Hungry?

For those of you who know me even the slightest bit, one glance at the title and you will probably say to yourself, "What a surprise, Tyler is thinking of food again (or still)!" In most cases, you would be correct, and still are, as I am currently envisioning a large juicy steak grilled to perfection, after a long hard day of marinating and tenderizing. Mmmmm....steak! They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and I am living proof of this. But as much as I enjoy the culinary art of consumption, it is about a different kind of hunger that I wish to share some thoughts on tonight. I am talking about a hunger and thirst for God.

But before I delve into this topic any farther, I feel that I should first share a little of my own experiences over the past seven months or so. It all started at Belle View, during the last campfire of the week. As I sat there, I began to wonder why it was that everyone else seemed to have these major encounters with God at camp, and why, aside from good memories and good friends and good food (there I go again! Thank-you Ben!!!!!!), I usually didn't return from camp with too many life changing decisions or revelations. In my mind, I thought I was a pretty good Christian, and that there was no reason that God shouldn't be revealing Himself to me. And then it hit me. It was this very fact that was blocking my communication with God; ugly selfish pride. You see, I had fallen under the illusion that I didn't struggle with any of the more visible "major" sins, that I was somehow a kind of "super-Christian". I began to realize at that moment how wrong I had been. Through my pride, I was essentially saying that I had no need to hear from God, as I felt I had everything together, and that is why it was all too rare that I felt I heard God speak to me. Since that time, it has felt like I have been a brand new Christian, as I have been learning more and more every week, and realizing just how little I really know. So that is where I was coming from.

Anyways, shortly after returning from camp, I began to pray that God would not only humble me, but that He would fill me with a hunger and thirst to know Him on a more personal level. And He didn't disappoint. These past few months have been ones full of new realizations and revelations, as God has been revealing to me more and more of His character. For most of my life, I would be lucky if God would reveal something of Himself to me several times a year, due to the barrier of pride that I had built up in my life. Since camp, God has been speaking to me in a very real way, often teaching me something new several times a week. Needless to say, it has been an immensely exciting time for me spiritually, which is good, as what social life I had has gone down the drain this past year. I am by no means claiming that this hunger and thirst for God has been a constant thing in my life, as I often find this desire fading. But when it begins to fade, I then simply pray and ask God to restore this hunger and thirst, and then it is not long before God chooses to reveal something more to me. So far, it seems to be a prayer that God takes great delight in answering, and will answer without fail.

Jesus himself said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6) He also said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) He couldn't have spoken truer words. So I encourage you, that if you feel like you are in kind of a rut spiritually, why not ask God to fill you with a hunger and thirst for Him? You would be amazed at the results such a simple prayer can have. Make Psalm 63 the prayer of your heart: "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water...".