THE RICHEST FOOD by Nicole Byrum

I have always loved Thanksgiving. Not only do we celebrate my birthday at our family gatherings, but I love the feel of the whole day. One of my favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions is going for an early morning run. Sometimes this looks like an organized Turkey Trot and other times it looks like running with a few friends around our hometown. I firmly believe this tradition makes all the wonderful Thanksgiving food taste even better. The hungrier you are, the better the food seems to be.

This was certainly true for me on July 13, 2014. The previous day I had completed my first half-ironman in Muncie, Indiana (a race consisting of a 1.2-mile open water swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run.) To the glory of God, I finished safely and in a decent time! One might naturally assume I would be starving after all of that activity, but I ate less that afternoon and evening than I would on any other given day. I wasn’t all that surprised by my lack of appetite. At that point in my life, I had completed several marathons, so I knew the great hunger would not come immediately following the race—it would come the next day.

And oh boy, it came! The problem was we spent the entire day after the race in a car driving to the east coast for vacation. Despite consuming an abundance of road-trip snacks (and whatever lunch food we ate that day), I was constantly hungry and had a headache. As evening approached, we came upon Penn Alps, a buffet restaurant in Maryland. Little did I know I was about to eat one of the greatest meals of my life! The only way I can describe this place is as the best church potluck imaginable: Ham, fried chicken, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls, fruit, salad, and the pick of about any pie/cake you could think of! Needless to say, after that meal I was no longer hungry, and my headache was gone. I can think of no other meal that has been that satisfying.

The endless supply of granola bars, trail mix, and bananas could not end my physical hunger. What was needed was something substantial, a meal full of all the proteins, carbs, and fats that my body needed in order to recover from the previous day’s efforts. In a similar way, our spiritual hunger can only be satisfied with that which is of true substance. The prophet Isaiah wrote these words of the Lord:

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare,” (Isaiah 55:1-2 ESV)

In the New Testament, we learn who it is that brings true spiritual satisfaction—it is Jesus Christ, our Savior. Jesus identified himself as the bread and water of life in John 6:35, saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst,” (ESV). Filling our souls with the “empty calories” offered to us by the world will never satisfy us. We can only be spiritually full when we trust and rest in the Lord for our salvation.

One last thought in this analogy: Just as food tastes better when hunger is abundant, so Jesus becomes sweeter to us when we are aware of our sin. As Christians, we are to bask in the joy of knowing we are children of God and revel in His amazing love. However, may we ever be mindful of our sin, which made a Savior necessary. How much deeper our joy when we remember that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

I’m already looking forward to all the wonderful foods that will be present at this year’s Thanksgiving meal. I know I will come hungry, anxiously ready to eat turkey, side dishes, and desserts until I am beyond full. And yet, I know that fullness will eventually fade. It is my prayer this article will serve as a reminder to myself and the reader on these two points on Thanksgiving Day: To let our pre-meal hunger remind us of our sin, of our great need for a Savior; and the fullness of the meal be a reminder that in our Savior we will be spiritually satisfied, never hungry or thirsty again.

Nicole Byrum

Nicole is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 14 years of experience in community mental health. She is the author of Remade: Living Free a book written for women in recovery from substance abuse and unhealthy relationships. Nicole also maintains a blog at nicolebyrum.com as well as a podcast, 5 Minute Word. Both focus on topics related to faith and relationships. She lives in Northwest Ohio with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, running, or cooking.