Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Spiritual Food

Matthew 5:6

I, and most westerners, do not have much idea what it means to be truly hungry. When I think I am hungry, that means that my stomach is empty. Hunger for survival is a foreign concept to me—and I like it that way. However, all of us, if we have been paying attention at all, have seen images of people that are desperately hungry – Haiti after the earthquake, South Asians after the Tsunami, refugees from the genocide in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Rwanda. They are hungry. They need to eat to survive. 

I wish I were that hungry spiritually. Oh, I feed myself daily, but sometimes it is only a snack, not a meal. Sometimes I scarf it down rather than chewing it properly, savoring the flavor and getting the most out of it. I know lots of Christ followers that are spiritually anorexic. They starve themselves because they mistakenly assume that a little food on Sunday will get them by the rest of the week. Try that physically. Go eat Sunday dinner after church, and then don’t eat again until the next Sunday’s lunch. Same principle applies. 

I need to be in the Word each day, and I need God to increase my appetite for food and drink spiritual. He can do that a number of ways. During the last nine months, I have been hungrier for Him than hardly any other time in my life. Being diagnosed with an illness that ends with seeing Him face to face should make me want to know Him better. But, I would suggest that you avoid this type of appetite inducement if at all possible. Allow God to work in your life to, and take time to eat every day. The more you eat, the more likely your appetite will grow. 

Update
Last week I had to deal with one of my "bi-annual sinus/chest infections," What I call "the Lowry Crud." Usually, before Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) I could get my antibiotic and any other meds over the phone. Now, post-SCT, never again will I get "doctored" over the phone. I do appreciate my allergist coming in early to see me. Not many docs will do that. My chemo has left some of my counts low, so my oncologist has asked me to hold off the chemo pill until I see him on Friday. I have. So, the infection is on retreat, and hopefully the counts are coming up.

Ask God to give my doctors wisdom as they work to keep me healthy and to find what keeps the cancer very unhealthy. Your prayers are still the critical ingredient in my treatment. Don't let up.