Satisfy Your Craving

By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Senior Producer

CBN.com – It was a bad case of the munchies. It was late afternoon and I was craving Cookies and Cream ice cream – the kind that contains big chunks of Oreos. My car was in the shop and I was working from home with no means of transportation, making this sweet treat impossible to obtain.

Deciding to choose a healthier, yet sweet, option I grabbed a bag of grapes from the refrigerator. I’d eaten three or four and was thinking, Okay, these aren’t so bad. Then I noticed the grape that I was holding had a spot of mold on it. Yuck! How long have these been in the fridge? I thought.

So I threw those out and scanned the shelves for another healthy option. Carrots -- those are sweet, right? Maybe this will cure my craving, I thought. After eating a couple, I had to put them back. Carrots will simply not do when Oreos are on the brain.

My next attempt was a bit of chocolate. Actually, a lot of chocolate. It took several different tries before I finally gave up. With Hershey Kiss and chocolate mint wrappers all around, I decided there was nothing in the house that would satisfy my hankering for the sweet taste of Oreos mixed with ice cream.

Have you ever had a craving for something, and it wouldn’t go away until you obtained the item desired? My insatiable desire for sweets that day reminded me of a different kind of craving I often feel. A soul craving.

At a recent chapel service, the speaker was discussing Hebrews 11, the “faith chapter”. He zeroed in on verse six, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” The speaker explained that some versions use the phrase “diligently seek Him,” and that one meaning usually translated for this verse is to “crave” God.

To crave is an intense feeling, as I found out in my search for the “perfect” sweet treat. And it doesn’t only happen with food. Some things that we crave are simple enough that we can go purchase them immediately, if we want to. A new purse, a new pair of shoes, or a new outfit are easy items to obtain, if we don’t mind shelling out our cash for them.

Sometimes we crave things that we have no way to provide ourselves. A job, a spouse, a baby, these are things that we long for as we wait for God to provide them. And sometimes, even after we get them, we find ourselves still feeling unfulfilled because they turn out to be less than the “perfect” way that we’d imagined them.

It’s usually a scenario like that which leads to my soul cravings. There are times when I find myself longing for more than life is offering. I love my job, my spouse, my friends, and my church. I lead a full and fulfilling life, yet something inside me becomes unsatisfied.

That’s when the Lord often whispers to me, You’re doing it again.

Doing what, Lord? I ask.

Filling My place with other things, He replies.

Ouch!

But it’s true. Sometimes I seek fulfillment in every other area of life before I realize what is missing. I let worldly concerns crowd out the most important thing, time spent with my Savior. Without that time alone with Him, I will always feel like there is something missing.

Lately, I’ve had the song “Draw Me Close to You,” stuck in my head. For days, the chorus has been nagging at me. It says, You’re all I want. You’re all I’ve ever needed. Lord, help me know you are near.

Have I ever come to a place in my life where Jesus is truly all I want and all I need? If everything else were to be taken away from me today, would He be enough?

That’s a tough question to ponder, but I believe that’s what it means to really “crave” Jesus.

Do we crave God as much as we crave other things? Do we so long to spend time in His presence each day that nothing will keep us from meeting with Him? Fortunately, this is one craving that will never leave us hungering. Jesus is ready and waiting to nourish our souls every day.

Whether circumstances in our lives are the currently the best they’ve ever been or the worst they’ve ever been, the “abundant life” that Scripture promises will remain out of reach until we seek out the One who offers everything we need.

The next time you feel that pull of dissatisfaction, give into that craving! Grab your Bible and get alone with God. Ultimately, there is nothing else that will satisfy us.