Soul Hunger

Thousands of people starve to death every day in our world. Many countries do not have enough food for the people. Others are sick and dying from the wrong kind of food that they have been eating.

So important is food for us that Jesus includes it in His model prayer; “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Many things we would give up before we would give up our daily food. Hunger is one of the strongest feelings in the human body. People do almost anything in order to satisfy it. Yet there is a hunger that is stronger than the physical hunger, and it is the soul hunger.

Because of the soul hunger people can lose their appetite for the physical food. Emptiness in the soul makes a person to lose interest even in life. For the soul hunger that is not satisfied people have committed suicide; so strong it can be.

People have invented many things to satisfy the soul hunger. They include theatres, movies, parties, and even drugs and alcohol in order to lose the reality of their lives. But these are all temporary. As soon as the show is over or the effect of the drugs and alcohol has worn off, they fall back into their misery and depression.

There is a spiritual food that can satisfy the soul hunger completely. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35.

This means that there will be no more broken dreams, no sleepless nights, no tears nor weeping, no sad countenance and not seeking anything that the world could offer.

Jesus can satisfy us by His grace and fill us with His righteousness, so that our joy will be full, and there will be no more hunger or thirst in our souls.

The Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Cor. 12:9.

Even if we have nothing else, His grace is all we need to live a happy life.

The Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob had been seeking happiness in her life. She had had five husbands and living with another man and yet she had a soul hunger. Jesus said to her, ÒIf thou knowest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.Ó John 4:10.

The woman did not know that such a water was available and millions of others who are seeking happiness do not know it either and therefore continue in their misery.

Jesus continued, “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.” John 4:14.

David had experienced this in his life. He writes, “The Lord is shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalm 23: 1, 2, 5.

Now what is on this table that the Lord has prepared for His children, and what is in this cup that runneth over? With all this, can there be even one hungry or thirsty Christian?

All the hundreds of promises that the Lord has given us will supply all our needs and satisfy us fully.

Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11.

The words of Jesus will give us fullness of joy. The Bible is our spiritual food; the more we eat of it, the stronger do we become.

The church where the word of God is taught could be called the dining hall of the food. Yet the teachers in the church must be careful to give the right kind of spiritual food to the people.

Jesus spoke of two kinds of servants who were to provide food to the household. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over His household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing.” Matt. 24: 45-46.

We have the truth for the present time which must be presented to the people; and the faithful servant will do it. But the other servant, who is called the evil servant, “shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken.” Matt. 24: 48, 49.

The pure water of life will not make us drunk but the wine of Babylon will, and Satan is constantly trying to introduce these errors to the people of God.

On the table that the Lord has prepared for us are a variety of foods. As we eat this spiritual food, much of it is the church history, right from the beginning on.

Sister White writes, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teachings in our past history.” LS 196.

History repeats itself; therefore we need to study it and by so doing we prepare ourselves for the future events. Also much of the food on the Lord’s table is the law. The commandments and the statutes of the Lord, including the ceremonial laws and the moral law are important, but many Christians do not eat this food. They do not find it tasty.

Yet David writes, “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Ps. 1:2.

Some people have complained that in the church so much is spoken about “don’t do this, do that;” too many rules and laws are presented as spiritual food. Yet these foods are on the table that the Lord has prepared for us. We need to learn how to keep the Sabbath holy, what to eat and drink, how to dress ourselves modestly, and how to treat others.

We also find on the table of the Lord, the prophesy. This knowledge will guide us through the events that are before us.

There is also milk for the children for them to grow, and later they can eat the strong food.

Jesus said to His disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” John 16:12. After three and half years in the company of Jesus they were yet unable to digest the strong food. This is the reason why there is always something new, something stronger that we could not digest earlier.

Yet when Jesus spoke the truth to the people, the 70 disciples were offended and left Him. The rich young man could not digest the food that Jesus gave him; he went away sorrowful.

Satan also has prepared a table, and almost the whole world is eating the food that he has prepared. It is good tasting to the perverted appetite, but it is poison to the soul. The churches are offering this poisonous food to the people and they love it, even that it destroys the soul.

The words of Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons and calmed the storm. His words are still as effective as before.

Jeremiah enjoyed eating the words of God, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” Jer. 15:16.

Today the spiritual food is freely offered to everyone, but the time will come when it cannot be found anymore. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12.

Today the Lord is calling you and everyone to come to His table to eat and drink, and you will never hunger or thirst anymore. Your soul will be satisfied and filled with joy and happiness for now and for eternity.

May the Lord help us all to avoid the poisonous foods at the table of Satan and eat only the bread of heaven and drink the water of life, is my wish and prayer.
AMEN.

Timo Martin, Canada