Satisfy the Cravings of Your Heart
The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
— Proverbs 13:25 NKJV
The Robertson house is a good place to be if you're hungry. Our family has a reputation for good food. And with good reason: Kay has made an art out of feeding people.
That's right, Lisa. Not a day goes by that somebody doesn't ask for one of my signature dishes: chicken and dumplings, fried corn bread, pork roast with dumplings, spaghetti with meat sauce, fried apple pies, homemade crawfish pie, or homemade shrimp pie. I make the best homemade piecrust and biscuits too. We'll have film crews out to the house, and sometimes I'll feed the whole bunch of them—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's always plenty to share. I cook like I'm feeding an army. Over the years, Phil and the boys would bring home friends. I'd feed them, and Phil would share the gospel with them. Nobody ever left our house with an empty belly or not hearing the gospel.
Some folks live with what's called "food insecurity." They're not sure where they'll get their next meal. When I sense somebody feels that way, I keep the food on the table and in plain sight. That keeps them from feeling anxious. It's better for their digestion—and their spirit—if they know they can eat all they want.
Personally,I've never worried about going hungry. I have gone without money, for sure, but my parents owned the only grocery store in Ida, Louisiana, our little town. It was called Carroway's General Store. I never had to worry about not having enough to eat. Plus, my father's mother, Nanny, had an incredible garden, and we could always get fresh food from right out there in the yard. Then I married the best hunter and fisherman in Louisiana. So, even when times were lean, there was always something for me to cook. Phil would see to it.
I have, however, felt hungry for something I couldn't name.
For the first ten years of our marriage, Phil was running with the devil. That made me feel desperate and anxious in a different way. I kept thinking that if he'd just quit drinking and stay home, I'd be happy. But he just kept getting further and further into his lifestyle—drinking and running around, going off for days at a time and leaving me and the boys alone.
One night he came home drunk, mean, and ready for a fight. He even accused me of running around on him, which was ridiculous. When would I have had the time? With a full-time job and three little kids and a house to take care of I barely had time to sleep! But since he was being unfaithful to me, his wild idea was that I was too. I couldn't believe it. We argued and argued, fought and fought. Finally, I went into the bathroom and locked the door. I was bone-tired. I thought, I just wish I could take something and go to sleep for a long, long time.
That's when I heard the footsteps of our three little boys. I'll never forget that sound of their little feet on the floor, coming up to that door. Alan had been going to church and loved the Lord.
He said, "Don't worry, Momma. God will help us."
Something in me knew he was right. I'd been looking for help in the wrong place. I decided to take the boys to church by myself. I started following the Lord as best I could. I realized the truth in Proverbs 13:12:
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
— NKJV
It got to where the kids and I talked about Jesus so much that Phil kicked us out. He said I was "ruining his life" with all my talking about God and my newfound faith. That was a turning point. My perspective shifted. I stopped trying to get Phil to change. I wanted God to change me. I became hungry for His Word.
The Bible talks about hunger a lot.
The hunger of the Israelites in the wilderness.
The hunger of the five thousand who sat down to listen to Jesus and then got fed.
The disciples who figured out where the best fish were, thanks to Jesus' instruction.
The disciples eating with Jesus by a beachside campfire after His resurrection.
And God regularly reminds us to feed the hungry (Isaiah 58:10). I've witnessed Kay doing this more times than I can count. It's a talent and a calling and part of her unique roar.
Meeting someone's need for food is a good thing. But the Bible also talks about a hunger that goes way down deep in the soul, like Kay was talking about.
The psalmist David wrote,
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
— Psalm 42:2 NKJV
And
He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.
— Psalm 107:9 ESV, emphasis added
Jesus fulfills the soul's longings for God. He promises that only He Himself will satisfy.
I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.
— John 6:35 ESV
Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus imparted to us the Holy Spirit—so that we will never be without God, not even for a second!
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