A Hankering For Truth

Let your conduct be without covetousness; 
be content with such things as you have. 
For He Himself has said, 
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?”

Remember those who rule over you, 
who have spoken the word of God to you, 
whose faith follow, 
considering the outcome of their conduct. 
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Hebrews 13:5-8)

We are a discontented people. We murmur and complain when we lack and we are unthankful and wasteful when we have plenty. God suffers with us long!

How many of us can actually say we are content with our portion? How many of us can say God is our everything?

We are to hold loosely to the things of the world. Abraham held loosely to his beloved son when God asked him to sacrifice him on the altar. Noah held loosely to his reputation as he labored away on the ark that God told him to build, even though the general senses was that Noah had lost his mind. Daniel held loosely to his own life when he knelt down to pray to God, even though Nebuchadnezzar had decreed a death sentence to anyone found in such an act.

So too are we supposed to hold the things of this world loosely; our relationships, our jobs, our educational successes, our physical abilities, our financial status, our belongings, our life....everything! And, the clincher, be content!!!  

The tenth commandment tells us not to covet! The definition of that word is simply; yearn, crave, desire, hanker, or lust to possess or have something. Right now I have a hankering for a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream with pretzels on top...Mmmm!!! Is that a sin? I think if that craving becomes to us a distraction and a stumbling block in our daily walk with the Lord then yes perhaps it is sin! God's heart isn't to withhold good things from us, He wants us to be thankful and enjoy the good things He's brought into our lives. But, for our own good, remember our first love! God should be first in our lives!

God created everything. Then He created man to share in the everything that God had created. Man was told to tend and keep the heavenly garden God had given him. The man was allowed to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. My guess...I think that tree must have been the prettiest tree in the garden to behold! I think the tree of life must have been the ugliest tree! Then the man had to decide if he would trust God and live or put his faith in another and die.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2:16

What do you have a hankering for? Hopefully for the living water and the bread of life! If so, read on hungry soul!

Romans Chapter 12

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

My Prayer

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, 

put on tender mercies, kindness, 

humility, meekness, longsuffering; 

bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, 

if anyone has a complaint against another; 

even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 

But above all these things put on love, 

which is the bond of perfection. 

 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 

to which also you were called in one body; 

and be thankful! 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, 

teaching and admonishing one another 

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  

And whatever you do in word or deed, 

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

(Colossians 3:12-17)

This is my prayer! Lord Your word is so beautiful to behold! So perfect and true...cause me to live it out! Lord my desire is to honor You in every area of my life...but You take me as I am and You slowly, gently and lovingly prune me and make me new. God I am wicked and sinful and You are lovely and perfect! Lord I will never understand why You waste time with someone as wretched as me!

Lead me into Your will and help me to cast away anything that would cause me to think or be anything less than what You've willed for my life. My mind see's the physical...I am so weak and marred. Open my eyes to see what You see in me. You see me through Jesus' blood...His sacrifice makes me 'Your elect, Holy and beloved!' I need Your love to be healed and to be whole! I am nothing without You my God!

Newness Of Life In Jesus

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5:36-39)

When we turn away from our sins and follow after the Lord we are made new. God pours out His spirit onto such a one who has been made righteous by the shed blood of Christ Jesus! Two things happen at once but maybe we don't see the one at first. We repent and believe that Jesus died in our place but do we fully realize the extent of His saving grace? God has made us new and we are to put on our new man daily.

Ephesians 4 talks about putting on our new man and putting off our old man. God pours out His Spirit into the heart of a new creation not the old nature. We are saved from the old and made new!

"And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24)

I believe what it says in John 8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." So often we forget that it is God who does the creating! God knows we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to. We think we can do a good work and earn our place in heaven but we cannot! We all fall short of God's glory and there is no chance of salvation apart from complete and total surrender unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Our part is to trust and obey...He does the rest!

Praise God for His awesome and mighty work! Praise Him for His perfect and Holy Word that we can daily turn to it and feed our hungry souls and seek to know His way so we can trust and obey!

God there is nothing else that can satisfy! Our old man is dead and gone and behold we are made new when we surrender to You! Cause us Lord to always look to You no matter what our portion might be for the day. Maybe our portion is peace and prosperity or maybe we are in a time of grief and sorrow... either way, let us always accept our portion with a thankful heart knowing that God works all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! It is God who does the working as we seek to trust and obey!