“A sated man loathes honey,
But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.”
Proverbs 27:7
Proverbs 16:16 declares, “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.” If getting wisdom is better than getting gold, I can rejoice when God gives me hunger. Anyone who is hungry longs to eat and dreams of abundance. I think the desire for abundance is built into being human. Sometimes God actually give us abundance, but usually more hunger comes along with it. In this sense I am always going to be in a state of hunger. This is okay, because the abundance God intendeds for me, is with Him in heaven.
I suppose that if I had in my possession everything that I ever wanted, if I had true abundance, I would be sated. To be sated means not to be hungry, but rather to be full. During the holidays I ate some large meals and I was stuffed, I could not eat another bite – after the second piece of cake that is. At such a time even the idea of more dessert was loathsome – “A sated man loathes honey.” In such a state, when I’ve had my fill, I am no longer hungry and I actually turn away from good and tasty things. Not so when I’m starving on a diet – then anything looks good. In this regard hunger is my ally. It works for me to make me attracted to good things. It works for me it urges me on. It enables me to truly enjoy every good thing given to me. But to the degree that I am sated, I will not enjoy such gifts as much – there is even a danger that I will turn away from good things when I am sated.
I must therefore live in tension – and be glad about it. I will always desire abundance – this is God’s design to motivate me to seek Him in heaven. Even when I receive abundance now, there will always be something more I desire. In withholding abundance God blesses me by producing in me an effective drive that urges me to seek abundance and it also creates a deep gratitude, thankfulness, and enjoyment of those provisions that meet my daily needs.
On top of God’s blessings in keeping me hungry He adds the blessing of learning wisdom. If only greater insight and understanding of Proverbs 16:26 were the reward of hunger it would be worth it because getting wisdom is better than getting gold. I suspect, however, that the blessings of wisdom extend much further than an appreciation of Proverbs and will yield rich dividends all my days.
Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with hunger. Let it go to work for me. Let me be diligent in my work, let me be thankful for your provisions and your blessings, more than that grant me a longing for true abundance and draw me all my days toward my eternal inheritance in you. In Jesus name. Amen.
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