It’s that bird feeding time of year again. I always enjoy watching the birds that come to the feeder…so many different kinds with unique colors, sizes, even personalities! This morning I am reading through Isaiah 58 and I came to verse 10, “And if you give yourself to the hungry…” I paused and asked God what it looks like to feed the hungry. Not that I don’t have any idea of what that is, but if God is asking me to feed the hungry I want to know some specifics about who are the hungry around me, what are they hungry for, and how am I to feed them?
Hunger is defined as: “A strong desire or craving for.” So I realize that we all hunger for more than just food. As physical beings we hunger for food to nourish and sustain us. But we are not only physical beings. God tells us that we are made in the image of God and that makes everyone a spiritual being as well. It is the spirit within that hungers for spiritual food. The physical food that feeds the body we all are very aware of and make sure we eat of every day. But our spirit is often left hungry without us even being aware. The spirit within those who don’t know God through faith in Jesus is hungry to be filled with the Holy Spirit who God gives to everyone who believes in Him. There is a hunger that only the truth of God’s love can satisfy. Once we know God and become a child of God the Holy Spirit lives within our spirit and fills us with all the fullness of God. That fullness of God can be evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
And so when God calls me to, “give yourself to the hungry,” He must expect what I have available that which will satisfy the hunger of those around me. So I realize that as God has blessed me with physical food I can be generous to give others the food they crave and desire, And as God has filled me with the fruit of His Holy Spirit I can be generous to feed others with His love, joy peace… There are hungry people all around believing their hunger will be satisfied with the things of this world, only to be left craving and desiring more. While their physical bodies are being fed their spiritual body is starving. I realize that by having the fruit of the Spirit within me I can feed others with the love, joy, peace…they crave and desire. It is through sharing this fruit with others that they taste and see that God is good! And when they have a taste of God’s love and goodness they find He is the only One who truly satisfies their hunger!
So as I sit here looking out at the birds eating from the bird feeder I’m reminded that I am a “feeder” filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and pray that I may give myself to the hungry so they will know the love, joy, peace…of God and be fully satisfied!