Hunted By God Part II
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor John’s sermon from September 28, 2025
Let’s Break it Down
Jesus guarantees that those who truly hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled to overflowing. This requires dedicated time in prayer, worship, and Scripture, pursuing God with the same passion we give to our hobbies and interests. When we genuinely seek God, He doesn't merely improve us - He completely transforms our identity.
Key Takeaways
God satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness, but we must develop a ravenous hunger for Him to experience this satisfaction.
Just as hunters invest significant time in the woods to ensure success, Christians must invest adequate time in God's Word, worship, and prayer to grow spiritually.
The testing of our faith produces patience, and we must allow patience to have its perfect work in our lives to become complete.
God is patient with us, and we should thank Him for His longsuffering nature rather than blaming Him for our circumstances.
We can choose to use our greatest losses to help others rather than remaining stuck in grief or blame.
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5 Day Devotional
Day 1:Developing a Ravenous Hunger for God
Devotional: Have you ever been truly hungry? Not just the mild discomfort before dinner, but a deep, gnawing hunger that consumes your thoughts? This is the kind of spiritual hunger God desires us to have for Him. It's not a casual interest or a Sunday-morning-only relationship. It's a ravenous appetite that drives us to seek Him with our whole hearts. In our busy lives, we often settle for spiritual snacking—a quick prayer here, a verse there—rather than the feast God has prepared for us. We wonder why our faith feels stagnant, why we don't experience God's presence more powerfully. The answer may be simpler than we think: we haven't developed a true hunger for Him. God promises to satisfy the longing soul. He doesn't leave us hungry when we genuinely seek Him. But first, we must recognize our need and develop that deep spiritual appetite that drives us to pursue Him above all else. When we approach God with this kind of hunger, He responds with abundance.
Bible Verse
"For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." - Psalm 107:9
Reflection Question
What distractions or substitutes might be dulling your spiritual appetite for God? How might your relationship with Him change if you approached Him with a ravenous hunger?
Quote "For he satisfies the longing soul, fills the hungry soul with goodness."
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for approaching You with casual interest rather than desperate hunger. Create in me a ravenous appetite for Your presence, Your Word, and Your ways. Help me to seek You as eagerly as I pursue the things of this world. Thank You for Your promise to satisfy my longing soul. Amen.
Day 2:The Guaranteed Fill
Devotional: We live in a world of uncertainties. Investments may fail, relationships may disappoint, and plans may crumble. But in the midst of life's unpredictability, God offers us a remarkable guarantee: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. This isn't a suggestion or a possibility—it's a divine promise. When we approach God with genuine spiritual hunger, satisfaction is guaranteed. Yet many of us continue to feel empty, wondering why our spiritual lives lack vibrancy and power. Perhaps we've been filling ourselves with spiritual junk food—quick fixes and shallow experiences that temporarily satisfy but provide no lasting nourishment. Or maybe we expect transformation without investment, like hoping to catch fish without ever casting a line. God's promise is clear: He will fill those who truly hunger for Him. But we must come with genuine appetite, ready to feast on His Word, linger in His presence, and pursue righteousness with our whole hearts. When we do, He never fails to satisfy.
Bible Verse
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." - Matthew 5:6
Reflection Question
What does it mean to truly hunger and thirst for righteousness in your daily life? In what areas have you been expecting spiritual growth without investing adequate time with God?
Quote "There's not a single deer hunter alive who'd expect a trophy buck without spending adequate time in the woods. How many Christians expect a solid walk without spending time in the word, Adequate time in the word."
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise to fill those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Forgive me for the times I've expected spiritual growth without investing in our relationship. Awaken in me a genuine hunger for You that drives me to seek You daily. I trust Your promise to fill me as I pursue You wholeheartedly. Amen.
