The Tupelo journal., 1903-01-23
nth at last he started off with his

lie quit taxing HILL 5 meuaCiHc anu uC-
gan to take the medicine which Nature
gives of fresh air and sunshine and
plain food of the countryside. In time
his dyspepsia disappeared and a
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 awayifrom the allurements of the
world, where God "a 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.
He needs heroic treatment. He must
go to dieting, and cut off from his list
all worldly indulgences, all leshly APP
petites, all impure and unwholesome
associations, and begin to take, in
small doses at first, the sincere milk
of Gods Word. The dyspeptic Chris
tian can be cured if he is willing to
pay the price.
Ruth is a type of the hungry and
thirsty Christian. With soua awak-
ened by the Divine touch and yielded
to Him, there comes al intense long
ing after God and His righteousness.
She is not content to remain in the
old land, with its goddess condition.
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
God was there and His blessing was
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
inspired and strengthened other hun
cry souls.
Hunger is one of the strongest i'm
pulses of tie human body and it must
be satisfied. What can keep a hungry
man from the smoking dinner before
him? There is nothing that car 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 SUI
preme delight. 1t must be satisfied.
1t cannot be drawn away by the riches,
or attractions, or friends of Moab. 1t
must be fed. There is a vast difference
between the idle longing of the soul
after the Righteousness of God and
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 filed, because it will not
rest until it is fed. God loves to see
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 a taste of
His righteousness, and waits until it
cries for more. He never o~verfeeds,
SO as to spoil the healthy appetite. He
waits until the hunger is keen, and
sharp, so that it will be satisfied with
nothing short of His righteousness,
and then He gives fullness of blessing.
Hunger is not a condition into which
one can think himself. 1t is the mani
festation of the need of the body be-
cause life is operative therein. Hun
ger must be gratified if health is to be
retained and growth attained. Soul
hunger is not the expression of the
natural man, but it is the manifesto
ton of Gods presence in the heart by
His Holy Spirit. Gods Word tells us
that Likewise the Spirit also helpeth
u infirmities; for we know not what
we should pray for (hunger for) as we
ought; but the Spirit itself maketh
intercessiop for us with groanings
with intensity of hunger) which can
not be uttered" (Which cannot be
quoted until that hunger is appeased).
Make room for the filling of the Holy
Spirit, by casting out self and the de-
sires of the flesh, and your soul will
begin to hunger after the righteous.
ness of God, and you will realize that
BLESSED (indeed) are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filed"