(I found this in a pile of papers. It’s something I wrote a while ago. You might have a use for it.)

This morning I awakened early, got dressed, and went for a walk in the neighborhood. This is an excellent time to pray and think about Sunday’s sermon. When I returned home, I began feeling weak, so I awakened my wife and said, “Honey, I’m hungry. What should I do?”

She answered, “Take a bath.”

I did. But no sooner had I stepped out of the shower than the hunger pains returned. So I said, “I’m still hungry.”

“Try getting some clothes on,” she suggested. I said, “That’s a good idea.” But it did not help. There I stood, fully dressed, and very hungry.

This time Margaret said, “Well, put on a sweater. Maybe you don’t have on enough clothes.” I did, but it didn’t help. I was hungry enough to eat a bear.

“Try reading something,” she said. So I found my Bible and read three chapters. Then I read this morning’s newspaper. Still, I was famished.

“What else can you suggest?” I said. We seemed to be running out of ideas.

“Well,” Margaret said, “you could eat a bowl of cereal. And have a banana.”

“You think that’ll help?” I asked.

“It can’t hurt,” she said.

So I ate a bowl of cereal with milk and had a banana. To my surprise and great delight, my hunger was gone. It had worked.

From now on, I’m going to try to remember that when I’m hungry it’s my stomach telling me it’s ready for food. Not for a bath or clothes or reading or anything else. Just food.

I have noticed that people have a spiritual hunger. Instead of taking that need to God through actions like worship, prayer, reading their Bible, and meditation, some people run to the mall to shop. Or they go read a novel. Or watch television. But it is a hunger for God and will not be satisfied with anything less.

Some people are starving to death, surrounded by everything they hunger for.