourselves, with no distractions, no television on to distract or the radio? Do we listen to our devotion while we are driving to work?

Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament says,

“Never was there a desire to be holy, which God was not willing to gratify. And the gospel of Christ was made to satisfy all who truly desire to be holy.”

This past weekend, our pastor continued his teaching on God, Our Deliverer. He stated that no matter how many times we fail, we should not give up on repentance, and coming to know our heavenly Father more intimately. The evil one would love nothing more than to discourage you from seeking the knowledge, peace, and comfort that only God can provide.

Just as the woman at the well asked Jesus about the living water He spoke of and explained, we can continue throughout our lives seeking for it as well. It is not given just once, but continuously as we seek to know Him (John 4:14). God wants no one to perish. He has adopted us, grafted us into His family, and He will fight to keep us in it. Oh, what a wonderful Father we serve!

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Father, we humbly thank You and praise You for Your mercy and grace so freely given. Forgive us for when we fail to admit our shortcomings and our sins to You. Help us to rid ourselves of our selfish pride and arrogance and seek to model our lives after Your Son, Jesus. Holy Spirit, be with us and guide us. Show us when we stray and help us turn back to our Father. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Hunger and Thirst for God

September 30, 2013 by Ann Mwafulirwa

O God, thou art my God early will I seek Thee, my soul thirsteth for Thee,
My flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
To see Thy power and Thy glory so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.
Psalms 63:1-2

This psalm is describing a man’s deep longing in his heart for God. Every believer should pray as David did in this psalm.

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?
Psalms 42:2

As water is essential for physical life, so God and His presence are essential for satisfaction and wholeness of life. True believers will hunger and thirst for God and His grace, blessings, and supernatural activity in their lives. To stop thirsting for God is to die spiritually; thus we must not allow anything to diminish our intense desire for the things of God.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). The Lord we serve will supply our needs according to His riches in His glory. When we show ourselves to have a willing heart to interact with Him, we need to seek Him where He may be found.

Do we know God? Have we come to a point of being passionate for Him? Those who profess to know God must examine themselves by asking themselves the following: “Do I really possess a strong desire for God and His Presence in my life? Or do I go through life largely consumed with secular pursuits and worldly entertainment, while prayer, bible reading, and a deep hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness have little place?”

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

The foundational requirement for all godly living is to hunger and thirst for righteousness. The spiritual condition of a Christian all throughout their lives will depend on their hunger and thirst for the Presence of God…the Word of God…communion with Christ…fellowship of the Spirit.

It is essential that we be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s convicting work in our lives.

Righteousness—our righteousness—is Christ Jesus Himself living in our hearts. Through this indwelling we might become “…the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We must hunger and thirst for the things of God and not of this world.

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Father, we come before You giving You all the praise and honor for this good day that You have given unto us. May You reign over our lives so that we can reign with Christ Jesus. May You increase our thirst to study Your Word and know You more than now. Let us embrace the gift of righteousness with gladness! In Jesus’ name I have prayed.

Amen!!

A Hunger for God

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