I had a friend of mine at the General Assembly in San Antonio a few years ago eat a steak that was so big it flopped over both sides of the plate it was on. I remember when he was finished he said he was so full that he wouldn't eat again until the next day. LOL! We've all probably said and done the same thing. We often eat so much at one sitting and get so full that we think we will never be hungry again. Man, it was great to see that full plate when we started to eat and even greater as we wolfed it down, but in the aftermath we question our own sanity and wonder how in the world could we eat so much at one time. Alka Seltzer, here we come!
That same attitude prevails in the church world today. In every denomination the table is spread and the spiritual food prepared every Sunday. Pastors everywhere have prayed and sought God for His direction and preach there is room at that table for all who want more of God. Yet many in their congregations feast on just enough to satisfy themselves and then seem to never get hungry again. They get saved, satisfied, and seemingly saturated. They sacrifice just enough to quench their thirst and quell their hunger. They don't really want to change everything, so if they get just enough to eat and drink it's okay with them. Sadly, many of these individuals are leaders in our churches and fellowships and are content just to be where they are in their relationship with God.
It is that lack of hunger and thirst for the Word of God that has created a tremendous void in evangelical circles today. We desire to be so seeker friendly we don't preach about sin anymore. We are so afraid of offending somebody that we tell stories and tales that have nothing to do with the Bible. We want to make everybody feel good about who they are and their station in life. You rarely ever hear a sermon on hell, the devil, or the need to live a sanctified life because none of these subjects are seeker friendly.
Yet Jesus said in Matthew 5 that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness would be filled. Too many church folks have been satisfied for so long they have forgotten what it is to seek after real supernatural food. Miracles didn't happen in the early church because of a feel-good sermon, but by the power of prayer fueled by hungry men and women of God. Sinners came to the altar because preaching the Word brought conviction and a thirst for repentance. We cannot just feed on the victories of the past, but we need to cultivate a culture that is motivated to feast at His table once again daily.
It's that hunger that made the COG come alive in the beginning and will keep us on ablaze until the end. It's that thirst for righteousness that enabled us to overcome the world in the past and will continue to protect us from the attacks of the enemy in the future. It was that hunger and thirst for righteousness that made the early church a force to be reckoned with 2,000 years ago and is the only thing that will give us supernatural power today. So let our prayer be that our hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God will never be stilled or become stagnant, but constantly renewed by our desire for more of God. Now is not the time for a spiritual diet, but a daily feast in the presence of God!
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