I’m starving. My tummy is rumbling, and I want something to eat. My eyes slip off the work in front of me and glance toward the kitchen. The growling I hear compels me to look for something to satisfy my hunger. Blessed by abundance, I head to the pantry to find something to fill the emptiness inside of me.
Everything about our physical bodies is fearfully and wonderfully made. There are many sources of wonder to be found in the complex systems God has designed to help us live life. The digestive system alone is a miracle. Each part of our physical lives is meant to point us to the Creator. They are designed with delight, infused with His power, and display His wisdom and glory. The body, however, is not an end in itself. The body echoes the soul.
The physical is always meant to point us to the richer spiritual world in which we are called to live. Physical hunger invites us to satisfy our souls by feasting on the sweeter-than-honey words of God. Thirst calls us to the Living Water. Stress challenges our hearts to discover the peace found only in His love. Exhaustion directs our hearts to His rest. Pain is best managed by the balm of His presence.
This is why fasting – whether from food, television, music, coffee, soda, the computer, or a particular activity – is such a vital spiritual discipline. Fasting trains the heart to see beyond the physical to the reality of the spiritual. It allows our hunger for things of the world to be channeled into a hunger for the heart of God. It puts the physical in its proper place – as a tool to make our hearts more aware of our need for Him.
My Jesus Resolution today is to let my physical hunger pull my eyes to God. Each time my tummy growls, I am going to stop and satisfy myself first with His love. I am going to let His presence be the sweetest thing I enjoy today. God tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8). I know whatever He has in store for me today will be delicious.
Casandra Martin 
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