Spiritual Ghrelin

Friday, 07 June 2024

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my GOD” – Psalm 42:1 NIV

When you haven’t eaten for a while, your stomach becomes empty. This causes the stomach to contract and collapse on its own. This contraction causes hunger pangs. Your sugar levels decrease, and this causes your stomach to release a hormone called Ghrelin. This hormone then prompts your brain that you need to eat. This is why this hormone is often referred to as the “hunger hormone”. Can you imagine what would happen if this hormone was absent. That would mean people would be dropping all over the place because they would be hungry and dying from low sugar levels without realizing that they were hungry. Because GOD knew that your body requires sustenance, He strategically produced this hormone to remind us to eat.

In the same way no one has to tell the deer that it’s thirsty and it needs to drink water. It’s the thirst that leads it to the river or streams of water. In the same way GOD created us with an internal switch that tells us that we need Him. No one has to tell you about His absence in your life, the void in your life tells you that. As believers, we were created with the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is why you can be a true born again child of GOD who is miserable and purposeless. You can do all the “right things” that are required or expected from a believer, yet still be empty. A spiritual Ghrelin can be secreted, to alert you to the need to be filled with the Holy Ghost.

“For the Kingdom of GOD is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:27 NIV). There are Christians who materially have nothing that the world would deem as essential (e.g. money) for happiness and survival, yet they are thee most happiest people you could ever be around. They are full of joy and are always a marvel to be around. What’s their secret? Why aren’t they depressed and discouraged? I believe they have the joy and peace the above scripture talks about. All of us have righteousness through the blood that was shed, but how many of us also have the peace and joy? The peace and joy that surpasses ALL understanding. This peace and joy seems impossible to attain as most have not fully embraced and received He that provides it (John 4:14 and John 7:37b).

GOD did not intend for us to live lives that aren’t full of the Holy Spirit. His desire is for us to be filled to the brim. He unfortunately can’t force us to partake of this gift, the gift that has been FREELY GIVEN. In the same way the deer goes to the river to quench itself, we also ought to go to the LORD and drink. There’s a Pedi proverb that says, “Kgomo go tsošwa yeo e itekago”. This means, “You can only help one who is willing and ready to do their part to be helped.” GOD has done His part and made the gift freely available, it is up to us to decide whether we want to drink or persist in ignorance and a life without purpose.

GOD did not intend for us to live lives that aren’t full of the Holy Spirit. His desire is for us to be filled to the brim.