I finished my 16 hours of fasting and prayer with a plate of gooey enchiladas I had made over the weekend. My head was saying have a salad, but my stomach was growling and hungry for more.

There are days when a light meal is sufficient, and then there are times when we need heartier fare.

The same is true when it comes to feeding our restless souls. So many times, we fill our aching hearts and our longing spirits with false nourishment. Deep within us is a yearning that we try to satiate with more scrolling, shopping, snacking, or fill in the blank, and when we don’t feel satisfied, we wonder why.

Are you longing for more, friend? I know this desire all too well. In our mindset of wanting more or waiting for the next great thing in our lives, we can feel uneasy and antsy.

But God’s word tells us, “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9.

I’m learning that God places these longings in our hearts not so we search for worldly pleasures and pursuits, but so that we seek Him more deeply. He is the bread of life, the true bread from heaven, and He promises that in Him we will never hunger and thirst again. (John 6:32, 35).

Our tendencies to pursue false sources to fill our aching souls are nothing new. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were known to be a discontent bunch. They continually fell into idol worship–worshipping golden calves, longing to go back to Egypt, giving in to pagan rituals, and failing to honor the one true God.

He gave them manna, but they wanted meat.

Our sinful nature is prone to wander, and while we may not bow down to a golden calf or worship at the shrine of Molech, we certainly can seek fulfillment in things other than God.

What are you pursuing that keeps you hungry for more?

*When we’re tempted to keep scrolling social media, remember that comparison and covetousness will not make us feel better.

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14

*When we engage in retail therapy, the satisfaction of the “new thing” lasts temporarily.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6,7

*When food becomes our friend, or wine is winning over our souls, it’s time to make some changes.

“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.” Proverbs 23:20

Our seasons of craving more can lead us to feelings of discontentment and disillusionment over what our lives should look like or where we should be.  But when we seek Him as our main source of sustenance, when we hunger and thirst for His righteousness, and when we feast on the truth of His word, we nourish our spirit’s deepest yearnings.

He is the food that satisfies.