Having An Appetite For God

We talk about having a healthy appetite when it comes to the food we eat to keep our bodies strong and healthy. But do we have a healthy appetite when it comes to the things of God?

Having an appetite for spiritual things, or a hunger and thirst for God, helps us to keep Him front and center in our lives. It was such a hunger and thirst that inspired the Psalmist.

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1-2a NKJV)

Such a hunger and thirst for God and for the things of the spirit is not, however, natural. In fact the writer of Hebrews scolds believers telling them that they should be much further along in their walk with God.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12 NKJV)

To seek first God’s Kingdom and righteousness means our appetite for the things of God should always be growing and maturing. When this takes place we’ll have more of an appetite, that is, a desire and passion for such things as prayer, reading and studying God’s word, sharing the good news, and gathering together to worship God.

Whatever we set our affections upon will become our reality. There’s a truth that says we’ll always have time to do the things we really want to do, that is, those things that are the most important.

To see what these are we need to look at both our checkbooks and calendars, or where we spend our money and our time. This will tell us what we really value, what we’re really hunger and thirst for.

Who or what has captured our hearts; is it the Lord or someone or something else?