Day 3:Beyond Self-Improvement
Devotional: Our culture is obsessed with self-improvement. We're constantly encouraged to become better versions of ourselves through new habits, mindsets, or techniques. This thinking often seeps into our spiritual lives too, where we approach God as a means to become slightly improved versions of ourselves. But God offers something far more radical than self-improvement. He doesn't just make us better—He makes us new. The transformation He provides isn't about enhancing our existing identity but receiving an entirely new one in Christ. This profound change doesn't come through our own efforts or determination. It comes through surrender to the person of Jesus Christ, who doesn't merely improve us but recreates us from the inside out. When we truly hunger for God, we're not seeking minor adjustments to our character but complete transformation through His power. God's patience with us is extraordinary. Even when we approach Him with misguided expectations, He gently redirects our hunger toward the true satisfaction only He can provide—not self-improvement, but Spirit-empowered transformation.
Bible Verse
"Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus." - Romans 15:5
Reflection Question
In what ways have you been seeking self-improvement rather than true transformation? What would it look like to surrender to God's transforming work rather than trying to become a better version of yourself?
Quote "I want to change for the better, Pastor John. I want to be a better person. Only God can make you better. In fact, God doesn't make you better. He changes you so that you are someone you've never been before."
Prayer
God of patience and comfort, forgive me for the times I've reduced Your work to mere self-improvement. I recognize that You don't just want to make me better—You want to make me new. Help me surrender completely to Your transforming power. Thank You for Your patience with me as I learn to hunger for true change that only comes through Jesus. Amen.
Day 4:The Pursuit of What Matters
Devotional: What we value, we pursue. It's a simple truth that reveals itself in how we spend our time, energy, and resources. When something truly matters to us, we make room for it regardless of how busy life becomes. The same principle applies to our relationship with God. Our spiritual hunger is revealed not by our words but by our actions—by how earnestly we seek Him in the midst of our crowded lives. The language of Proverbs 2 is striking in its intensity: treasure, incline, apply, cry out, lift up, seek, search. These aren't casual suggestions but passionate commands for those who truly hunger for God. Many of us claim to value our relationship with God above all else, yet our calendars tell a different story. We find time for entertainment, hobbies, and social media, but struggle to carve out moments for prayer and Scripture. The truth is painfully simple: if God is truly important to us, we will make time for Him. God invites us to examine our priorities honestly and to pursue Him with the same passion we give to what we truly value.
Bible Verse
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." - Proverbs 2:1-5
Reflection Question
Looking at how you spend your time, what does your schedule reveal about what you truly value? What practical changes could you make to demonstrate that your relationship with God is a treasure worth seeking?
Quote "If it's important to you, you'll make time for it."
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for claiming You're my priority while my actions show otherwise. Help me to treasure Your commands and seek You as earnestly as I pursue the things I value most. Rearrange my priorities and my schedule to reflect a genuine hunger for Your presence. Thank You for being patient as I learn to seek You with my whole heart. Amen.
Day 5:From Mourning to Joy
Devotional: Life brings losses—sometimes devastating ones that leave us questioning God's goodness and wondering if joy will ever return. In these dark valleys, we may find ourselves stuck in perpetual mourning, unable to imagine a future beyond our grief. Yet even in our deepest pain, God offers a remarkable exchange: the oil of joy for mourning. This isn't a call to deny our grief or pretend everything is fine. Rather, it's an invitation to trust that God can bring beauty from ashes and transform our greatest losses into sources of blessing—not just for ourselves, but for others. The journey from mourning to joy is rarely quick or straightforward. It requires a choice to trust God's goodness even when circumstances suggest otherwise. It means acknowledging that while we may not understand God's ways, we can trust His heart. And sometimes, it means accepting that we are where we are partly by our own choices, not just by God's hand. God never delights in our suffering. But He promises to walk with us through it, gradually transforming our mourning into joy as we trust Him with our broken hearts.
Bible Verse
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4
Reflection Question
What loss or disappointment are you still mourning? How might God be inviting you to trust Him to bring joy from this situation, not just for yourself but potentially for others?
Quote "The Bible says that it can. It says that God gives us the oil of joy for mourning. That's what it says. But man, it's a choice, isn't it?"
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise to exchange my mourning for joy. I bring before You the losses and disappointments that still cause me pain. Help me to trust Your goodness even when I don't understand Your ways. Show me how You might use even my greatest losses to bring blessing to others. Thank You for walking with me through every valley and leading me toward joy. Amen.