By Judy Villanueva

Mark 2:2-5

 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

“I’m hungry!” we complained. “I see”, said my mother with a knowing smile. “Well, feel free to grab an apple!” Not surprising, we were not hungry for an apple and had set our sights on the cookie jar.  In truth, we were not hungry at all,  just bored and in search of a quick fix…something to satisfy something inside us that we could not quite name.  How easily we learn the signals our bodies give that alert us of our need for food, drink, or sleep.  A growling tummy, a dry mouth or heavy eyelids are discernable clues!  But, what about the yearning of our souls…that “something” inside us that needs God and hungers to be filled up with Him?

Can you feel it when your soul hungers for God?

I’ve read this passage many times, but today what lifts up off the pages is the hunger that filled the air in Capernaum! Notice the crowd who came hungry to hear Jesus preach the word, the four men who arrived hungry for a healing, and the paralyzed man who ached for legs that could walk.  Our hungers are designed to lead us to places that will fill and satisfy  us, body and soul.   The problem isn’t usually that we won’t follow our hungers to nourishment but rather, that we are woefully inclined to plug-up our hungers with temporal things.  We set our sights on the cookie jar when what we really need is Jesus!

It is a challenge to recognize our hunger for God amidst the noise and distractions of modern life. To do so, we must pay attention and tolerate the discomfort of hunger pains long enough to understand them. Then we must let our hunger for God move and motivate us to get to Jesus!

And, if there is no room even outside the door, then we must follow our hunger to the roof and start digging!

We may need to turn off the television, put away our cellphones and patiently learn how to enter His presence. Ten minutes on our knees, an unhurried reading of Scripture, time spent in silence or praying with a friend place us on the mat before Jesus.

It is where our deepest longings are satisfied and where that something within us gets loved by Someone named Jesus.

“Jesus, help me to recognize my soul’s hunger for you and guide me into your presence. I thank you that you wait for me to notice you and are eager and generous to love me. Amen.”

What about you?

Can you feel it when your soul is hungry for God?

What are the obstacles that get in your way…of getting to Jesus?

What helps you enter His presence?

I pray you will follow your hunger pains to Jesus.  He longs to fill our souls with love.

“In His presence is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Copyrighted.com Registered & Protected
JR47-GOQA-1HNC-DDIX

Worship