I guess I will call this the “Silent Hunger” leg of the journey. This dovetails beautifully in with the theme of The Lord’s Table as the foundation for that is that we have need for a soul feast–as we feast on the Lord, our incessant drive to fill that emptiness with food will diminish.
This is very congruent with the Get Thin Stay Thin book. This book has been republished several times by the publisher with different covers and sometimes different names. I get asked a lot if it is the same book. YES, it is. So whether you have the Thin Again book, or Silent Hunger, or Get Thin Stay Thin, yes, you have the same material. Even if the cover has fresh veggies on it or a woman in spandex in front of a sunrise, or feet on a scale (eeek!)…all the same book. (BUT, it seems prudent to mention that THIN WITHIN *is* different! LOL!)
So all that aside, it has taken me a few days to wade through the introduction. I have been on this journey before, but it was 7 years ago or more…I am in a vastly different place and I know the Lord has been inviting me now for a while to go deeper, to be willing to stay longer, to take more risks with Him. Admittedly, I have begun this leg of the journey with some trepidation and intimidation. But His perfect love casts out fear…so on I go into the valley of the shadow of death.
Hunger is a universal experience…even those of us fortunate enough to have an abundance of food are hungry. We sit down three times a day to tables laden with food, but our deepest hunger is not satisfied. GTST, p. 11
Lord, I desperately want to learn–and LIVE like I know it!–that you alone are the source and supply of that which satisfies my deepest soul hunger.
Each of us has a hunger deep within where no one can see…the most universal of all. It is the silent hunger of the starving soul. GTST, p. 11
Do you sense it within you, reader? Do you feel like your soul is “starving?” In spite of all the bible studies I do, the wonderful daily quiet times, the rich fellowship I enjoy, the great church I attend, the blessed life I live…I know I do. It is still there. How can I be SO needy! My goodness!
It is silent…because it has been muted with years of behavior designed to still its voice; silent because the noise of our world prevents it from being heard. GTST, p. 11
I want to know if I continue to have behaviors that mute the silent hunger. I don’t want to mute it. I know that if I allow it to come forth, I can process it with truth. Jesus says knowing the truth sets me free. I believe that I can be satisfied with the Lord. I don’t need to “numb out” with too much internet time or with food or whatever it might be. I can allow the need to be heard and present it to the Lord, go to Him to be satisfied.
Lord, I am moved to ask you…if there is anything that needs to be removed from my life in order to be more responsive to you and/or the sound of the cry of my heart…show me what that might be and what YOU would have me do. Not to win your approval. I have that in Christ and I praise you for that! I don’t want to slap band-aids on a cancer if there is a cancer present. Just show me your will, your way, Lord. Lord, I don’t want my journey through this material to be self-indulgent and myopic…not in an ungodly way. Please help me to focus on YOU, Lord. If I haven’t learned that by now, I have learned NOTHING of value! You are the KING and the Great Physician. I know you have come to heal and bind up the broken hearted. Help me to welcome that but not focus on the broken places, Lord. I want to cooperate with YOUR will. Go to the depths of who I am, Lord and be KING in that place. Flood the empty places deep inside of me so that I don’t go on a never ending quest for significance or to silent the ache. Show me YOUR will. In the amazing, conquering, healing name of Jesus, Amen.
Amen, Heidi. I think I am going to get Get Thin Stay Thin. As long as I stay in the Word and have some reading to go along with it, I seem to do well. Thank you for being obedient. You have been such a help to me!!
Thank you for your continued encouragement, Allison!