Hunger is on the rise in the world. Hunger is defined as, “An uncomfortable or painful physical sensation caused by insufficient consumption of dietary energy.”
By this definition, experts estimate that nearly 800 million people in the world are experiencing hunger at any given time. Approximately half that number are experiencing hunger so severe that they are approaching starvation. That is more than the population of the U.S. Most of the starvation in the world is caused by war between nations.
For every person in the world to eat as well as the average North American, it would cost approximately $168,000,000,000 per day, according to one expert. That is a staggering sum of money. But this sum is a mere pittance when compared to the cost for every individual in the world to have their spiritual hunger satisfied. Spiritual hunger has the potential to be even more painful and disastrous than physical hunger.
Satisfying Spiritual Hunger
In truth, all the gold and silver in the world would not be able to cover this cost. It cost far more than all the wealth ever produced from the beginning of the world. It cost the life of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, on the cross. His precious blood was the cost for God to redeem the world from sin and death. So that people could have fellowship with the Father and the Son, and thus have truth and meaning restored, the Lord Jesus died for sinners.
Once a sinner places their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they are entitled to feed on Him — to find in the Lord Jesus the one food that can satisfy their spiritual hunger. This is good news for those who haven’t been able to satisfy their spiritual hunger apart from Christ. They don’t have to remain painfully hungry.
To a hungry, starving world Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:47-5147Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:47‑51)).
Jesus is the bread of life because He is more than just a mere man. He is God and man in the same divine person. He gave His life so that all may live through Him. As a man, He could suffer death. His death has the incalculable value to cancel out sin. Because He gave Himself for the life of the world, sinners who deserve death and condemnation may look to Him in faith and find forgiveness and life.
Every spiritually starving sinner in the world may come to the Lord Jesus and find food for their spiritual hunger. He is the food source that will never run out. “Labor not for the food which perisheth, but for that food which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you” (John 6:2727Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27)). He will never fail to satisfy the hunger of any who look to Him in faith.
Sin creates a gnawing, painful emptiness in the hearts of men and women. God alone, through the Lord Jesus, can fill the emptiness in their hearts. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:3535And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)). If you believe in Him, you will receive eternal life. With that new life, when you follow His teaching and seek to honor Him in all your ways, you will find Him to be wonderful food for your life. In truth, there is such a superabundance of grace in Him that everyone in the world could find food for their spiritual lives if they would only believe.
It would cost a staggering sum of money to feed every person in the world for a day. However, to make it possible for hungry, starving people to find food which would last to life eternal, it cost the life of the Lord Jesus on the cross. He gave His life because He loved us and didn’t want us to perish. That God was willing to pay such a supreme cost should astound us. Will you come to Jesus so that you will never hunger and thirst again?