Yesterday I was invited to a Christian
meeting by an acquaintance. My friend didn’t show up but what I experienced was
heartwarming. In spite of many believing America is dying spiritually I
encountered the opposite. I saw people hungry for God!
My friend hadn’t told me any details
of the meeting so when I realized that the meeting was in a house, I was surprised.
The house wasn’t exceptionally big but both sides of the streets were jammed
packed with cars. It took me forever to find a parking place. Immediately I
knew these people were hungry for God.
When I walked into the house, I was
shocked again. The house was buzzing with people everywhere. Immediately I felt
at home. There was a long line of people approaching the food area with a huge spread.
Again I was impressed! They’re feeding 100+ people free of charge!
In spite of the big house, there was
no place to sit. People were occupying every single room of the building – fellowshipping
and enjoying the meal. There were people from all different backgrounds.
When the commotion stopped, a young
lady led the worship and another young man shared his testimony that people
participated in through big TV screens in every room including the hallway. These
people were hungry for God. The preacher delivered a dynamic message that went
on for an hour and nobody complained! Again, I thought these people were hungry
for God. They didn’t call it a church but it felt like what a church should be.
I prayed for a few people after the meeting
and as I left the gathering I couldn’t help but think God is working. These people are hungry for God. One of my mentors
used to say, “A hungry man will find a
restaurant no matter where it is.” Certainly, these people were hungry for
God and they’d found a spiritual restaurant.
Ministering in Asia, I see people hungry
for God. In my recent trip to Nepal, we had a sixty three year old pastor and
his wife come down from the Himalayan Mountains. They walked for twelve hours and rode the bus for another sixteen hours
just to attend a one day meeting we’d put together. What is humbling is
that the pastor had spent twenty six months in prison for preaching the Gospel
and his ministry has planted two hundred churches! This pastor and his wife are
hungry for God.
What about you?
Are you hungry for God? Are you
growing spiritually? Are you grateful for what He has done? Are you doing
anything special to show God how much you love Him? Do you love God and His
other children? Are you learning about God? Who are your disciples?
Friend, today I want to challenge you
to be hungry for God. No matter who or where you are we’re to stay hungry for
God. When we lose the passion for our Lord, we begin to die spiritually. When
we’re not growing spiritually, we are not operating in our full potential. Will
you search your heart and turn it over to God. He longs to spend time with you.
He wants to talk to you. He wants to fellowship with you. Will you give Him
your listening heart and a sacrifice of praise? When we are hungry for God, He
will fill our hearts with His peace
and presence. When God is with us, we will demonstrate success in every area of
our lives.
“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NIV).
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