MEMORISE:
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: Proverb 23:6
READ: Genesis 25:28-34
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
MESSAGE
In His infinite wisdom, God designed the human body to require food and water for sustenance. Being the Maker of all things, He is conscious of the fact that He created us with the basic need for food and drink, and He promised to provide these for us. As a child of God, you therefore need not to allow the anxiety of what to eat or drink overwhelm your heart in any way (Matthew 6:25-32).
Delicacies are expensive, mouth-watering meal received for kings, rulers, wealthy individuals and their companions. They are so temping because they are specially packaged to make them irresistible, and they typically have a lonely aroma, sumptuous appearance and fantastic taste. Although delicacies or dainties are not in themselves evil, they are often associated with evil because Satan and his agents tend to use them as a bait to lure innocent souls into developing an unhealthy appetite for them. In Proverbs 23:1-3, the wisdom of God teaches us not to desire the delicacies of leaders and wealthy people because they are more often than not deceitful meal. The story of Daniel and his compatriots in Daniel 1:8-18 clearly shows that basic food and drink are sufficient and not inferior to exotic delicacies and wine in providing the energy and nutrition that our bodies need to function effectively. Psalm 141:4 also teaches us that eating the delicacies of leaders or rich people can lead to covetousness and lure us into participating in their evil acts. Consequently, children of God need to watch their appetite, knowing that God only promises us daily bread and not special delicacies, because He knows what is best for us (Luke 11:3). Let us therefore not develop a taste for delicacies or become addicted to them, so much so that their availability or lack therefore become a major determining factor in our lifestyle decisions, choice of association and general worldview. As a child of God, be satisfied with what you have, so that you can live in total obedience to God instead of being at the mercy of the rich and powerful. For this reason, Hebrews 13:5-6 says:
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
The unhealthy appetite for delicacies and dainties has turned many Christians into sycophants ad puppets, doing the bidding of wealthy and powerful leaders in order to keep up with certain levels of comfort. I pray that God will deliver anyone in this kind of situation today in Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Heavenly Father, please turn the hearts of Your children who are asleep or backslidden to genuinely seek your face for revival in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 12-13
Isaiah 29:15-30:7
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
o Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
Comments
Post a Comment