More Hungry for a Burger or the Word?

Food cravings are strange things. And they have been hitting me with more intensity as of late. Cravings for things I would never normally eat, let alone crave, like Chinese stir-fry; cravings for things that I have always loved, like my mom's homemade pizza and a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. Unfortunately, sometimes I get hit hard with a craving that cannot be satisfied, like a Quesadilla Burger from Applebee's (my current major craving) or a Pizza Bagel from Bagel Boy. And as much as I attempt to create my own restaurant masterpieces, sometimes the only thing that will satisfy is the real deal.

As I contemplate the randomness of these food cravings, I begin to think of a different kind of craving: a craving for the word of God. Why can I so often crave a certain food but never crave the words of my Savior? Why can I feel the incredible desire - even need - to eat a certain food, but never feel the incredible desire - even need to immerse myself in the Word?

In one of his letters, Peter encourages believers: ". . . Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. " (1 Peter 2:1-2) Another translation reads to "crave pure spiritual milk". David also wrote a psalm regarding this craving for the Lord: "As the deer pants [longs for] the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God . . ." (Psalm 42:1-2)

It is my prayer that the Lord would create this longing, this intense craving, for Him and His Word within me. I pray that I would crave His Word more than any food - no matter how delicious it tastes.

"Lord, I want to yearn for You, I want to burn with passion over You and only You. Lord, I want to yearn."

A Plan

The Answer Can't Be

Watching the news is depressing. Reading the newspaper is depressing. Listening to the radio is...depressing. It seems like the only thing I hear through the media these days is news of everything evil under the sun. Then there's the news from those you know: someone you were close to passed away, another friend was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 18, and the list goes on.

Sometimes it's easy to ask: Why?

Many people in the world ask the question, "Why would a good God let bad things happen?" Honestly, this question has baffled me for years. I used to always point to the fact that we're sinners and there is sin in the world, which makes the world evil. However, I like the answer one of my teachers (Pastor Brent Olson) said in class last week:

“Why does God let bad things happen? We have to bring that question to the Cross. The Cross doesn’t tell us what the answer is, but it does tell us what the answer can’t be. It can’t be that He doesn’t love us.”

We talk about the Cross a lot as Christians, but have you ever really stopped to think about it? I mean, really think on it? The Cross is the ultimate demonstration of love-- "For God so loved (in this manner) the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

There is a lot of hurt in this world, and while it is not incorrect to state that fact that there is evil because there is sin, but to sit there and dwell on that gets one nowhere. We need to bring that hurt to the Cross; there Christ took that hurt for us. Bad things do happen in this life, but God is still good. God has given us the hope of eternal life with Him, where there will be no hurt.

The answer can't be that He doesn't love us. That is the one thing that we know for certain in this life. No matter what situation you find yourself in at the moment, you can know with absolute certainty that God loves you. He is still in control and on His throne. And He still loves you.