January 17

Spiritual Hunger

He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. — Luke 1:53 BSB

Many people attend church and Sunday school, where they are surrounded by blessings of grace, yet they leave "empty." They aren’t spiritually fed or enriched. They leave no stronger or happier, despite being in the presence of God’s abundance. Is it the minister’s or teacher’s fault? No. The fault lies within themselves. They weren’t truly hungry for what was offered, or they would have been filled.

A woman suffering from consumption was advised to spend the winter in Florida. She wrote glowing letters home about the warm climate, the beautiful foliage, and the luscious fruits. She described the rich table spread before her, filled with tempting foods. But in every letter, she also lamented, “I have no appetite. If only I had an appetite, I’m sure I would recover quickly.” A short time later, word came that she had passed away—despite being surrounded by an abundance of food, she died not from lack of nourishment, but from a lack of hunger.

This is how it is with many souls. They live surrounded by spiritual abundance, yet they leave empty because they have no spiritual appetite. Others, sitting right next to them, are richly fed and leave full of joy and strength because they came with spiritual hunger. Our prayer should be for God to make us hungry for Him. As the beatitude says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”