Where and who are the thirsty ones? – Part 3

Satan would do everything to numb our thirst for God. At times, he tries to give the Christian a false sense of satisfaction. These are the days of artificiality and imitations. Nutritionists recommend diets that give a false sense of satisfaction. The diet or pills numb your hunger and give you a false sense of satisfaction.

Sustaining the hunger for God is much more demanding than the initial appetite for his presence. It requires a lot of discipline, focus and dedication. Challenges and the pressures of life stimulate and at times, help to sustain our thirst for God. Every Christian must thank God for the challenges, trials and pressures God brings on his/her way.

Problems are like the trail spikes that keep us running after God. This was why Paul said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong,” 2Corinthians: 12:10. (NKJV)

The hunger for God is sustained through holiness. Sin diminishes ones hunger for God. Take a look at Samson, you will appreciate the denigrating and debilitating effect of sin in the life of a righteous leader. Samson could not fathom how much he had lost touch with God. He was not aware of the extent the power of God had leaked away from his life. It was until the Philistines came after him that he realised that he was no more as strong as he used to be. “And she said: “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said: “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him,” Judges 16:20 (NKJV).

Priority and focus help sustain the hunger for God. Many a time we dissipate energy and time on insignificant issues of life. Paul was a “one-thing” man. He had a high sense of priority. He said: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things, which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV). What is the “one thing” that matters most in your life? Then stick to it.

To sustain the hunger for God one must constantly cultivate his presence. God promises to renew the strength of those who wait on him. Isaiah 40:29 reads: “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint,” Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV).

Spending time in the words of God sustains our hunger for God. Satan is a time waster and master of distractions through social media, television, and frivolities. Hunger for God is sustained by the quality time we spend in His Word.

Praying constantly keeps us in his presence. The more we pray the more we are satisfied inwardly. Reading the right kind of literature and networking with the right kind of people stirs the passion for God in us. May the Holy Spirit set your heart aflame for God.  

•Contact:pastoracukachi@gmail.com