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

   Western diamondback rattlesnakes can survive on one meal a year. Can you imagine how much time and money you could save if you only needed to eat once a year? Camels can get by on dinner once a month and wolves do just fine feasting every seven days or so.

   God created people, however, with a need for regular consumption of food and water. Even after eating a huge Thanksgiving meal, everyone is poking around in the kitchen for leftovers by evening. Hunger just keeps coming back.

   Pastor Matt Chandler asks the question, “What stirs your affection for Jesus?” In other words, what makes you hunger and thirst for more of Him? Once we are aware of what spurs us on in our relationship with Jesus, we can arrange our lives to make room for those things. It may be a daily quiet time, regular Bible reading, or study of God’s Word with fellow believers.

  On the flip side, Chandler asks, “What robs your affection for Jesus?” What are the things that pull you away from Him? These things aren’t necessarily sinful activities; they can be neutral or even good things that just become too important or consuming. Does too much social media or exposure to secular worldviews distract you away from Jesus? Do you get so wrapped up in sports or hobbies that they dictate your schedule?

   God provides us with daily bread because He desires daily interaction with us. We cannot survive on one meal a year. God promises a great blessing in craving righteousness, including the fullness that only God can give. He satisfies!

Lord, I am bombarded daily with worldly temptations that pull my attention away from You. Help me to be more aware of the things that draw me nearer to You. Grant to me a thirst for the things that stir my affection for You.