Why do millions die of hunger when God promises throughout the Bible to feed us physically?

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Lynsey3 said:
I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts but my main question is still unanswered. There are a lot of reasons for hunger but that’s not my struggle. Whether the problem of hunger in our world is getting better or not, millions of people have died of hunger since Jesus made that promise. Why did He make that promise if He knew that there would be all these reasons causing hunger in the world? And like I said, there are many other verses like this. God is all knowing, and if He knew that millions would die of starvation, why did He keep making that promise?
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It’s a great question and I will not be providing my opinion, because people won’t like it.
 
Lynsey3 said:
I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts but my main question is still unanswered. There are a lot of reasons for hunger but that’s not my struggle. Whether the problem of hunger in our world is getting better or not, millions of people have died of hunger since Jesus made that promise. Why did He make that promise if He knew that there would be all these reasons causing hunger in the world? And like I said, there are many other verses like this. God is all knowing, and if He knew that millions would die of starvation, why did He keep making that promise?
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I can’t help you, if I didn’t already. I think it might be a test for us to do his work ourselves at times. And in any case, it’s a good idea to do that anyways.
 
Lynsey3 said:
There are MANY verses all over the Bible of God telling us not to worry because he will provide for our physical needs.
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I am afraid that you are misinterpreting. God doesn’t promise us much in this life. Our life on earth may be full of suffering.
 
People who feed the poor … great will be their reward in heaven.
 
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible interprets Matthew 6:28-30 by saying “Anagogically: God supplies our physical needs to signify His greater concern for our spiritual needs. As His care for the lilies and the grass it outmatched by His provision of clothing for us, so the garments we receive prefigure God’s desire to clothe us with glory and immortality in heaven.”

This confirms my belief that this passage is literal.
 
I think there are several messages in the passages you quoted, but the foremost of them is not to worry. Don’t tie yourself up in knots worrying about things, especially about yourself, since it does nothing but cause you grief.

“27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Rhetorical question because the answer is obvious.

As far as getting fed? Perhaps by “seeking his kingdom and his righteousness”, by following “the way”, these problems become academic. People who voluntarily come together and truly love their neighbor do quite well as a community.

Even in those cases where there are not enough resources and people starve, worrying about it won’t help one bit.
 
I think verse 33 is perhaps the key to understand all these. Seek the Kingdom of God first. It is to change our paradigm. Everything about and around us have to be seen through the eyes of faith.
 
If there is no god, then people who die unjustly will never experience justice.

Death is not the problem, we all die, but remember God can raise us all up to a greater good life after death. From my understanding of the Bible, the poor and oppressed will have an easier journey into heaven. the rich have taken their reward in advance here on Earth. When you read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, it seems better to die of grinding poverty and hunger rather than wealth.
 
Lynsey3 said:
So why do millions die of hunger, dehydration, and lack of shelter? It seems that God isn’t keeping His promises?
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These sorts of questions come up here all the time. I was going to leave this one alone, but after scanning the responses, I’ll chip in.

You’ve answered your own question by the very verses you quoted: “Do not worry about your life…” and “Why do you worry about clothes…?” and goes on to say “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…”

There are, as you say, other verses like this; but there are also other verses talking about putting God first–Abraham sacrificing Isaac, for example, or Jesus telling disciples to leave their families and follow him.

To me it’s obvious. It’s simply giving a simple message, over and over: God comes first, your needs come second. The rest, as I’ve said before, is details thrown in for emphasis.

As for a “promise” to feed you, clothe you, etc. it’s very similar to another thread here: “Is it wrong not to pray for things to change, based on the assumption that God won’t answer my prayers?” from February. You pray for a new Mercedes Benz, a la Janis Joplin. You don’t get it. Is God lying when he said “Ask and you shall receive”?
 
Thank you everyone but still, my question remains unanswered. My only question: Why did God make these promises? Here are more verses that address physical hunger.

Psalm 34:10 - “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.”

Luke 12:24 “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”

Proverbs 10:3 The LORD will not allow a righteous person to starve, but he intentionally ignores the desires of a wicked person.

Psalm 107:9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

Psalm 146:7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners.

Psalm 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
 
Lynsey3 said:
Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.
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We are the hands and feet of our Lord, whilst we spend our time here on Earth.

The story of Lazarus tells how he died hungry, he spent his life hoping for the droppings from the rich man’s table. Lazarus goes to heaven where he will never go hungry again, the outcome for the rich man in hell seems frightening.
 
I agree with what you say. But… why did God promise to feed us if He knew that Christians wouldn’t feed the millions of people who die of hunger?
 
Lynsey3 said:
Thank you everyone but still, my question remains unanswered. My only question: Why did God make these promises? Here are more verses that address physical hunger.
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And if you insist on taking the Bible literally, your questions will remain unanswered!
 
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible interprets Matthew 6:28-30 by saying “Anagogically: God supplies our physical needs to signify His greater concern for our spiritual needs. As His care for the lilies and the grass it outmatched by His provision of clothing for us, so the garments we receive prefigure God’s desire to clothe us with glory and immortality in heaven.”

This confirms my belief that this passage is literal.
 
They seem pretty literal to me. Where did you hear that they aren’t? The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible interprets Matthew 6:28-30 by saying “Anagogically: God supplies our physical needs to signify His greater concern for our spiritual needs. As His care for the lilies and the grass it outmatched by His provision of clothing for us, so the garments we receive prefigure God’s desire to clothe us with glory and immortality in heaven.”
 
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