PEA RIDGE — Ever get hungry? I certainly do. It’s pretty often that I find myself feeling a need to feed my body with some great food. Sure I have plenty of choices of where to turn. The table at home seems to consistently deliver the best for my need, especially when prepared with love from my bride. Sometimes we have to turn to some of our local favorites and have a night out. Every now and then I have to settle for what works and just gets me by, not really being too crazy about what I end up with but especially if it comes from a drive-through. What is worse is when I know I’m hungry, but I really don’t know what for. That is near turmoil! Oh, the choices we have.
What gets me more than this is when I feel like I’m hungry for something that isn’t food, but I really don’t know what it is. When there is a discontent feeling, an un-answered need lurking in my being. It is hard to put my finger on it but it usually happens when something isn’t going quite right. Either I’ve had a hard time making the right choices or my circumstances seem to always be stacking against me. Do you know what I mean? It is at times like this when I wonder what I should be hungering for and it hits me - maybe, just maybe, my hunger is pointing me somewhere else to be fed with something that doesn’t fully resemble food or drink or - you fill in the blank. I then look to Jesus and His Word.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Righteousness? Is that what I’ve been hungry for? Is that what I’m craving for? I’ve never seen that on a menu, even at one of our excellent Lee Town venues. Where can I find that? Well, I have to keep looking to Jesus. You see, we’ve been called to be righteous, but when you get down to it, none of us are, except for Jesus of course.
Even though you and I aren’t righteous in and of ourselves, we have our Lord to turn to in order to be led by, carried by, fed by and loved by Him. His death on our cross and glorious resurrection shows us that. He gives His righteousness and then we finally are satisfied; fully content and no longer hungry because His is the best and only table that wecan have.
Next time you get a hankering for something good, crack open His Word. Have a good meal, not just trying to get by, for it has been prepared with love. Take a moment for prayer and give Him thanks for the goodness and righteous that He gives. And don’t forget to share, there is more than enough to go around.
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Neil Vanderbush is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Pea Ridge.
Church, Pages 2 on 03/03/2010