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Today: Proverbs 7:21-27; Luke 3:23-38; Luke 4:1-13; Numbers 11:4-35; Numbers 12; Numbers 13:1-25
Proverbs 7
So many marriages and lives have been ruined by lust, by the pursuit of sex. We are bombarded by sex in our culture, our movies, music, and marketing. Sex has become nothing but a conquest. It means almost nothing now. It is not considered sacred or special. Anyone who might actually consider saving it for someone meaningful is ridiculed. Waiting for marriage isn’t even a thing anymore. This is a shame.
Sex is the most God-like gift we have been given. It is the way we become co-creators of life with God. It is the closest possible physical union between two people. Sexual ecstasy is a physical parallel to spiritual communion with God.
How we have abused and corrupted this gift…
Luke 4 – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness
Luke tells us that Jesus was “led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (v.1-2) Oftentimes, if we are being led by the Holy Spirit, God will take us through periods in the wilderness. He will often allow us to undergo temptations. Difficult times make us stronger and teach us how to trust God. This is necessary training to prepare us for whatever ministry God has for us. Every one of us who are committed to Christ is called to live a life of ministry of one sort or the other. We need to be trained.
Notice how Jesus deals with this time of wilderness and temptation. He uses Scripture. The words in the Bible truly are our sword, our defense against temptation and against our own human weaknesses. Spending our time with Scripture is an important part of our training.
It is good to be familiar with the Scriptures. That is why I read through the Bible cover to cover every year and have my nose in it every day. That is why I am trying to encourage others to do the same. Getting into the Bible has changed my life for the better in so many ways. The deeper I immerse myself into it, the more it transforms my life. It is truly life to my soul.
Numbers 11
The Israelites were grumbling again.
God was giving them food every day, literally raining it down upon them. All they had to do was go out side and pick it up. And then they made it into cake. CAKE! Seriously they got to have their cake and eat it too!!
Yet still they complained. And Moses was sick of it.
God, he says, kill me now if I have to keep carrying these ungrateful Israelites all by myself!
So the LORD gave Moses 70 men to help. But the price was that Moses lost some of the Spirit of God that had been placed upon him.
So the LORD gave the Israelites quail to eat until they were sick of it. And the cost was that they were struck with a severe plague.
Miriam and Aaron grumbled against Moses. So God responded to them directly. But the price was Miriam suffering from leprosy for seven days.
So do we have thankful hearts like Moses or grumbling hearts like the Israelites? God has showered ALL of us with blessings upon blessings if we only open our eyes to see. Everyone, especially those of us born into this rich country, are blessed beyond belief. Even the poorest minority community in our county enjoys an extraordinary quality of life compared to most people who have ever lived. God has rained the manna of wealth down upon us. All we have to do is pick it up, and make CAKE!
Yet constantly I am surrounded by grumbling about how unfair everything is, how horrible our lives are. Our culture is training people to be jealous, greedy, and unhappy. No wonder we are sick, plagued, and weak. This message that batters us from all sides is a lie. Please do not fall for it.
