“Are You Hungry”

I love to hear how different people come to “know the Lord”… how they come to believe the truth about Jesus Christ and give their heart to Christ. While many may make a decision when younger, everyone needs to ratify that decision at some point…and even that mature decision needs to deepened as life goes on. 

The Holy Spirit is the key to anyone coming to know and love the Lord. You and I may play a role in helping, but the decision is between the person and God….. as they say, “God has no grandchildren.” Our part is being the one beggar who  shows the other  beggar where the food is… one person introducing another person to the savior.  In the gospel of John we read that, “Andrew first found his brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas (which means Peter⁾. (John 1:40)  In other words Andrew said, “Simon, let me show you where the bread is….. I found the messiah…I found the whole basis for our hope…. let me introduce you to him.”

What are other clues in this process? Well, a person must be hungry….who wants food if you’re not hungry? If I’m not searching, then I’m not looking for answers. “Hey Joe, I’ve got answers to life’s deepest question…. sorry Frank, I’m not interested.” If you’re not seeking, you won’t recognize the treasure when you see it.  Hunger is important to finding the food.  

So what causes this hunger. Hmmmmmm. Well, finding our self in a jam can cause this type of hunger. It may be sickness, the death of a friend, the loss of a job, a major crisis in our nation, getting old, etc. It’s something important that gets my attention, that I don’t have the answer for. I’m knocked out of my complacency…. I need help…this is bigger than me…. I can’t solve this problem. When this happens, we experience a “hunger” for help. Maybe I don’t believe in God or my faith is weak, but this hunger can cause me to re-look at God, to re-look at Jesus and his claims. “Tell me once again who Jesus claims to be…. let me look again. I know I need help and I don’t have the answer; I know I’m hungry for an answer…I know I need help…could Jesus be the answer…let me at least look more closely”.

When we cry out in desperation, in hunger for help, God is there to help us. “Lord, I’m not sure if you’re the answer, but I know that I’m in serious trouble and I need help….please help me.” 

Each of us who have come to know the salvation of our God has a story to tell and each story is different …… but it always includes the action of the Holy Spirit. It includes someone telling us about the goodness of God. It’s motivated by us experiencing a hunger that causes us to reach out. And then it culminates in us experiencing the magnificent love and mercy of God… a welcoming home by the Lord Jesus.  

So, what ‘s your story? How did the Holy Spirit light the fire? Who was “your Andrew” who introduced you to the Lord? And what was going on in your life that caused you to be open to listening? Tell your story to others; you may be “the next Andrew telling the next Simon where the bread is.” And that would be very Good News.