But upon watching it for the first time, I wrote down pages of notes, things I wanted to remember--but one thing stands out in my mind. One thing I would have remembered had I never written it down. One conviction really hit home: Piper asked where the people are that count God's word as more important than food, and my heart shouted, "I want to be one of those people!"
Immediately what came to mind was Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert to turn stones into bread. Verse 4 says:
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 when he said this. A couple chapters earlier, in Deuteronomy 6:11-12, the Israelites are being reminded again to not forget God:
"...then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Upon reading these things, I fell to my knees. How have I missed this? How could I have overlooked this for so long?
I'm a hungry person. I, like many people, eat at least three meals a day. When I'm not eating a meal, I'm usually snacking on something. My co-workers can attest to this, they have seen my never-ending supply of fruit snacks that I carry around in my apron. I need food to function properly, and I need it often.
But could it be that my physical hunger is an outward reflection of something much deeper--spiritual hunger? I get hungry in the physical sense multiple times throughout the day; why would spiritual hunger be any different? Why have I not counted God's word as important as food, let alone more imporant?
I know that some of you are reading this, and you think I've lost it...that this realization is much too radical. I completely disagree.
Since coming to this conviction, I can feel my spiritual hunger. I can sense my soul longing for food, for the Word of God. I open my Bible and read until I am satisfied. But it doesn't last long, because all kinds of messages are coming from sources other than the mouth of God. Voices on the radio, voices of angry customers, voices of insecurity and doubt clouding my mind, everywhere I go. And these voices are dying of spiritual starvation. I believe that just like our bodies need food, our minds and hearts do as well. We need to hear what God has to say more than we need to hear anything else. I'm sick of starving myself from something I so desperately need, especially when all I have to do is open the Bible and ask God to open my eyes to what He has to say to me that day, in that moment.
I challenge anyone who is reading this to take seriously the concerns of Howard Guinness when he said,
"Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap, and be faithful even unto death, who will lose their lives for Christ's, flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously, and be reckless in this service? Where are the men of prayer? Where are the men who count God's Word of more importance to them than their daily food? Where are the men who, like Moses of old, commune with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend? Where are God's men in this day of God's power?"
And let's say together, "Here we are."
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