Hunger Leads to Action

Proverbs 16:26
A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on.

Lunch is possibly the single most coveted hour of my day. It doesn’t really matter what I’m doing either. I could be in school, at work, or on a mission trip. Regardless of the circumstances, the promise of lunch will always accompany an hour of rest. Breakfast carry’s a bad connotation because I usually have to get out of bed to eat it. I’m not saying I don’t like breakfast, it’s just so demanding of me. In the same manner, dinner is a great meal, but with it comes much anxiety. “What are we going to cook for dinner?” “Where should we go out to eat tonight?” “We had chicken last night!” I could go on forever with the woes of dinner. Lunch is pure though. You don’t have to get out of bed to eat it and you could have the same thing everyday of the week. Most importantly though, lunch is what gets you through the morning. Math is easier to tackle when you know your lunch period is next. Your workday is divided in two by lunch; the morning is passed in anticipation of it and the afternoon is spent in remembrance of it. Think I’m kidding? Try skipping your lunch hour one day and take note of how much you missed it. In fact, the only times I can ever remember not wanting lunch are the days that I was sick and my appetite was missing. In those cases, I didn’t really need lunch anyway… I was at home in bed. The whole day was like one big lunch!

It’s funny though, when I read Proverbs 16:26, the Lord doesn’t really convict me of my eating habits as much as He does of my walk with Him. I am reminded that Jesus refers to us as His workers in Matthew 9:37 when He says, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Suddenly, I am no longer envisioning my school cafeteria or the closest drive thru to my place of employment. Instead, I am rushed forward to a time where I will stand before the throne of God and be held accountable for my time spent here on earth. I hesitate to imagine what my response will be if the Lord asks, “Why did you spend so little time telling others about My love for them?” It hurts me to envision millions of souls on their way to hell because “the workers were few.” Will I be found a faithful servant that day, or one who did as little work as necessary to get into heaven?

May I ask how deep your hunger for the lost runs? How great are your pains for those that are without a relationship with their Creator? When was the last time you shared the message of Jesus Christ with a friend or family member. Just as lunch becomes of no interest to me when I am sick and without an appetite, I caution you that the same can happen in your walk with the Lord. Those of us who fail to spend time with God on a daily basis will undoubtedly lose our hunger for those that do not yet know God. Once we have lost our hunger, we are no longer “urged on” in our work of spreading the Gospel. I challenge you to ask the Lord to restore that hunger in your soul today. Ask Him to place specific individuals on your heart. Make it a point to spend each day in anticipation of the moment you will share His love with them. If you are anything like me, you will find that the more you think about your hunger, the greater it becomes.

Lord, I pray that my hunger for the lost will urge me on to spread the news of your Son.