The Hungry Heart Series

A proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said,

"O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge." Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, "What do you want?" "Knowledge, O wise Socrates," said the young man with a smile.

Socrates put his strong hands on the man's shoulders and pushed him under. 30 seconds later Socrates let him up. "What do you want?" he asked again. "Wisdom," the young man sputtered, "O great and wise Socrates."

Socrates crunched him under again. 30 seconds passed, 35. 40. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. "What do you want, young man?" Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, "Knowledge, O wise and wonderful..."

Socrates jammed him under again 40 seconds passed. 50. "What do you want?" "Air!" he screeched. "I need air!"

"When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge."

1. Hungry & Thirsty For What?

Bible full of people hungry for the wrong things

Achan – Clothes, silver & gold - Josh 7:21

Rich foolish farmer- Soul required of thee - Lk 12:13-21

Judas – 30 pieces of silver (½ yr.. wage) – Mt. 27:3-5

- What do you want – TO BE FILLED!!! We cry

- When you want righteousness as you want air

- Do I hunger & Thirst for righteousness?

- You will be filled

2. Thirsty For Happiness & Hungry For Fulfillment

So we look for it in our own way

Jeremiah 2:13 (AV)

13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

We hold onto leaky stagnant water

He offers a fountain of living water

3. David’s Thirst

He cried out for the water brooks

Psalm 42:1–2 (AV)

1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 63:1 (AV)

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

4. A Struggle In Ps 107

Wanders that were tired & confused - Ps 107:4-7

- Then the focus on God

Psalm 107:9 (AV)

9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

5. Mary’s Testimony

Luke 1:43=43 (AV)

My soul doth magnify the Lord

Luke 1:53 (AV)

53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

- Note each found their Hunger & Thirst satisfied

8. What Should I Be Hungering And Thirsting For?

- Wanting satisfaction?

- Mt. 5:6 – Seek Righteousness

Discovered by Seeking the Lord through His Word

Psalm 34:10 (AV)

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

- Women at the well

John 4:14 (AV)

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

On December 7, 1988, a massive earthquake hit Soviet Armenia. Apartment buildings collapsed in upon themselves, and people were entombed in all the rubble. Two of those people included Susanna Petroysan and her four-year-old daughter.

They survived the earthquake, but were entombed alive in the rubble of the apartment building. Susanna was pinned flat on her back, but was able to move her arms, and was able to make a little nest out of clothing for her daughter to lay on. The only food that was nearby was one jar of blackberry jam.

Over two days, she fed the contents of the jar to her daughter, eating none herself. After two days, the jar was clean; there was no more food, no water, and, worse, no sign of rescue. Numbed by the cold, weak from lack of food, Susanna began to lose hope. Fading in and out of consciousness, she heard her daughter say, “Mommy, I’m thirsty.”

Susanna struggled to get her senses, and remembered a story about how Arctic explorers had slashed their hands and given their own blood to one of their party who was dying of thirst. Reaching around in the dark, Susanna found a shard of glass, cut her cold-numbed finger, and gave her daughter drops of her very own blood. Again and again, day after agonizing day, she repeatedly gave her own blood to her daughter so that her daughter could live.

Eight days after the earthquake, the mother and daughter were unearthed. The child came out amazingly healthy. The mother, barely alive, survived only because of her love for her child.