For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

(Psalm 107:9 ESV)

Have you ever been watching your favorite team in a big game and felt like their effort wasn’t very desperate? They didn’t seem to be as “hungry” for the win as you, the fan, were. You can’t help but to feel annoyed at their lack of effort when so much is riding on this game for… YOU.

I’m a different person when I am hungry.

Sometimes irritable. Stressed. Fatigued.

But also desperate.

I’m on the road quite often in ministry and in my travels, hunger has driven me to some interesting choices of food. I’ve eaten some things I would have never attempted outside of being hungry. And I’ve eaten some not so tasty things for lack of convenient options.

Hunger moves us.

It is a driving force in our lives. Lose your passion in the workplace and it becomes obvious that you want to be somewhere else. Lose your hunger for a growing relationship with your spouse and your marriage begins to erode. Lose your desire for fulfilling those God-inspired dreams and those around you can tell you have put your life on cruise control.

One of the surest evidences of being alive is appetite. When you are spiritually alive, you desire intimacy with God. Hunger is noticeably lacking when we get lukewarm in our relationship with God. But the Psalmist said, God satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good things.

Have you lost your hunger for God’s Word? His presence? Following Jesus into the glorious unknown? Your appetite for serving others? Your desire to see people come to know Christ? Ask God to restore your hunger for HIM and to revive your spiritual desire. The more hungry you are for God Himself, the more drive you will have in fleshing out your God-given purpose in the daily grind of life. And God has promised to meet your hunger with GOOD THINGS.

God, help us to be hungry souls. Amen.