Never Thirst Or Hunger

"And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."  John 6:35

Never is a pretty big word, yet in this verse right here, it is used twice.  This is also one of those verses where I read it at first and I see the words hunger and thirst and I wonder how it can be applied in both natural and spiritual circumstances. 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled."  Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  And yet, in John we read that those who come to Jesus will never hunger or thirst?  That tells me that ALL who come to Jesus will be filled.  And it also tells me, by combining the two verses, that those who don't know Jesus yet are blessed.  Think about that for a minute.  Your unsaved neighbor is blessed.  The people you walk past at the grocery store who don't know Jesus are blessed.   Think about that the next time you are walking through the mall and you're getting irritated with all the pushing and shoving and people getting in the way.  They are blessed- each and every one of them.  And every single one of them hungers and thirst for righteousness- they hunger and thirst for Jesus, the one who is the bread of life.  They can spend their lives searching for that perfect thing or activity to fill the hunger and desire inside of them- but it isn't until they find Jesus that  they are truly satisfied.

What a wonderful thing to think on.

And yet, this verse also speaks to me about the physical needs of mankind.  We all need to eat and drink- it's a fact of life.  You know, if I look back at the past several months, and think about things like finances and such, we should not have a stocked pantry and freezer right now.  And you know, other than once or twice, I have not specifically bought anything to stock up with.  But do you know that our freezer is fairly full right now?  Oh, there's some empty space where our two turkeys were before Thanksgiving, but we have quite a bit in there that could go a long way in feeding our family.  It's remarkable, because only God could have put those things in the freezer.  Whether they be from getting an unexpected invitation to dinner, so the things I'd purchased went in the freezer.  Or finding a really great sale price on several packages of something- that's also from God, and it just shows me that He really does care about His children.  He sees us and knows us, and I know that He knows that I have faith in His provision, but that I also worry less (read: less stress) when the freezer is nice and full.  And it is. And it shouldn't be.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11

I talk about this verse from Jeremiah a lot, but it's become such a comfort to me,and it's one of the best ones to get into your head and repeat over and over.  Something goes wrong?  Recite this verse to yourself- it works wonders!  Last week when Andy didn't get paid?  This verse went through my head and I didn't worry about it.  An unexpected expense comes up?  I recite this verse, and I am reminded that God knows all things, and He has a plan.  Some dreadful thing comes up in a relationship with another person?  This verse can be very comforting then, and when we can overcome negative thoughts about someone with scripture, it helps the relationship to heal much faster.  In all situations, this verse can be a great one to give comfort, peace, and assurance, and I have truly felt it's soothing balm as I start to get panicky and anxious about something- and then I think on this verse, and my worries literally melt away.

We need never worry about thirsting or hungering.  God has our back.  All the time. He knows the thoughts He has towards us at all times- and that's a wonderful thing to think on.  It's a great thing to take into our busy weekends when we're surrounded by people and busy-ness.  Think about how God knows His thoughts towards not only you- but those around you.  Think about all those people who pass you by on a daily basis and they don't know that they are blessed.  Boy, wouldn't it be great if someone would tell them?