Maybe trying to control my appetite and shed some stress weight has my radar out for all things food; or perhaps God knows that these references will catch my attention in times of physical hunger, but every single day, I am reading scripture that continues to direct my attention to the focus of all things related to food.
Having someone in the house with food allergies, eliminating certain ingredients for the sake of safety and good health can easily leave you feeling like you’re missing out on some of the good things in life. Eliminating gluten, dairy, yeast, peanuts, shellfish can be daunting some days, but it has certainly stretched my imagination on ways around those ingredients, to make an alternate product that can truly satisfy a craving. But, I’m determined to learn to recreate all my favorite recipes in this alternative way, for optimal health.
Physical hunger is pretty easy to recognize with our growling stomachs, fatigue, or just a hangry attitude in general. But digging deeper into scripture about other types of hunger and thirst makes me realize that we many times don’t recognize our spiritual hunger quite as readily as a physical one. We feel it, but we can’t quite put our finger on what it is we are craving. Much like returning time and time again to the refrigerator, opening it in hopes that this time something will appear that we truly think we want, in order to be satisfied. Recognizing that the craving we need is not physical, but spiritual, can be key. Stress eating for me was feeding me when I was not hungry for actual food, but it was a crutch to get me through the moment, mindlessly munching on almonds or crackers, distracting me from what was truly going on in my life… pain and anguish.
In my times of reflection and going deeper in my study, I am recognizing my need for more of His food, as it helps me to redirect my attention to His word in times of stress, rather than a bag of salty goodness.
In John 4:32, Jesus says, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.“ Then his disciples said to each other, “could someone have brought him food? “ “My food,“ said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.“
This scripture makes me chuckle at the disciples because isn’t that how oblivious we humans are so many times? We totally miss the whole point, blinded by our own physical desires for something. He’s trying to tell us something, but we are just looking on the surface level with our humany – humanness. Many times we, like them, are thinking that literal food rather than spiritual food is what we want in times of loneliness or stress. But allowing His food to fill us up is not only a great way to shed pounds, it is great way to shed stress, letting His word comfort us and give us hope for tomorrow and peace for today. So, I’m learning to stop and redirect my mind, to focus on what I truly need.
God, thank you for the food you provide, both physical and spiritual. Help us to redirect our hunger pains to your word in times of loneliness and stress, focusing on doing your will and finishing your work. In Jesus Name, Amen
A FRUITFUL LEGACY 