Universal Life Church

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY Lori Cahill aka: Lorin Stanley   READING:  Mary's Song - Luke 1:46-57   "He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty."  Luke 1:53   A man comes into a meeting room carrying a tray.  On the tray are glasses of water.  He says to the people in the room, "If you are thirsty take a glass of water."  Those who are thirsty take a glass of water; those who are not shake their heads no.  Those who take the water are refreshed; those who are not thirsty do not feel they are missing out on anything.   But consider this:  What if someone who is not thirsty says, "Sorry, mister, you can't come in here with that water.  We don't want any water, and you're interrupting our meeting"?  How would you feel if you were one of the thirsty people?  Jesus has something to say both to those who are thirsty and to those who are not.   In Matthew 5:6 Jesus calls those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness "Blessed" and promises that they will be filled.  In Psalm 14:2 it says, "The Lord looks down from Heaven on the sons (and daughters) of men (and women) to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God."  God is looking for people who hunger and thirst; ANYONE who is hungry and thirsty for God, He says, "Come, eat and drink".  God is EQUAL OPPORTUNITY; there is NO DISCRIMINATION toward anyone or anything.  He calls to EVERYONE!!   Everyone has a void inside that only God can fill.  People often try to fill the void with things that do not satisfy us.  One of the biggies that most people try to fill the void with is money.  If they can get "big" money, they can buy big cars, multiple homes, vacation homes, seasonal homes, all kind of electronic toys and equipment, etc.  But after the newness wears off, that void is still there.  How many actors, actresses, millionaires can we name who have everything and are still unhappy; some jump from relationship to relationship, some end their lives.  They had it all, but they didn't have God in their lives.   In Ezekiel 7:19, God says, "They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean thing.  Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the Lord's wrath.  They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin."   In Haggai 1:6, God says to His people, "You have planted much, but have harvested little.  You eat, but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."   Another big item people try to fill the void with is religion.  People are constantly looking for a greater power, whether in themselves or other "deities"; they go from church to church, religion to religion, as I can attest to, as I did myself.    The only true filling of this void is God, Himself, and the power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ, God's Son.  As I have found out through my own search, there are many who claim they are of God, but only preach their own agendas and their own interpretation of God's Word.  There are those who make up things or take out things to attract people to their group or church.  I have found that reading God's Word and asking Him, through the Holy Spirit, to guide me and show me the way He wants me to go, is the only way; as David said in Psalm 27:11 "Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.   As Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman who came to draw water from the well and said in John 4:10-14, "If you know the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you Living Water."  She said to Him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.  Where can you get this Living Water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"  Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to Eternal Life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.   God promises that He will fill the hungry with Joy and Peace as they trust in Him and they will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 15:13); He also promises to fill us with knowledge of His will through spiritual wisdom and understanding (see Colossians 1:9). If you are feeling a void in your life and you have searched and can not find the peace and joy of God in your life, go to Him and ask Him to fill you with His love and peace and take the void that is in your life.  Ask God into your heart, to take the dark and replace it with His light, His Son, Jesus Christ. ********************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with theUniversal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar