BECOMING SPIRITUALLY HUNGRY

[Albert Finch]

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me. Psalm 42:7

"Deep calls." Our Lord is a seeking God who desires a satisfaction that can be found only in us – our worship and our times of fellowship with Him. We were created for this purpose, which became marred by our association with the world.
"At the noise of Your waterspouts." Our initial response may seem to us as being "noise," but as we continue to worship and spend time in fellowship with the Lord, it will become as a "song."
The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2

If we will be patient and not become discouraged, we will be immersed in His presence – "all Your waves are gone over me."

Now, we are no longer in control. Others will notice the change in us and ask:
Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?... Song of Solomon 8:5

"Deep calls." -- In order to rightly respond, we must become spiritually hungry.

LET OUR PRAYER BE "DRAW ME"

Draw me, we will run after Thee: the King hath brought me into His chambers... Song of Solomon 1:4
This prayer, "Draw me," relates to our spiritual hunger. It is the most important request that we could ever set before the Lord. If we do not have this spiritual hunger, our interests will settle upon earthly pursuits, and we will seek satisfaction in them alone.
Ministry can feed hunger, but only the Lord can create spiritual hunger. This prayer for us to become spiritually hungry will be effective only after we commit ourselves to rightly respond to the Lord – "We will run after You." The written Word is to become a present reality, and experienced.

Thus, we must determine that we will steadfastly seek a closer relationship to the Lord. When He responds to our prayer and begins to draw us to Himself, all of our other needs will fall into their proper place and order, including His CALLING on or life.

But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
The greatest privilege and blessing that we can have is for the Lord to become active in our spiritual life experience and begin to progressively guide us toward our DESTINY in Christ.

THE DEEP CRY OF THE LORD

My Beloved is mine... Song of Solomon 2:16
We tend to seek the Lord for what He can do for us. The Lord knows this, but patiently works within us so He will be able to take us further.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
Therefore, He begins by revealing to us our present condition and spiritual need to know His PURPOSE for our life. After He has accomplished the needed deliverance and correction within us, we will begin to seek the Lord for Himself.

I am my Beloved's... Song of Solomon 6:3
Now we are putting the Lord first, though much of our self-seeking is still intact.
Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for Your loves are better than wine. For Your ointments have a lovely fragrance; Your name is as oil poured out; therefore the virgins love You. Song of Solomon 1:2-3

Notice that we are telling the Lord that we love Him because of all that He gives to us. We are saying, "I love You because I enjoy Your blessings." But again, the Lord looks beyond our self-centeredness and continues His work within us, until we see our need and confess it to the Lord.

Do not look on me, that I am black, that the sun has looked on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my vineyard I have not kept. Song of Solomon 1:6

We realize that we have worked very hard "for" the Lord, even in the heat of the day, so that we have become "sun burned." But we have ignored the "deep" cry of the Lord, and have neglected our CALLING in His kingdom (vineyard).
Therefore, He allows our circumstances to become a problem to us, which will result in "our mother's sons" (those we are close to) becoming angry with us. All of the things that we had depended on have suddenly become an enemy. Now we realize that we must have the Lord Himself, and we cry out for satisfaction.

FEED MY SHEEP

Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You feed, where do You lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of Your companions? Song of Solomon 1:7
Finally, we discover that we can no longer be satisfied to drink from the overflow of another's blessing, or to feed upon the testimony or experience of another, and we began to look for the Lord Himself. Immediately, the Lord responds:
"If you know not, most beautiful among women, go in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents" (Song of Solomon 1:8).

The Lord is telling us that we should feed the sheep he has put in our lives (feed your kids). Without the mentorship of someone who has an active, personal relationship with Him, the spiritual path can be obscure to "baby Christians".

"He saith unto him, 'Feed my sheep.' He saith unto him the third time....'Feed my sheep.'" - John 21:16,17

"THERE I WILL GIVE YOU MY LOVES"

Now, there is a complete change in our expression, as the Lord Himself has become the goal that we seek.
I am my Beloved's and His desire is toward me. Song of Solomon 7:10
I have come from a salvation experience in which I had been satisfied to escape from eternal punishment, into a relationship in which my life is sold out to Jesus and His PURPOSE for my life. As I long for His fellowship, He can say to me:
"Come, My beloved, let us go out into the field; let us stay in the villages. Let us rise up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flowers, whether the tender grape appears, and the pomegranates bud forth; there I will give you My loves" (Song of Solomon 7:11-12).

We will be sent only after we have first come to Him. Now, as we commune together in the vineyard, we will find all that we have longed for (co-laboring with Him in our CALLING) , as we respond to the "deep" cry of the Lord – "There I will give you My loves."

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
https://afministry.ning.com/