Being hungry for God and His Word will lead to wanting Him more. If we aren't hungry for God's word, something isn't right.
Animals and babies know what it means to be hungry. Do we? What does it mean to truly hunger for God?
"I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread." Job 23:12
"You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water." Psalm 63:1
If we look at the world today, we live in a dry and parched land. The world has become empty of God.
"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Deuteronomy 8:3
"I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10
"16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Luke 14:16-24
Initially, all the guests said they would attend. But when the time came to sit down to the feast and eat, they refused. We are called to come to God's feast and eat. Eat His word. When we refuse, when we say we're just not hungry, this is totally insulting. All he did to prepare it for us and we say we're too busy, what would you do?
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35
Jesus: The Word of God; the Bread of Life. You can't live without the Word of God. Don't fast from the Word of God ever.
"Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:47-51
Getting into the Word:
Application #1 Feed the appetite you have.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6
If you want to know about swords in the Bible, start there. If you want to know about animals or whatever, whatever you are curious about, start there. Just sit down to the table and starting feasting on the Word. Your appetite for it will grow.
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." John 6:53-54
The true nutritious food is God's Word. Spiritual walk -- needs to be constantly refueled.
Application #2 Remove competition for your appetite.
18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things." Philippians 3:18-19
#3 Why aren't you hungry?
28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world." 1 Corinthians 11:28-32
#4 Make your hunger for God a priority.
"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13
"2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
This has to be a life. It's not a spectator sport. All you gotta do is go and eat.
Think about the first sin-- Adam and Eve ate something they weren't supposed to eat. What are we hungry for? Get it right. The table is set. Where is your passion? It's meant to grow.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place . . . 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Revelation 2:4-5,7