Cravings

Have you ever Craved a certain food?

I know I have! One year, during our fast, I kept seeing commercials for this certain pizza place. It looked so good! They had employees talk about the changes they made to their recipe and how it was so much better. Needless to say, I started craving that pizza during the fast. Every time I saw it, I was determined to go there at the conclusion of our 21 days and eat this pizza. I could taste, smell and even see it in my dreams. It became huge in my mind. Have you ever been here? So, my craving led me to get this pizza after the fast – and as I ate it, I turned to my wife and said, “They lied to me, this is not good pizza!”

It was a funny moment, but it also exemplified a great truth.

Many times our cravings are based on what we see in our minds or through our eyes. Each time we see it, these cravings can build. But just like me and the pizza, many of us have tasted whatever the craving was and been left disappointed. This is because most of the time we embellish whatever it is as something we must have, must do or we must touch. Thus, we are set up for a letdown.

These cravings come in different forms and through different genres. They can be lust, food, money, women, men, power, or a certain job, neighborhood, car or clothing. No matter the area, these cravings put pressure within our minds and senses telling us “You need this, you’ve gotta have it.” All the while, this might lead us to a dead end.

However, not all cravings are bad. Some are innocent, and others can drive us into purpose and greatness. But we can’t ignore the fact that most of our cravings are leading us away from what’s good for us or from what is right. This is because cravings use compulsion as a key driving factor. We know that most of the time, acting on compulsion leads us into a trap.

The enemy, or thief, of our souls is a master at alluring us using cravings. He paints a picture of fantasy and ideas that are not realistic. So when they are acted on, we are bound in shame, guilt, wrong patterns and more. In truth, we all have been here several times. We have repeated it more than once. However, Jesus has something better for us!

Cravings are a part of our humanity. We can’t end our cravings, but we can direct them in a godly manner. In fact, it’s our cravings that God can redeem, leading us into His presence, His promise and His plan for our lives. For example, Jesus can be our craving! He can be our passion, compelling us to live for Him, obey Him, and change in Him. We can find ourselves in His love. After all, this is what we want, and this is what we have been looking for as we seek for meaning and fulfillment. We all have lived long enough to have been letdown by our cravings, leaving us empty and frustrated that it didn’t work out. But our King is majestic, full of love and big enough to fill any hole we have.

Our craving must be for Him! Matthew 5:6 says,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6

This speaks directly to craving God! Notice the power words of “hunger” and “thirst”. Our natural Cravings many times deal in a hunger and thirst for something. God says we are blessed when we turn these toward Him. The result – we will be filled! Don’t we all want this? Isn’t this is our hearts cry? It’s possible for us to have it as we pursue Christ with all we have.

Our Cravings can be turned toward Him no matter who we are, where we come from or how much we know or don’t know. There is no exclusion, judgement, rejection or clique. This is the kingdom of God available to all. When we seek Him or crave Him, we will find Him.

What are you craving today? Is it someone or something?

It’s my encouragement that you turn all of those cravings to God. Let your hunger and thirst be to Him and Him alone. Be desperate for Jesus and willing to live wholly for Him. He will visit you and your family! Your hunger will be satisfied in Him, your thirst will be quenched with Him and your heart will be fulfilled through Him. This is your promise and your greatest opportunity.

I pray that Psalm 42:1 is your place with Him: