Does your soul thirst for Him?

It was 112 degrees at Trona Pinnacles, a baked desert flatland with incredible pinnacles rising like the sand drippings of a giant child at play on the beach.

My family and I stopped to enjoy some impromptu climbing to break up the monotony of a long road trip. But at that temperature, under the scorching summer sun, it didn’t take long before our enthusiasm wilted under the weight of our raging thirst. We headed back to the car, visions of cool water bottles dancing in our heads.

Unfortunately, the sun had also warmed our bottled water.

NOT appealing.

We drank it because we desperately needed it, but it was not nearly as refreshing as we had envisioned.

Do you crave spending time with God in prayer and in His Word as much as you crave a cool drink on a hot summer day?

Jesus declared that He was both the Living Water and the Bread of Life. Prayer and His Word are meant to be like a cool drink when you’re overheated or a tasty meal when you’ve worked up an appetite from exercise or hard labor. The Bible often uses food and drink to picture spiritual hunger and thirst, reminding us that our souls can only be satisfied in Him.

What Does It Mean to Hunger and Thirst for God?

Perhaps, like me, you desperately want that to be the case. Unfortunately, the reality is…

prayer and Bible reading often aren’t appetizing. They don’t feel refreshing. And you find yourself frustrated.

Some years ago, I was reading Matthew for my devotional time, and I came across this verse:

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

It highlighted what I already suspected: true spiritual hunger and thirst is not just about wanting something from God—it is a deep desire for righteousness, which is really a hunger for Him.

“Lord,” I cried, “I want to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Why is it so hard to enjoy reading the Bible? Why do I struggle so much to spend time in prayer?”

“What are you filling up with that makes time with Me so unappetizing?” He returned.

“What?” I queried.

Silence.

Just what exactly did He mean by that? I wondered as my eyes slid to my latest detective novel lying on the side table.

Immediately my mind filled with the story. Setting my Bible aside, I thought, I’ll just read one chapter before I make breakfast.

Immersed in the story, I lost track of time. Suddenly an alarm went off in my head, and I looked at the clock. Oh NO. I slammed my book shut. It was time to leave for work. Grabbing a banana and some nuts, I rushed out the door.

At lunchtime, I escaped to a secluded spot and read my book while I ate. It was like taking a mini-vacation. As insurance, I set an alarm to be sure I got back to work on time.

That evening, supper over, I returned to my novel. I was so absorbed in the story, I simply couldn’t put it down. My husband knew better than to bother me when I was in a good book, so he entertained himself for the evening. When the last page was finally finished, I went to bed—well after midnight.

Why Is Spiritual Hunger Important?

The next morning, I woke up late. No time for devotions. No time for breakfast. Barely time to brush my teeth. I headed for work but still ended up being a few minutes late. Once settled at my desk, I sent a quick apology to God for neglecting Him that morning. Surely He will understand, I thought.

“What are you filling up with that makes time with Me so unappetizing?” echoed again in my mind.

I thought of the way I had been absorbed by my novel the day before. Obviously, I was hungry for that. Could my leisure reading really be interfering with my spiritual life?

What Keeps Us from Hungering for God?

I shook my head. No. That couldn’t be it. I just needed to exercise more self-control. No more all-nighters.

But as the days turned into weeks and then months, I became increasingly aware of how much time was absorbed in my favorite pastime—reading novels. When I was in the middle of a really good story, all my resolutions to exercise self-control went out the window. I still occasionally pulled all-nighters, and I often neglected spending time with my husband because I simply couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened.

I realized I was willing to do anything to satiate my hunger for stories. I sacrificed my sleep, time with my husband…and most prominently, I willingly sacrificed time with God for the pleasure of reading.

Of course, self rose to my defense. I needed something to help me relax after work and it was hard to find time in the morning when I had so much to do before I went to work. Besides, I never really got anything out of my time with God anyway.

Until one day, after apologizing to God for not spending time with Him—again—the question resurfaced and wouldn’t go away:

“What are you filling up with that makes time with Me so unappetizing?”

Finally, when I could stand it no longer, I whined, “Oh God, why did You have to make it so hard? The Bible feels cryptic—so boring by comparison. Besides, I’ve heard all those Bible stories since I was a baby. I’ve been there, done that. How am I supposed to find anything new…or engaging, for that matter?”

The only answer was that haunting question: “What are you filling up with that makes time with Me so unappetizing?”

How Do You Activate Spiritual Hunger?

I looked at my bookcase and then at my stack of library books—the latest novels from my favorite authors—and decided that God couldn’t really be asking me to give them up. I just needed to make time with Him a priority.

In fact, I resolved that I would start tomorrow.

The next morning, I opened my Bible and read:

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:29–30, NKJV)

Reluctantly, I looked at my books again. I sighed. Lord, are You really asking me to get rid of my detective novels and murder mysteries? Return my library books? If You are, that would definitely be like plucking out my right eye, I prayed miserably.

“Which is more important to you?” He queried.

I sighed again. I wanted the answer to be Him…but I knew it wasn’t. The realization was painful.

But I had to be honest, to activate my spiritual hunger, I knew I had to remove the distractions—the idols—that were stealing my appetite for God.

How Sacrificing My Novels Helped Me Hunger for God

Setting my Bible aside, I stood and squared my shoulders. I would “pluck out my eye” because I wanted to get to the place where God was THE most important thing in my life.

Resolutely, I walked to my bookshelves, pulled out all my detective novels and murder mysteries, and threw them in the recycle bin. That very day, I returned all my library books and even shredded my library card so I wouldn’t be tempted to go back.

I went through withdrawals.

I found myself pacing the house, craving something—anything—to read. Occasionally I would stop by a bookstore and pick up the latest book from a favorite author to ease my craving.

The effect on my devotional life was always immediate and noticeable. So, I would throw the book out again, determined to make God first in my life, no matter the cost.

It took a few years to get it out of my system. But slowly, as time passed, the craving lessened. But the longer I went without them, the better my appetite became for spiritual matters.

How Does God Satisfy Our Hunger and Thirst?

Slowly, the Bible became more appetizing. I found more time to pray.

I’ll be honest—God had to wean me off of other genres of books as well. But my spiritual life has reaped the benefits. Today, I can genuinely say I have a hunger and thirst for spiritual things and as a result I enjoy spending time in God’s Word and praying like never before.

Let me challenge you today.

Take inventory. Be honest with yourself.

What are you filling up with that makes time with God unappetizing?

And what are you willing to cut out of your life to create a hunger and thirst for the Living Water and the Bread of Life?

Just like my family in the blazing desert, we all know what it’s like to be parched and desperate for water. Warm water in a bottle may keep you alive, but it doesn’t refresh the soul. In the same way, filling ourselves with spiritual substitutes may get us by for a while, but only the Living Water truly satisfies. When we cut out the things that dull our appetite for Him, we discover that time in God’s presence is not duty—it’s delight. And as Jesus promised, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

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