Hungry?

Last night I wrapped up the final class in a five-week degree completion course at Lancaster Bible College. The Degree Completion Program at LBC (and many other colleges and universities) is designed to help working adults to earn their college degree. It is a great opportunity for many who would otherwise never be able to finish college. But it is demanding. Juggling work, family and ministry responsibilities while reading several hundred pages of texts, writing research/position papers and preparing oral presentations is no easy task. And once the students are done with one course, they have a week "off" before beginning their next course. Well, it's not really a week off, because they usually have a paper to write for the class they just finished and reading and other prep work to do for their next class. So I think you can see why I say it's demanding. I have the utmost admiration for these adults.

What motivates these men and women to go through such a tough program? I guess the answer varies from student to student. But there is something that most of them have in common. They are hungry. They are hungry to learn. They are hungry for their college degree. But most of all, they are hungry for God and His Word. They remind me of the way a newborn child craves to be fed (and WILL let you KNOW it!). Peter tells us that all of us need to be like a newborn child when it comes to the Word of God. He writes, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2).

Hmm. Sometimes (far too often, in fact) I am NOT all that hungry for God's Word. How about YOU? Are you hungry for God and His Word? How often to you open it and read it? Are you striving to OBEY what you read? Or would you rather sit down and watch the latest episode of 24 or Dr. Phil? My prayer for you and me is that we will become increasingly hungry for God's Word.

Thanks for listening,

pj