Hope for The Hungry Soul

"A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." (Proverb 27:7)

Sometimes we will watch a person do horrible things that so obviously bring pain and suffering into his own life and we will wonder, "How could that EVER be a good idea to him?"

The truth is, when a person's soul is starving, he will eat ANYTHING if he thinks it will take his hunger away.

This is why people will keep allowing dangerous people into their lives.

This is why people practice the things God tells us are perversion and abomination.

This is why people do anything disgusting and demeaning.

To them these things "taste" sweet to their souls because "to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."

When Adam chose to eat from the forbidden tree he gave satan permission to establish countless earthly systems that he would present to people for all time. It seems to me that the enemy has basically two kinds of earthly systems.

The first kind of earthly system is promoted by him to be satisfying to the human soul. Satan presented the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as such a tree. It would NEVER satisfy the human soul but satan is a very good liar.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." (Genesis 3:6-7)

ALL EARTHLY SYSTEMS are ultimately from the enemy and the first kind is designed to create a hunger in the souls of people WHILE convincing them that what they are eating is real, satisfying and nutritious food for their souls.

The second kind of earthly system is promoted by satan to satisfy the very hunger that he has generated in human souls by the other kind of earthly system he has established.

The devil knows that "to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." (Proverb 27:7b)

All temptation and sin is intended by satan to bring soul hunger into the lives of people. Everything anyone ever does to hurt another.....every disaster, every disease, every disappointment, every negative label applied to people is designed to cause hunger in our souls.

Then the orchestrator of our hunger (the devil) can easily introduce us to one of the second earthly systems he has designed knowing we will eat from it because our souls are THAT HUNGRY.

The number of these second systems are countless. They include obviously bad things like drugs, drunkenness, sinful behaviors, sexual perverse activities and lifestyles, theft and murder. We think (often subconsciously), "I know its wrong, but I just want to be happy." Then we do it.

These systems also include good things that we use to try to satisfy our own soul hunger. These can include workaholism, amassing huge collections of things and money, multiple degrees, titles, awards, being in a relationship just to be in a relationship, church programs and systems....all of which teach us that "if we just do this - we will have everything we think we need and everything will go just right."

In the end, both these kinds of earthly systems are the same: eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Both will leave us soul hungry and starving for more of the same.

There were two trees in the Garden. The Tree of Life represents the only truly satisfying place to take a meal: God.

God speaking:

"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance." (Isaiah 55:2)

"The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." (Isaiah 58:11)

"The fear (awe) of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil." (Proverb 19:23)

When we turn to the Lord to be fed it becomes harder for the enemy to convince us to depend on earthly systems to be fed and satisfied.

In Matthew 15:32 the topic is physically hungry people who have been hanging around Jesus for three days. His response reveals His character, which is how He always is. He ALWAYS wants to feed the hungry.

I'm going to take the key parts of that verse and cut and paste them together. While you read this, imagine Him applying this to YOU bearing in mind the hunger that we all have thanks to satan and the soul hunger he has generated in us.

Jesus speaking: "I have compassion on you because you have nothing to eat. I do not want to send you away hungry, lest you faint on the way." (Matthew 15:32 personalized)

There are many systems on the earth, including church programs and organizations (institutional and organic) that are offered in good faith with good motives to feed people - but which have their origins in the pagan systems of the world. No matter what the intentions are, they can never truly satisfy our hunger.

This is why so many Christians fall away from fellowship, disillusioned with what are often good things offered by Christian organizations. Nothing of the earth can ever truly satisfy our hunger and it’s not because we are “inferior Christians.” It’s because we’re that hungry in our souls.

However, if we go to Jesus directly - first and foremost - HE will satisfy our hunger and will often do that partially THROUGH our work, church activities and programs, sermons, teachings, education, relationship and so on.

The LORD does not wish for people to live in soul hunger.

Let us, therefore go....and bring others to Him "For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:9)

Let’s stop dining at the table of the enemy.

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21)

Let’s eat and drink from the table of the Lord.

Pastor Mike McInerney

Mike McInerney Ministries, Inc.

Decatur, TX 76234

© August 27, 2015

(For use with permission)