Are You Hungry…or Are You Satisfied?
by Sue Martindale
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” –1 Peter 2:3 (NIV)
I’ve been reading a mostly-daily devotional for a couple years now called New Morning Mercies – A Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp. I say ‘mostly daily’ because on occasion life gets in the way; whether it be a doctor’s appointment, a game (or two) on my iPhone, or nothing in particular. I cannot even remember what drew me to this devotional. It has opened my eyes to some areas in my life where I was either lacking faith, overly judgmental, or just plain ‘life lazy.’
A while back, one devotion in particular caught my attention—about Christians being spiritually satisfied rather than hungry. I went to church weekly, said my prayers fairly regularly, gave a portion of our income to our church and a handful of organizations we felt blessed to support, and occasionally attended events at PLC, including a few Alpha sessions. So, yes. I was satisfied with my faith life.
However, since I began these mostly-daily devotions, I realized that I was no longer satisfied, but spiritually hungry. I craved pure spiritual milk. So, I prayed and searched for opportunities to help me satisfy my new craving.
That’s when I got involved with missions: I signed up to go to Cambodia where ten of us brought the Christmas story—complete with crafts and costumes—to the 130+ children participating in Kid’s Club at Agape International Mission, a wonderful organization that rescues trafficked girls and provides safe after-school activities for the younger children. I also participated in the Loft Home build a couple of times. And, I got involved in the Proctor Homeless Outreach, making sandwiches and other meals to be delivered downtown to the homeless once a month. Did I feel as equipped as some of the younger or stronger participants on these mission trips? No, but God provided opportunities for me to use my gifts in each circumstance.
I also began to dig deeper into God’s Word as a participant in a couple of Bible studies: I joined a women’s Bible study group where we not only study together and pray for each other, but occasionally do other things together. And if any of us has an immediate concern, these ladies are the first we reach out to for spiritual support. Next, I joined the Senior Connections Bible study that meets twice monthly in the early afternoon and includes men and women.
Yes, making the time—and taking the time—to be in the presence of God through a daily devotion has certainly helped me remember who is number one in my life (and it's not me) and brought me into closer relationships with some amazing people, my extended spiritual family at PLC. I had been anxious as to HOW to stay active in my retirement (which came just a couple months into COVID) and I turned to my daily devotions and to God to help me. As it is written in John 6:35, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life, Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” Through PLC, God provided opportunities for me to be both hungry and satisfied.
Thank you, dear Jesus, for the many opportunities to study Your Word at home alone and in fellowship with others at PLC. “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).” May I always be hungry to follow the path that leads to You, no matter the ups and downs in my life. I praise You for the connections to be made here at PLC; connections that shine the light on You and build up our church family relationships. As we continue through this Advent season, may the Christmas Joy of our Lord satisfy our hunger and thirst for Your pure spiritual milk. Amen.