by Danny Kang
Picture this:
You’re in the middle of a deserted island. It’s been three whole days since you last ate. Hunger is an understatement to what you’re feeling. Your stomach’s growling. Your body feels lethargic and weak. You feel every ounce of strength leaving your body. You… want… food!
BUT wait! *sniff sniff*
What is that?
What’s that smell?
All of a sudden, your nose perks up as you catch a whiff of something cooking in the distance.
It smells like barbecue!
But not just any barbecue…
Korean Barbecue!
*Pause*
How foolish would it be if in that moment all you did was talk about how you want that food.
“I wish I could eat some of that”, “Ugh I’m so hungry”, “Why can’t someone just feed me”, “I’m so hungry”, “I wish I could just teleport there”, etc.
How foolish it would be if all you did was complain about how hungry you were!
If you hadn’t eaten in THREE WHOLE DAYS, wouldn’t you get up and RUN towards that smell in hopes that you can feast and eat? You wouldn’t even notice the fact that your body is weak and lethargic. The very hunger inside of you should be what gets you to start running towards the hope of being filled!
The simple truth is that the HUNGER in you should force you to get up and PURSUE the very thing you desire!
And yet, this seems to be the opposite of what our lives as followers of Jesus looks like.
The irony is that we seem to stay content in our hunger: satisfied with staying hungry, but never pursuing more. We seem to be content with talking about our hunger and never pursuing the filling.
I love to interact and I get so stirred by people who hunger for more of God and for more of His presence. They challenge me in so many ways, and as I sense their hunger for more of Jesus, it stirs me up to long and desire for more as well!
However, I’ve also come across people who although are genuinely hungry, seem to do nothing about it. They talk about their desire for more of God, and yet it seems like all they do is simply talk about it. It’s very similar to the picture I mentioned above. They love to say, “I want more of Jesus!”, “I need breakthrough in my life!”, “I want revival!”, “I’m tired of being where I’m at!”, etc. Yet, they don’t show up to the prayer meetings. They don’t have a consistent prayer life. They don’t open up their Bibles outside of Sundays. And you won’t find them at revival meetings.
(Please know my heart in saying this. I do not write this in a tone that is condescending or from a place where I am looking down on individuals. I am the first to admit that my life reflected the picture I described above. Before and during the writing of this blog, I have examined my own heart many times to see if I am living out what I am writing.)
Hunger alone won’t get you there. There needs to be a pursuit! The pursuit for more of His presence. The pursuit for more of His Word written in our hearts. The pursuit for more of Him and less of everything else. Hunger needs to meet pursuit!
Hunger without pursuit will lead to frustration, complaint, and eventually apathy.
We realize our need and desire for more, but because that need and desire isn’t met, it leads to frustration and no resolve.
A frustrated heart without a resolve will release frustration. The Bible says, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45) Eventually, this will lead to complaining and a negative view of God as One who does not care for our needs and longings.
Finally, if a heart remains in this place of frustration and complaint for too long, it’ll begin to grow indifferent all together towards God. “I don’t care” will be the words and attitude that come from the person who has become apathetic. They are no longer hungering for more, but complacent in where they are.
*As you’re reading this and find yourself resonating with what was said above, please keep reading as our God is a God who offers hope, breakthrough, and growth!*
It is only when HUNGER and PURSUIT come together that will lead to both breakthrough and growth!
Let’s take a look at a story in the Bible of someone who displayed both HUNGER and PURSUIT.
In the book of Mark chapter 5, there’s a story of a woman who’s simply known as someone who has been bleeding for twelve years. Her story is sad. The story says she had an issue of bleeding that had not stopped for twelve years (Many scholars say it was most likely a cancer in the uterus). She went to all the best doctors and did all she can to find resolve. Yet, there was nothing they could do for her. She was stuck.
I can probably guess that there were moments during those TWELVE YEARS where she felt frustrated. Frustrated because she wanted to be healed, but wasn’t. Frustrated because she was hungry for a breakthrough but didn’t get it.
That frustration probably led to her complaining, and because it was going on for TWELVE YEARS, she most likely began to grow apathetic, wondering and now probably doubting if she’ll ever get healed.
But, she begins to hear about this man named Jesus.
“Hey did you hear about this Jesus who raised the dead to life?”, “Did you hear about that man named Jesus who healed a blind man?”, “I heard Jesus healed a paralytic and that person can now walk perfectly!”, “Hey, I heard Jesus is hanging around those who are marginalized!”
She began to hear about this Jesus, who offered healing, hope, love and life.
She heard about Jesus and that made all the difference.
In that moment, hunger began to rise up inside of her once again! Although there were TWELVE years of disappointment and frustration, she was desperate! She was hungry for a breakthrough!
And this time, she pursued the only person that could give her what she was longing for.
The story goes on to say even though Jesus was surrounded by a crowd, she pushed and squeezed her way to Him. She didn’t care what others would say about her. She didn’t care if she was ridiculed (culturally, she was considered unclean because of her condition). She didn’t care if she would be disappointed again.
She was not only hungry; she was in pursuit!
You see, hunger is not the goal. Hunger is not the end. There is more!
Hunger and Pursuit must come together to see and receive that more!
More breakthrough! More of God! More of His Presence!
Maybe you are reading this and you are genuinely hungering for more of God. I hope this challenges and encourages you to allow that hunger to lead you to pursue for more of Jesus and His presence! Grow in spiritual disciplines. Get away from social media and spend time with God in the Word. Get into the prayer closet and grow in prayer. Let hunger propel you to start pursuing Him.
Hunger is good! Hunger is the start! I’d rather be in a room full of people who are hungering for more of God than a room full of people who are not. But, I refuse to stay complacent and content in my hunger and do nothing about it. There is a world waiting and longing for an encounter with Jesus. We owe the world an encounter with Him!
We need more of God and more of His presence as we live that out!
The story ends with the woman getting healed completely! Twelve years of torment. Twelve years of misery. Twelve years of frustration, complaint and apathy. All gone. One moment with Jesus changed all that. Why?
HUNGER met PURSUIT.
My prayer is that God would raise up a generation of hungry believers who will pursue Him for more of His presence, more of His breakthrough, and more of His Kingdom!