We hunger for different things. A hungry person is not happy. A satisfied person is relaxed, smiling, and happy. We have a body that gets hungry easily. Every few hours we have to eat. We also have a soul that gets hungry–soul hunger.
A body needs food, drink, clothing, washing, and constant attention. Also our body needs rest, after a day’s work, our body demands it. If you do not give it rest, it will not function properly but will be sick. The body also needs exercise, or it will suffer. It needs variety. The same old thing will become boring, and dull. It often turns to junk food, ice cream, cookies, or hot dogs.
“And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” Numbers 11:4–6
Hunger is a warning signal that something is needed. Just a few hours after eating you feel hungry again. As more time goes on, you get more and more hungry. If you do not satisfy your hunger in a timely fashion, you are willing to eat almost anything.
Without proper food, people have eaten their leather belts or shoes. In prison, the prisoners even ate the insects on the walls. Hunger is a strong desire that demands satisfaction.
Regarding the hunger of our soul, it can be as strong or even stronger and even more demanding. If you do not supply this soul hunger, you may lose your appetite for what is good. Drinking mental or physical food, satisfies the hunger that is within our inner man.
There are many needs, desires, and appetites, within our body. All this can be compared to a hunger or a thirst. Our eye can also be hungry, our ears also. People can be hungry for certain company, for friends, for entertainment, for certain reading, or hungry for television shows, for traveling, parties, money.
To satisfy all these needs keeps us busy, always looking for something and often failing to satisfy our desires. Then one is unhappy, depressed, and sad.
In prison, many of these things are denied to the inmates, and it causes them suffering. This is the punishment meted out to them for their crimes. They get food, water, rest, but not all their needs are satisfied, and they suffer. Their mental and social needs are not supplied. Emotional suffering can be far greater than physical needs.
“But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. Bread is not enough for us, we have other needs. Some supply the need with junk food for the mind, a perverted appetite.
“Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Ephesians 2:3. We have unsanctified desires, such as hunger, that demand satisfaction.
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6
In search of greater happiness and satisfaction, Eve desired the forbidden fruit. It was not to satisfy body hunger. No, they had plenty of other food to eat. But, a desire for something better or different than what God had given them. And in the end, they lost their happy lives in paradise.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10. Many people have a hunger for money and this hunger never seems to be satisfied. They want more and more. To obtain money satisfies their hunger, and after a while they want more again to be happy. If they would not have this hunger, they would be happier. For the love of money, people give up their social life, they have no time to eat, they work, plan and execute to make money. This one desire can become overbearing. All other desires will be neglected and will die. To satisfy their hunger for money, people commit fraud, rob banks, and even commit murder.
Without this hunger, they would be happier. Hunger demands satisfaction, or a person suffers. A person addicted to drugs suffers greatly if he does not get another dose of his drug. But a person who does not have a hunger for drugs feels well and happy without drugs. This is the same with the hunger for money. If one does not have this hunger, they are satisfied with what they have. Judas had this hunger and was willing to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
“The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.” Proverbs 21:25. A lazy person has a hunger for idleness. This hunger and desire will kill him. A worker does not suffer from this hunger. He is satisfied when he is working hard, he is happy.
“Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:26. When someone hungers for glory, it can provoke others, causing jealousy. This jealousy leads to hatred, and hatred leads to revenge. Vainglory can also be spiritual pride, we see how good we are, how much we pray, read the Bible, do missionary work, how much we give to others. All this is hunger that demands satisfaction. If we do not satisfy it, it grows stronger and we suffer. We try to draw attention to ourselves, to be noticed and appreciated. This can lead to an exaggeration of one’s deeds, and dramatizing.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:15–16. Hunger for the world, hunger of the eyes, this also demands satisfaction. We can be addicted to the world, and if not satisfied, we suffer. And so we could go on and on, hundreds of desires, or hungers that people have.
If you go onto Yonge Street in Toronto, late at night, you see hungry people. They are not hungry for food, but they crave satisfaction for their lusts and addictions. After spending their time and money, they go home, only to be hungry again a few days later, and the next time a greater dose is needed, something more exciting to satisfy their hunger. The business world is full of hungry people, not for food but for profit. Many divorces are as a result of soul hunger that was not satisfied.
