Blog Archive

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Gift of Hunger

If you are a visitor from the Blog Carnival, I ask your forgiveness and indulgence for submitting this second post. I realized that I failed to share the more important truth I've learned about Treasure in recent days: We treasure what we desire more than what we have, and the two don't need to be mutually exclusive. (late edit:) Hunger makes the heart value more highly and yearn for more earnestly that which we treasure.



When I first met the Word of God in the Bible, I fell head-over-heels in love with the beauty of pure Truth. I hungrily read it at every opportunity in search for more Truth.

For four years I struggled to understand what my new Christian life should look like. When a cross country move and new church removed me from the little teaching I'd been getting, I became hungry for a teacher. No one was there for me. I'd open my Bible and beg God to help me understand it. I didn't recognize the Person of the Holy Spirit when He became my Teacher. I knew only that I hungered after His illumination like I might hunger for air after 60 seconds of holding my breath. I breathed Him in deeply and eagerly.

Seven years elapsed. I'd realized long before that time that I was hungry for discipleship—for mature Christians teaching and modeling Christianity to me. God brought me to a church strong in biblical principles where my eyes were opened to elemental lessons I'd missed by Bible-reading alone. I attended every service and meeting with a soul longing to be fed.

After five years I saw what was missing. Critical and judgmental spirits among legalists cursed and crushed the spirit of praise wherever it appeared without conformity to their standards. For another five years I praised God with exuberance only when away from them. My soul ached for the freedom to exalt Him. He honored my desire and brought our family to our present church, where worship ministry flourishes.

For three and a half years I've feasted on the fellowship of loving saints against a backdrop of solid biblical teaching. Our choir, orchestra, drama team, kids choir, and occasional dancers uplift my God and bring me to tears often.

My hunger has always been the opportunity to share God. The online community of blogging, Twitter, Facebook has satisfied it as never before.

Enough to quell the hunger pangs.

I understand now yet another reason God allowed the intense suffering of the last couple of years. It kept me in fellowship with Him so I might experience hunger for relief and be driven back to Him with new fervor.

And now, as life becomes calm, I once again need the gift of hunger.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
~ Jesus, Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)

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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Labels , Published 4/05/2011

18 comments:

  1. unnamed ladTuesday, April 05, 2011

    ...still chewing on the last post and now you you've set yet another plate in front of me. but....is it ever right where i'm at.

    ReplyDelete
  2. unnamed ladTuesday, April 05, 2011

    i was thinking yesterday about life's challenges which can seem to be overwhelming and impossible to get past. then, He helps us get past them, but whoa! (or is it woe?) we're faced with another. these daunting challenges surely close the distance between Him and us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. David RupertTuesday, April 05, 2011

    I want that long-term hunger -- for a lifetime

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kristie JacksonTuesday, April 05, 2011

    Piper said, "The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with 'other things.'"

    I'm so guilty of this. May I not stuff my life with other things.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Russell HollowayTuesday, April 05, 2011

    Hunger and growth ... love the double entendre :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anne Lang BundyWednesday, April 06, 2011

    Bud ~

    There's way more whoa than woe. The woes we have here are working eternal glory for us when we cooperate. Challenges are merely opportunities waiting for us. The only difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how long you lie on the ground after falling.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anne Lang BundyWednesday, April 06, 2011

    David ~

    This realization has rocked my world in a big way. Right now I really want to renew my intercessory prayer life, so I'm going to be asking God to give me hunger to see prayers answered by His hand at work.

    At least those are the rumblings of hunger I think I'm feeling ...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anne Lang BundyWednesday, April 06, 2011

    Kristie ~

    I LOVE the stuff Piper shares. I won't deny that I've been guilty of allowing other things to crowd God to the side. But I'm also guilty of complaining about the hunger. Now that I see this, I hope I'll be less guilty of both.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anne Lang BundyWednesday, April 06, 2011

    Rusty ~

    How DO you come up with this stuff?

    And are you calling my soul fat? :D (I hope so, but only if it stimulates my hunger ...)

    ReplyDelete
  10. a joyful noiseWednesday, April 06, 2011

    They that hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled! Sounds to me that you are in a great church where Freedom is exercised to worship and learn at Jesus feet. May the Lord honor your prayers and may you have the results you pray for, even if they turn out to be miracles. God has not changed and He offers us treasure (surprises) that may cause some that do not understand to criticize, but that is OK. Stay with what the Holy Spirit shows you in His word, and all will be well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wendy Paine MillerWednesday, April 06, 2011

    I get this. Like a deer panteth for water or whatever that p word in in the Bible (I know you know).

    And we see things more clearly when it is Him we are running after most, don't we?

    Thanks for pointing this out. I don't comment much on Tues. & Thurs.
    ~ Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousThursday, April 07, 2011

    Yes, there is truly a gift of hunger. And those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed because they will be filled. He is faithful to fill us with that hunger if we surrender. Thanks Anne.

    ReplyDelete
  13. LoniThursday, April 07, 2011

    WOW! This is so real, touching, gripping, poking me in the spirit . . . THANK YOU for sharing. It's interesting as I'm learning how often we allow others to fill the voids God wants to completely fill. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anne Lang BundyFriday, April 08, 2011

    Hazel Moon ~

    The Lord never stops surprising me. Thank you for the blessing upon blessing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anne Lang BundyFriday, April 08, 2011

    Wendy ~

    I've so often interpreted "hunger" as "painful waiting." But perspective is everything, isn't it? I did this post because I woke up Tuesday morning and it hit me what a treasure that hunger really is.

    (BTW, I usually post on just Sunday [more personal stuff], Tuesday [connecting to Everyday Testimony or the Blog Carnival], and Friday [Q&A]. So even if you visit Mon-Wed-Fri, there's still just one post each time, even if it's a day old.)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anne Lang BundyFriday, April 08, 2011

    Loni ~

    That elemental truth—that we allow other things to fill the voids—sure does have a million applications, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousSaturday, April 09, 2011

    Give me more of this hunger, Lord!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anne Lang BundySaturday, April 09, 2011

    Natasa ~

    Amen! I wish I had sooner appreciated the hunger I ask for now.

    ReplyDelete

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