Doug Creamer: Are You Hungry?
Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 25, 2017
The recent cold spell has probably destroyed the peach crop in the area…again! Last year a number of peach growers lost their crop due to a late freeze. The recent cold weather was certainly not late, but all the early warmth caused the growing season to get started early. I asked a local strawberry grower how they were handling the cold weather and she replied that they are spraying the plants with water which helps to protect the tender fruit.
I am the most worried about the blueberries. I love blueberries and hope my local suppliers did not lose their crop this year. Some of my blueberries are in pots and I moved them in the garage for a few nights in hopes of saving them. The ones I have growing in my yard have suffered some damage but only time will tell if I will harvest any berries this year.
Blueberries, peaches, and strawberries are all grown locally and enjoyed as often as possible in my household. Nothing tastes better than locally grown produce, especially if it is grown in my backyard. I am looking forward to getting started on my garden, but I will never be able to beat my mother who already has peas up, has transplanted her broccoli and kale, and I believe she even has lettuce coming up.
I ran into Walmart today and was surprised to see that the annuals have arrived. There were lots of pretty flowers and vegetables too. I didn’t look too closely because I had plenty of other things to do, but it got me thinking about gardening…can you tell? The more I think about it, the more I can’t wait to get things started out there. Spring breeds a strong sense of hope in all the possibilities of a new growing season.
The more I think about gardening the more I begin to think about tomatoes and corn and… I have to stop; my mouth is watering at just the thought. Just the thought that the gardening season is about to start makes me hungry for the new harvest that is still months away. I wonder if people feel the same kind of hunger for spiritual things. Are we hungry for more of God’s presence in our lives? Are we hungry to grow spiritually? Are we hungry for God’s word like I am hungry for fresh fruits and vegetables?
God is omnipresent. That means that God can be close to me right now as I type my column and He can be close to each of you at the same time. Sadly, many people don’t want God too close to them unless they are facing a tragedy. People are not hungry to be in the presence of God. All the things we desire: peace, joy, love, acceptance, and forgiveness are all found in the presence of God. If we grow hungry to be in His presence then we could be satisfied beyond our wildest dreams.
I have two students who are doing internships at their churches. I see in them a deep desire to grow spiritually. They want to know God, not just know about Him. One of our older church members recently went home to be with the Lord. My pastor read through his Bible and prayer journals in preparation for the funeral. He found evidence that this former member was still hungry to grow spiritually. No one knows everything about God or His ways. We need to cultivate a hunger to grow spiritually; we need to stir those desires deep within ourselves.
Our spirits are dependent upon the food we feed them. Spiritual food is not like physical food. Spiritual food comes from reading and meditating on God’s word. The Bible is full of great stories and lessons to guide us spiritually, as well as God’s promises. There are promises about our finances, our health, our children, protection from our enemies, and many more. There are also blessings from God in the Bible. These are all available to us if we can learn to apply His word to our lives and learn to walk in obedience to Him.
I want to encourage you to stir up a hunger in your life for more of God’s word, more of His presence, and a desire to grow spiritually. God is with you and He wants to reveal more of Himself to you. God wants to bless you as you draw closer to Him. God wants you to discover and claim the promises He made to you in His word. God wants more of you and I am praying that you will want more of Him.
Contact Doug Creamer at doug@dougcreamer.com
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