Hunger for God

The beginning of today refers to Mark 4:18-19, a parable of the 4 soils. These 2 verses refer to the thorny soil specifically. The kind of soil that chokes out the Word because of other desires in life. I know that I battle other desires in life, as we all do. I battle "my" time. I battle eating to some degree, but I think that the battle for time has overrun me. These blogs, while good, are addicting and take time. If I'm not careful, they take too much time. I don't want my desire for "my" time to take over any attention that should be focused on God and his Word or it may just choke it out.

Philippians 3:18-19 is the next passage talking about the destiny of people who basically have their bellies as their god. It's all they think about. Is that what I do when I walk around the house just wanting to nibble on something? I am looking to serve my temporary god? These people are called enemies of the cross of Christ. That is a thought that requires much consideration. The implications of allowing a stomach to lead me through life, distracting me from what is good and true is scary.

All this is leading to fasting, which we'll be doing on Thursdays. The goal of a true fast is to increase our hunger for God. I realize a truth in Philippians 3:8 that the loss of a temporary satisfaction is the gain of so much more. Oh that I can retrieve that verse in my mind as I go throughout my day. I really think that it will keep my perspective on the eternal and not so much on that satisfaction I want "right now!"

You guys, remember when I had the "eureka" of how I tell the Holy Spirit "NO" when I go for those seconds sometimes? Well I realize that the thing that's holding me back from fully enjoying the fullness of Christ is that I have for so long been satisfying my "right now" and that also is hushing the Holy Spirit in that I don't feel the urge (or whatever it is) to snack anymore when really, all along the "urge" was a reminder that "I AM." You know what I mean? Either that makes sense or I'm babbling. Let me know your thoughts guys...this is no fun being a monoblog. I think I just heard myself echo.

• Heavenly Father, I don't mean to put my stomach first in life when it means that I am pushing You away. I want You. Thank you for the realizations that You give and just the time I need them. I pray that You will be what we hunger for. When we are tempted to reach for that Coke or Starbucks or whatever our thing is, please remind us that giving in to these temps only prolong our satisfaction in You. I think I have delayed that long enough. Allow us to call it what it is. Sin. Thank you for loving us despite of ourselves.