WORD OF THE WEEK - HUNGRY - 6/2/24

Definition:  feeling an uneasy or painful sensation from lack of food; eager or strongly motivated


Scriptures:John 6:33-35“For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”   “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Isaiah 58:10- “and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Matthew 5:6-7 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

Website:  www.wow-newton.com

Website: www.wow-newton.com
Email:  osnewton@wow-newton.com

Transcript

Definition:  feeling an uneasy or painful sensation from lack of food; eager or strongly motivated


Scriptures:John 6:33-35“For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”   “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Isaiah 58:10- “and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Matthew 5:6-7 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
THOUGHT

If you would rather listen to the transcript rather than read it please click here and hit PLAY!
This week, I was blessed by a wonderful Christian who paid for the opportunity for me and other ladies to attend a Saturday morning celebration of “Extraordinary Women Living in the Flow.” While enjoying our breakfast, one of the ladies at our table told us about the local charitable agency she works for. This agency provides free food for the people of the community without restriction. Anyone can receive food through their programs. Consequently, people from the poorest to the wealthiest neighborhoods are eligible to get free food. She was amazed at how many people they serve that live in mansions and drive expensive cars; many have little to no furniture in their houses and are often struggling to pay for their utilities.
Most of us agreed that people who appear wealthy often prioritize maintaining possessions over feeding themselves and their families. But were we thinking righteously?
That morning, while the speaker expounded eloquently about the Shunammite woman in II Kings Chapter 4, I was thinking about those hungry rich people and what may have happened for them to find themselves in a situation where they had to accept charity to keep from being hungry. Everything I thought about—divorce, death, illness, bad business decisions, fraud, drugs, loss of employment, stolen or diminished inheritance, and so on—was devastating, and I was thankful that I was not in any of those situations. These people may have been at an economic advantage yesterday, but not anymore. It then occurred to me that not only are they fighting physical hunger, but they could be mentally and spiritually hungry as well. “How close have they come to starvation?”, I wondered.
We often assume that “all is well” for people based on their zip code, make of car, family name, position, or some other illusory factor. But neither wealth nor the perception of wealth can provide the surety and security that a relationship with Jesus Christ provides. God has assured those who believe in Jesus, the “bread of life,” they will never hunger or thirst.
Being filled with the Word of God is bread that neither money, fame, nor the right lineage can buy or influence. This bread can subdue the hunger pangs of the belly, mind, and spirit. Those who have eaten of this bread can have peace in the midst of the storm, comfort in times of loneliness, and answers to questions that only God can provide. Although wealth can be used to fill the belly, it cannot give peace of mind, cure the hunger of the soul, nor quench the thirst for righteousness.
If we, as the children of God, want our light to rise in this dark world, we must give of ourselves to the benefit of all who are hungry and oppressed. We must make every effort to share the good news that Jesus Christ, the bread of life, died on the cross so that everyone who is hungry or thirsty for the righteousness of God can be filled.
OH, TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS “UM-UM” GOOD!