Hungry, anyone?

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Isn’t this cheesecake exquisite? More importantly, it was exquisite to my palette with its hints of honey, pear and homemade whipping cream. I mean, it can’t get any better than this . . . or can it?

In light of my study in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and my battle with cancer, I have been meditating on Matthew 5:6 quite a bit lately. You see, we are seriously considering and praying through alternative therapies instead of chemotherapy for the next step of my treatment. One particular therapy (the Gerson Therapy) includes a very regimented diet (among other holistic methods) for two years. I have already started implementing some of the juicing and restriction of sugar but have not come close to the recommended diet plan or required detoxification methods.

As I prepare my mind/body for what life might be like in the next two years under this therapy, I question if I can really endure such restriction (and quite honestly, the discipline needed to continue this for the rest of my life). I mean, if you know me at all, you know I can hold my sugar (be it a double-doozie cookie, fudge caramel cake, cinnamon rolls or a maple doughnut). In fact, I just love food. Don’t let my lean figure fool ya. To no merit of my own, the Lord gifted me with an unreal metabolism (for which I’m very grateful); however, I’ve abused it for 34 years. The more I read about healing and nutrition, I realize how malnourished my body has been. Even when I was filling my tummy with calories and what I thought was satisfaction, I was, in essence, starving my body of the very nutrients it desperately needed. Don’t get me wrong, the food I ate made me very happy, but the happiness was fleeting and only made me crave more bad stuff. My body was never “filled” even when I felt full.

So, the question remains . . . could I really alter my lifestyle in such a way that the very things that whet my appetite could be removed and I would still be satisfied? When I think “ain’t no way,” the Holy Spirit whispers Matthew 5:6 in my ear. This beatitude says, if I “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” the promise is I “will be filled.” In other words, if I desire the things of God . . . if I long to look like Jesus and know Him . . . if I hunger for His Word and place these longings above all else (even food), I will walk away filled. The New American Standard translation says, I “will be satisfied.” Even better, The Message Bible says, “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.” I have a feeling this type of “blessed filling” will far surpass a slice of apple pie. Unless, of course, that apple pie is served in Heaven.

Even with this encouraging Truth in mind, I told Chris this type of therapy will really bring me to the cusp of my trust in the Father. (It is pretty pathetic food could have such a grip on my life.) Can He really fill me in ways I never imagined? Can He really satisfy when I long for something so earthly and temporary? We all know the answer is yes, but it won’t be easy. It will require asking the Lord to help me position my longings (and my heart) in the right order so my soul desperately desires to feast on His Word over any other temptation. And when I’m weak, which I know I will be and already have been, I can confess my cravings to Him and know He will strengthen me in my weakness. If you’ve walked with Jesus for any amount of time, you know meeting with Him never disappoints.

How special it would be to look back at this very much unwanted season of my life and see the beauty and growth that resulted because of it. Oh what victory if I could proclaim like the Psalmist, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth,” Psalm 119:103.

I pray you might also be willing to experience His calorie-free fullness in unimaginable and unexpected ways. You won’t find it anywhere else.

If I could set this post to music, this would be its song.

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