By Rick Hughes
Hunger is defined as a craving or urgent need for food; a strong desire or craving, passion. Thirst is defined as a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a desire for liquids; an ardent desire, craving, passion. God is looking for people who hunger and thirst for Him. Jesus said: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Jesus also said: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). Another translation renders this passage as “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Matthew 11:12, NIV). Loosely translated this passage expresses a powerful truth: hunger and thirst will take a person places in the Kingdom of God! God allows hunger and thirst to be THE determining factor in a person’s spiritual destiny!
Hunger is the ‘X’ factor. The ‘X’ factor is defined as: a variable in a given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome. In other words, your level or degree of hunger will determine or predict your destiny in every area of your life. Your hunger, passion, desire for something will ‘trump’ talent, gifting, opportunity, hardships, finances, time restraints, etc. Hunger is the driving force that determines a person’s destiny in God.
We often use the term hungry to describe someone with more desire or passion than someone else. When an underdog defeats the favored team we explain it by saying they we hungrier than the favorite. Hunger and thirst is an indicator of your future. Hunger and thirst drive a person to go the extra mile, to go above and beyond the status quo.
Desperate people do desperate things. To a person in a state of desperation nothing else matters except resolving whatever they are desperate for. Jeremiah writes: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:1).
Apostle Paul was hungry and thirsty: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, / press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-14).
I have observed in spiritual matters, ‘IF’ you can live without God, without the Holy Ghost, without His blessings, ‘THEN’ you will live without Him and what He offers, because those things are optional to you. However, the moment you get desperate, it appears God changes His approach towards you. If you cannot live without Him, you will not have to live without Him! Jacob’s attitude in Genesis 32:26 demonstrated his hunger for God’s blessings: “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” It was the precursor to the life-changing blessing he received.
The Kingdom invites you to press your way! Hunger is the ‘X’ factor that determines your destiny. David sums up this principle in Psalm 107:9: “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
