A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 27: 7 "Hungry"

Proverbs 27: 7     A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

 Proverbs 27: 7.  When you get really full (physically speaking), you feel lazy.  And if you get really, really full  then the very idea of eating more makes you sick---even if what you think about eating is a food you like.

The same kind of thing happens in personal and spiritual arenas.  Once you’re full of success, when you conclude that you got yours and you got all you wanna get, then you don’t feel motivated to get out there and get anything else.

If you ever get really, really satisfied with your level of success or you spiritual standing then not only do you see no need for additional effort, but you may even be bothered by the very suggestion of doing something more or different for Jesus.

You see this when church folk respond to new initiatives with, “I don’t see why we need to do all that.”  When church-folks turn up their noses at new and newly-active members it’s because the idea of the church adding fresh energy, ideas, and activities makes them a little emotionally nauseous.  They’re too full, too satisfied.

It’s better to be  hungry.

When you want to succeed so badly that you’re willing to endure any hardship, face any obstacle, when in fact you relish the appearance of opposition because every adversary and adversarial situation is interpreted as proof that you are enroute to your goals----it’s called being HUNGRY.

When you’re hungry you exert more energy,  put forth more effort, and produce more excellence than anyone thought was possible.  And then, you immediately think, “Yeah, but the next thing I do is gonna be way better than that.”

Hungry athletes make custodians stay way later to turn off the lights in the gym.  Hungry artists, performers, and writers save bad reviews, frame them, and memorize the most condescending quotes ---- as motivation.

When you’re hungry even the bad, the distasteful things add fuel to your  fire.

The Apostle Paul was hungry.  He told the Philippian church that he had set his sights on achieving the “mark of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3: 14).  He knew that he wasn’t there yet/ hadn’t apprehended it, but “Forget my old stuff.  I’m gonna be way better than that” (Philippians 3: 13).

It’s a beautiful thing as a Christian to be as hungry as Paul was.  We ought to mock the bad reviews like Paul did in his letter to the Romans 8: 33-39, asking “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?   Who is he who condemns?” 

I want to be hungry like Paull was.  I want to be so hungry to do great things for my Savior, so focused on my Kingdom mission that I tell the world, “Bring it on!  I don’t care if it’s tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.  Come on if it’s  life or death, angels or principalities or powers, things present or things to come, height or depth, or any other created thing.  You can’t do nothin’ to separate me from the love of [my] God which is in Christ Jesus  [my] Lord !”

When you’re hungry you eat problems for breakfast.  Setbacks, are like Wheaties that fuel your further progress.  Or as James 1: 2-4 puts it, you count it all joy when you go through different kinds of trials; because, you know what?  The testing of your faith is just going to produce patience, and when that patience is worked all the way out you know that you’ll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

It’s a beautiful thing to be a hungry Christian.  Hungry Christians don’t back down from suffering, because they are focused on the goal. And besides,  the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8: 18). 

So let’s get hungry, brothers and sisters. 

Let’s glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.  Perseverance gives you character.  Characters leads you to hope. And hope never lets you down, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5: 3-5).

Moses worried in Deuteronomy 8 that when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; that somehow the people would  forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, cause if they did that then they’d surely perish.

But Jesus Himself said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Matthew 5: 6) 

Stay hungry, my friends.

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577

Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com

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Hall Memorial CME Church

541 Seibles Rd.,

Montgomery, AL 3611