The Grenada sentinel., 1903-01-17

Aud notice this in regard to Naomi,
God had to take away that in which her
heart was centered Cher husband and
two sons) before she knew what it
was to hunger after God. Naomi is .
type of the self-ss Hisfied Christian,
the. worldly Christian. There is such
a low order of spiritual life there
that there is no sense of real hunger.
Like the pampered appetite, it has no
relish for wholesome food, but de-
lights to feed on the sweets of it's
own will. With no heart pangs it can
leave the presence of the Lord and
dwell in the midst Of the world.
Like Lot in Sodom it becomes inn
mersed in the affairs of great city
and forgets all about God until af-
fiction comes and it is stripped of
it's every possession. Then comes
the healthy hunger after God, and
the longing to get back to Him. How
merciful God is, and how patiently
He deals with the worldly, hunger
less Christian.
I was talking with a man the other
evening who had been a great sufferer
from dyspepsia. He told me of his
years of misery; of his trying this doc
tor and that doctor, this medicine and
that, without obtaining any relief,
until at last he started off with his
dyspeptic-racked body for Nebraska.
He quit taking mans medicine and be-
gan to take the medicine which Nature
gives of fresh air and sunshine and
plain food of the countryside. In time
ia
healthy appetite was restored, and for
the first time in years he knew what it
was to be hungry. There are lots of
dyspeptic Christians. They have no
healthy appetite for spiritual food and
are miserable in consequence, but in
stead of going to the countryside re-
treat away from the allurements of the
world, where God can give the fresh
air and sunshine of His loving presence
and provide the wholesome food of
His eternal truth, they dope them
selves with all manner of man-devised
remedies, but obtain no relief. The
dyspeptic Christian is a sad spectacle.
Ruth is a type of the hungry and
thirsty Christian. With soul awak-
ened by the Divine touch and yielded
ing after God and His righteousness.
She is not content to remain in the
old land, with it's goddess conditions
and surroundings, but eagerly presses
towards Gods land and Gods people.
Yes, there is much to give up, but they
are as nothing to her hungry soul in
comparison to the blessing and filling
to be obtained from God. Think OF
what Ruth had to give up! Her land
and her people, her friends and loved
ones, all the dear associations of her
childhood! In the land of Moab there
were home and comfort and ease for
her; in the new land there were pow
erty, and privation, and hardship, but
better to her soul than all that the
land of Moab could offer her. Orpha,
like multitudes of people in the world
to-day, was not willing when the test
ing time came, to give up all, that she
might dwell in Gods land and with
Gods people. She went back. What a
sad thing to write of any soul! That
it should choose the riches of the
world rather than the blessing of God.
Orpha went back and oblivion swal-
lows up the Moabitish woman. Moth
ing more is heard of her. But Ruth,
the hungry Christian, turns her back
upon everything that is separating
her from God and His blessing and
presses forward, and through every
century which has rolled around since
she made her wise choice, the beauti-
full story of Ruth has comforted and
l, ~4l,
CRY souls.
Hunger is one of the strongest i'm
pulses of the human body and it must
be satisfied. What can keep hungry
man from the smoking dinner before
him? There is nothing that can lure
him away; there is nothing else that
can satisfy. He is hungry. He must
be fed. Hunger makes the dinner the
supreme object of the moment. 1t is
SO with the hungry soul. To feed on
the Righteousness of God is the su-
preme delight. 1t must be satisfied.
| 1t cannot be drawn away by the riches,
| or attractions, or friends of Moab. It
| must be fed. There is vast difference
| between the idle longing of the soul
after the Righteousness of God and
| the real hunger of soul which makes
| it willing to give up anything and en-
| dure any hardship and face any dan
ger in order that it may feed on God
! and be satisfied. The soul that hun
gers shall be filled, because it will not
| rest until it is fed. God loves to see
| hungry souls. He can detect the sham
| longing that the soul thinks is real
| hunger. He never feeds such a soul.
1t is too full of self and it's own de-
sires to let God in to fill it. But the
hungry soul! God gives it taste of
His righteousness, and waits until it
cries for more. He never overfeeds,
so as to spoil the healthy appetite. He
waits until the hunger is keen, and