I know in today’s world of slim, abstinence of and self restraint living it may seem very counter productive to ask the Lord in your prayer time to “ increase my appetite”. But I find that is the prayer on my lips every morning and one that stared me in the face with a visual clarity as I watched my squirrel friends feasting at my windowsill today. You see, I have this old chicken feeding trough that my husband mounted under the window of my sunroom where I sit and have my quiet times and watch nature sitting down for breakfast every morning. The squirrels come and literally sit next to me as I sip my coffee and they stuff their bellies with the black sunflower seeds that are supplied. As I sat watching this morning I was reminded of my prayer to “increase my appetite” as I watched a squirrel shoving seed in as fast as he could and noticing his belly that had grown so fat that he could hardly sit in the trough.
I’m sure he was taking full advantage of the plentiful seed as he fattened himself up for the impending days of winter and it’s meager food supply. But I was also reminded of my prayer and it revealed a picture of Gods provision and how in the harder days that I was to approach things.
I was asking God to increase my appetite for Him and the knowledge of things in His Word that I would need to know for the difficult days that seemed to be looming on the horizon.
But here’s the truth of the matter: if the squirrels didn’t come down from the trees seeking to find the black seed in that trough then it may have been harder for them to have what they needed for the cold winters days. Oh they would probably have had enough to get by but what if it were an extra harsh winter. Well they may not survive as is the course of nature sometimes. But they did have more than enough right now so they ate veraciously at the trough of blessing. We have at our fingertips the greatest treasure that will forever satisfy our hungry appetites and “fatten” our spirits if you will for any impending days of hard times but we fall short of climbing down from our comfortable trees of contented living to eat hungrily like the squirrels. We can’t seem to see the value of it like they do when preparing for winter. So we sit on our limbs of comfort and look at our bibles gathering dust on the tables of our contentnent and think that we have enough. But do we have enough. Are we ready when plenty and provision comes to an end? Will we be ready when sickness or death knocks on the doors of our dwelling places? Will we know what to do when we are at a crossroads of critical decisions of life? What if the coffers of cash ran dry? What if our secure jobs ended and weren’t so secure after all?
All of these things are never expected or anticipated but that doesn’t stop them from happening when we least expect them to.
Last week, my precious mother went to be with her Jesus in heaven. As there were many tears at her bedside I found myself oddly standing there in a place of peace and joy. I felt guilty for a brief moment because I wasn’t crying but having these good feelings. But as suddenly as the guilt came i was reminded by the Lord of my veracious appetite of prayer and feasting on his Word in the impending months before her death. My appetite for more of Him had been satisfied with peace and joy at the moment I needed it most. It was the answer to the situation. It was the provision for the difficulty to come.
So, today as I watch my friend the squirrel I am reminded to keep praying the prayer that begs me to “ increase my appetite”. The table of provision and promise and needs met will only be satisfied when we feast on his Word which gives us EVERYTHING we need for days to come. I pray that you will as well seek to pray that prayer. Then, pull up a chair my friends because you won’t go away hungry!
Psalm 63:1-5
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
