NEVER GO HUNGRY
November 27, 2017

Prayer: Dearest Lord, We DO need to let our hearts and minds dwell and ‘feast’ on You instead of running to the things that this world offers. We know food and shopping and worry do not satisfy. Please let us remember that ONLY YOU satisfy the longings of our hearts. Thank You. Amen.

Scripture: “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. John 6:33-35 NIV

Obesity has become an epidemic problem in the United States, surprisingly in children as well as adults. As the holidays approach, many of us are already gearing up our will power and kicking up our workout programs so that we can survive and enjoy all of the dinners, parties and treats brought to the teacher’s lounge. When we have a tough day or receive bad news, we joke about going home to eat a whole cake or a bag of chips. We discuss our favorite “comfort” foods and super-sizing. Well, it makes good money sense, right?

Overindulgence comes in all kinds of packages, not just food. We may overindulge while shopping; our credit card debt may be bulging instead of our bellies. Maybe it is a hobby, time watching television, work or any other consumable or activity that we take to an extreme. We are even prone to believe that if we are busy, if we have too much to do, then we must be important. We crave chaos as a sign of our significance. Why do we do this?

Psychiatrists make a fortune from it every year, they call it __________ therapy; retail therapy, food therapy, recreational therapy, etc. Unfortunately, the therapy does not fulfill us, and it usually ends up hurting us more than when we started. The result is usually a gut full of guilt. Guilt for how much we just ate, spent, or the responsibilities we did not get done as a result of the other places we spent our time. We are longing for something. We are hungering for something but we just cannot seem to put our finger on it…

We are craving Christ. We were created to need Him but unfortunately many, if not most, of us do not get our “recommended daily allowance” of Him. Instead of turning to His Word or prayer when the world turns on the pressure, we seek “cultural casserole” or “secular succotash” to try to comfort, quiet or fix our problems instead of turning to the One who promises answers, comfort and that we will never go hungry. He can not only fill us but fulfill us; nothing will be more satisfying than time spent with Jesus.

The time between mid- November through the Christmas holidays can be a “Busyness Buffet.” You have so many things to do at school and at home. I have always encouraged you to start preparing for Christmas in September – or even during the summer so you can actually enjoy the month of December. If time has crept up on you, I am asking you to join me on a “Divine Diet” this season. Every time you feel stressed, tired, overwhelmed, panicked, or like crawling into the pantry and locking the door – pray. Just take a deep breath, praise God for one or two of His unchangeable attributes, remember how He has provided for you before, and lay your trials at His throne. There may be some stubborn trials that try to crawl off and follow you. In these cases, I suggest you pull your Bible out of your top desk drawer (you do have a Bible in or on your desk, don’t you?) and read a Scripture or two, claiming that God is more powerful than any problem. Of course we will enjoy our favorite holiday treats and attend those parties; we’ll just approach them as our snack and not our Savior.

This time of year is meant to focus on God, His blessings and the gift of His Son. I can promise you that it is His will to help you keep that focus. He will not add to your stress, waistline or credit card debt but He will definitely add to your enjoyment. My prayer for you is that you will pray your way through the holidays and never go hungry.

Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]