“4 Fried Chickens and a Coke”

When Jake and Elwood are rounding up the old band members, they stop in at the Soul Food Café, sit at the counter and place an order. Jake looks at the woman behind the counter (played by the great Aretha Franklin) and says: “Bring me four fried chickens and a Coke.”

That is one big appetite!

We might not have a healthy enough appetite to eat four chickens, but we normally eat to get full and to be satisfied. What about when we are sick or under the weather? We might not want to eat or try but just can’t. We mentally crave a meal but our bodies won’t cooperate. There might also be times when you dislike the food and don not want to eat what is placed in front of you or you might just crave something different. Has this ever happened to you? How did you feel? I bet you felt hungry or underfed.

We can relate this to our spiritual appetite. The Lord always has plenty for us to eat, but sometimes, we are not hungry, or we want something different. We do not always want to read the Bible, we do not always want to pray…and that leaves us spiritually hungry. Sometimes we are spiritually ill. We crave for the Lord’s guidance and love, but not sure where to start. We may even feel lost. Have you ever been to a restaurant and been handed a huge menu with tons of choices? You are hungry but really not sure what you want or have trouble trying to find something you like. By the time you decide, you are almost full from the free bread!

Man cannot live on bread alone. We need to be fed by the Word of the Lord.
-Deuteronomy 8:3

We need to find ways into God’s Word in a way that accommodates our taste and appetite. If you don’t like to pray, try just talking aloud without any formal etiquette behind it. Just spill your thoughts to God, he’s listening! Or, have someone pray for you or with you until you are more comfortable with your own style. If you are having trouble reading the Bible, try finding a daily devotional with a message that you can understand. That is a perfect way to start getting into God’s Word.

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.” -Jeremiah 15:16

Dear Lord, thank you for always keeping us fed. Thank you for the guidance that your Word gives us. Give us an appetite for feasting on your gifts to us and let us not go hungry. 
Amen.

-J