There are even people who are craving for something but do not know exactly what they are craving for. Unsatisfied craving leads to depression, and to unhappiness, even to suicide. Life can become unbearable. The mind that is hungry for worldly things is called carnal and it is enmity towards God. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7
“But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:22. These carnal desires and hungers may remain dormant for a while when we join the church, because love for Christ is stronger and it satisfies us. But if love towards Christ and to one’s fellow man dies, the old unsanctified hunger can bother us again. With a little provocation and temptation, they may awaken in us, and lead us into sin. The knowledge of sin creates desires, lusts, and hunger for sinful practices. If we never had smoked, we would have no desire or hunger for it. It is the same with other sins, knowledge creates a hunger for it.
Now, there is a terrible battle going on in our body, mind, and spirit. The unnatural desires and hungers for sin and vanity must be overcome. If you stop supplying
the cravings of your mind and soul, the hunger becomes greater and greater, until in a weak moment you may give in, and sin again. We must substitute the hunger for sin with the hunger for righteousness. A stronger desire overcomes a weaker desire. Desire can be satisfied with the world or by God. The desire to do evil can be replaced with the desire to do good.
“For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13. The broken cisterns of this world will never satisfy the hunger of the soul permanently. They are like alcohol to a drinker, he receives only a moment of relief, then the desire soon returns, stronger than ever.
The evil angels are catering to our addictions, knowing that every time we gratify our cravings, our hunger grows stronger and more permanent. We cry out as Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shall save me from this body of death.
Is there a remedy? What can we do to overcome? We are not able to control our hunger for vanity and vainglory, our lusts, passions, hatred, jealousy, pride, covetousness, and thousands of other desires.
“Thy openest Thine hand, and satisfies the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:16. God can satisfy every desire, every need. We do not need the world. Satan and his inventions are not necessary, and they will never satisfy us.
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If 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. . . . Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But 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. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” John 4:10, 13–15. This woman had had five husbands, and she was now living with another man that was not her husband. She had tried to satisfy her soul thirst, but in vain. Now Jesus offered her living water so that she would never thirst again, she would be fully satisfied.
Homesickness is a strong desire. People can lose interest in all other things, even eating and drinking. But homesickness for heaven can be stronger and overcome homesickness for an earthly home. A boy may find a girl and have a great desire for her. Then he finds another one, more beautiful than the first, and the desire for the first one dies out. In the same way, heavenly treasures can overcome and kill the desire for earthly treasures. Paul had a hunger for Christ, and he counted all things loss for it, to gain Him.
The fountain of life is still open for all. Jesus is still crying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink the words of life freely. It is not enough to drink of this fountain sometimes. Daily we can visit this fountain and not only drink but plunge in completely into the healing waters. It is a new experience for many. All other hungers and desires, and temptations lose their power and healing takes place in the body, soul, and spirit. Children and teenagers, adults, are all invited to the fountain of life.
In the gospel song we sing, “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. There is a place of comfort sweet, near to the heart of God, a place where we our Saviour meet, near to the heart of God. There is a place of full release, near to the heart of God. A place where all is joy and peace, near to the heart of God.”
When your soul is hungry and thirsty, you feel tired and depressed. When temptations surround you, and you feel you are not able to resist them, when you have unsatisfied soul hunger that makes you suffer, then come to the fountain of living water, and you find rest to your soul, a full release, fully satisfied, comforted. And again you will sing for joy, and your countenance will light up. New hope will spring up in your heart. Things that were so important before for your happiness become meaningless, and useless, because you have complete satisfaction for all your needs, both mental and spiritual.
Jesus said, My grace is sufficient unto you. Nothing else needs to be added. And only one soul hunger remains—more of Jesus, more of His love, more of His spirit, until you and Jesus become one, and you have found the secret of a perfect, happy, satisfied life. Amen.
Adapted from a sermon by Timo Martin