Being hungry is good!

10 Mar Being hungry is good!

11 March 2026

I’m enjoying my morning Bible reading in a profound way this year. I’ve mentioned before that I read through the Old Testament once a year and the New Testament at least two & a bit times each year. It’s about 4-5 chapter every morning. I’m in Deuteronomy at the moment where Moses is retelling the story of God’s mercy in freeing his people from slavery & establishing them as his chosen people in the land he has promised. For some reason, I’m finding parallels to our story…like Deuteronomy 8…verses 3-5:

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry & then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you & your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, & your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.

Think about that for a minute…When we “lack” something, or perceive an unmet desire or “hunger” we usually get frustrated or angry as if some entitlement has been withheld from us. But God says our unmet desires are to create in us a humility that is prepared to receive from God the very things we need. Our “hungers” are a gift from God to still in us the “I can do it myself for myself” rebellion…when we lack something needful for a time, it is to humble us into a dependent posture before the Father so he alone can satisfy us beyond our expectations. Imagine how God desires to provide in some miraculous way, the very need about which you are frustrated because you don’t have the capacity to meet it…Imagine clothes not wearing out or feet not blistering in the desert, of all places. That’s how God seeks to provide for us.

God also provides opportunities to strengthen our fellowship & calls us to invite others to join us…

• Ladies Bible Study is Thursday the 12^th of March at 10:00 a.m. @ Maryam’s house on Tamar Dr.
• Sunday 15^th March – We continue our Lent worship & teaching series: Closer to Jesus: From Faith to Fruit. In John 15 Jesus says to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go & bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” Our lives in Christ are designed by him to not only have an impact in the present, but leave a legacy for the future. We’ll explore that together this week
• Church Picnic @ the Botanic Gardens immediately following worship. No morning tea, just shared lunch with games, train rides & heaps of laughter together.
• Lent continues & Holy Week isn’t that far off…so let me put this out there again & again & again so you can invite someone who might otherwise miss out…We’ve printed some handy flyers for you to give to your friends so they can have the details…or direct them to this part of our website!
  • Maundy Thursday – 2nd April @ 7:00 p.m.
  • Good Friday – 3rd April @ 9:00 a.m.
  • Easter Sunday – 5th April @ 10:00 a.m.
• A reminder: Set your clocks back one hour on Saturday the 4^th of April
• We’ve seen our financial emergency goal met & exceeded! Thank you! Thank God for his faithfulness through each of you! What a witness! Our generosity is a magnificent sign of his work among & through us. Well done y’all!

Looking forward to seeing you Sunday! Or somewhere in advance!

John