1.26.25 ~ Life was Meant to Satisfy
Good Morning!
This morning and tonight I will be speaking at 3 different churches, here in Utila Cay, Honduras. Prayers appreciated (2 Pet. 1:1-12 (How to never fall); 1 Jn. 2:12-14 (Growth cycle); Gen. 24 (Who is the Bride?).
In Exodus 6-9, seven of the miraculous signs have been completed in the saga of God's people within the confines of Egypt. The hail-fire episode was the consummate event of the Lord God's process in getting all the world to recognize that there is none other besides Him (Ex. 9; Isa. 45:1-4).
The locusts, just like the frogs, the sheep and the goats, are contronyms (positive and negative expressions). The life lessons are more numerous than a swarm of crop eating insects :-/.
The locusts were only going to be satisfied once they had consumed everything the hail-fire didn't destroy. Like the locusts, we have a voracious appetite for life. Whether it's towards the positive spiritual areas like study, prayer, sharing, giving, serving and loving unselfishly or the negative areas such as any of the self-centered activities that revolve around the words I or me, our soul/nephesh desires to be satisfied. Yet, too often, like the generation that is pure in their lofty eyes and disrespectful towards authority ... (2 Tim. 3:1-5) and just like the grave, hell and destruction, the barren womb, the earth not filled with water and fire...they all crave more and more, saying 'it is not enough/dai' (Prov. 30:11-16).
Life is about evaluation. When we look at details of life we often determine the end result of those activities by how we 'felt' they went. We are always evaluating and working to make things better. Many find themselves yielding more and more of their lives to Yahweh as He guides and directs, having an ultimate goal of being all He wants them to be in each of the five areas that they function in (spiritual, emotional, physical, relational and financial). How far anyone goes in life is determined by motivation and encouragement.
Solomon expressed this 'locust lifestyle' idea to his son when he emphasized that 'the righteous eat/akal enough to satisfy their appetite/naphsho, but the stomach of the wicked is constantly in need of more and more (Prov. 13:25).
Lest you think this is a pious study on not being greedy or desiring more and more of my self-centered world, let's flip this coin to the other side.
This type of eating/akal invites me to devour and consume. We're not talking about an appetizer before a meal. We're talking about a raging fire like a plague of locusts.
Solomon's inviting his son to God's banquet table where you don't have to worry (Matt. 5:6). His kitchen has plenty in the cupboards. In fact, God has so much that those who feast at His table will pass on dessert, because they are too full (Psa. 107:9)!
Somewhere along the way, we've become content with the 'one minute bible' or 'our daily bread' devotional that makes us feel like we've displayed a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Psa. 42:1,2; Matt. 5:6; Psa. 63:1,2).
The condition of the modern church, however, displays a covid-infected marketplace where scarcity and famine abound (Amos 8:11-13). We've become more enamored with our gymnasiums, coffee shops, and golden cathedrals more than being satisfied with His active presence. He promises to fulfill the desire of those who long for Him (Psa. 145:19). A day is coming, for those who seek Him (Heb. 6:3), that a banquet like none other will be presented (Isa. 25:6; Matt. 8:10-12). The poor and needy, the hungry and thirsty will have every longing satiated (Isa. 49:9,10; Psa. 37:4).
In Solomon's instruction to his son, he uses a Hebrew teaching technique of word play. When he speaks of the righteous appetite/naphsho he is punning off of mankind's soul/nephesh, which includes the entire spectrum of living needs and desires. It covers everything from bodily hunger to spiritual desire, from food to bedroom intimacy to worship. Your nephesh is all about you. Naphsho is your appetite for living. It’s the desire to be fully alive. To be totally satisfied with being here. To know what it means to be completely me...that's scary for some of us :-)
As we move through the winter months, and rainy season here in Central America, towards the Spring holy days, we need to have a mentality way past 'surviving'! We need to live life with gusto! A life filled with splendor. No opportunity passes us by.
Life was meant to satisfy! God made it that way.
However, before you go out and buy your 'yacht' take special note on who it is that enjoys this type of locust lifestyle...the people that God references over 700 times in our bibles...yeppers, the righteous (Job 36:7; Psa. 1:5,6; 34:15; 37:17; etc, etc.) The ones who live under the hand of their all-providing Father, reflecting His appetites in this world. The mirror images of God’s heart. They will be satisfied.
Can I have another helping please!?
Thanks for your prayers!
Shalom
In Exodus 6-9, seven of the miraculous signs have been completed in the saga of God's people within the confines of Egypt. The hail-fire episode was the consummate event of the Lord God's process in getting all the world to recognize that there is none other besides Him (Ex. 9; Isa. 45:1-4).
The locusts, just like the frogs, the sheep and the goats, are contronyms (positive and negative expressions). The life lessons are more numerous than a swarm of crop eating insects :-/.
The locusts were only going to be satisfied once they had consumed everything the hail-fire didn't destroy. Like the locusts, we have a voracious appetite for life. Whether it's towards the positive spiritual areas like study, prayer, sharing, giving, serving and loving unselfishly or the negative areas such as any of the self-centered activities that revolve around the words I or me, our soul/nephesh desires to be satisfied. Yet, too often, like the generation that is pure in their lofty eyes and disrespectful towards authority ... (2 Tim. 3:1-5) and just like the grave, hell and destruction, the barren womb, the earth not filled with water and fire...they all crave more and more, saying 'it is not enough/dai' (Prov. 30:11-16).
Life is about evaluation. When we look at details of life we often determine the end result of those activities by how we 'felt' they went. We are always evaluating and working to make things better. Many find themselves yielding more and more of their lives to Yahweh as He guides and directs, having an ultimate goal of being all He wants them to be in each of the five areas that they function in (spiritual, emotional, physical, relational and financial). How far anyone goes in life is determined by motivation and encouragement.
Solomon expressed this 'locust lifestyle' idea to his son when he emphasized that 'the righteous eat/akal enough to satisfy their appetite/naphsho, but the stomach of the wicked is constantly in need of more and more (Prov. 13:25).
Lest you think this is a pious study on not being greedy or desiring more and more of my self-centered world, let's flip this coin to the other side.
There is a big difference between having enough to satisfy and eating to the satisfying. The first is about having enough to get by. But, the second suggests something completely different. The second is a locust mentality. It's the imagery of a feast where you have a smorgasbord of palatable yum yum to your heart's content.
This type of eating/akal invites me to devour and consume. We're not talking about an appetizer before a meal. We're talking about a raging fire like a plague of locusts.
Solomon's inviting his son to God's banquet table where you don't have to worry (Matt. 5:6). His kitchen has plenty in the cupboards. In fact, God has so much that those who feast at His table will pass on dessert, because they are too full (Psa. 107:9)!
Somewhere along the way, we've become content with the 'one minute bible' or 'our daily bread' devotional that makes us feel like we've displayed a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Psa. 42:1,2; Matt. 5:6; Psa. 63:1,2).
The condition of the modern church, however, displays a covid-infected marketplace where scarcity and famine abound (Amos 8:11-13). We've become more enamored with our gymnasiums, coffee shops, and golden cathedrals more than being satisfied with His active presence. He promises to fulfill the desire of those who long for Him (Psa. 145:19). A day is coming, for those who seek Him (Heb. 6:3), that a banquet like none other will be presented (Isa. 25:6; Matt. 8:10-12). The poor and needy, the hungry and thirsty will have every longing satiated (Isa. 49:9,10; Psa. 37:4).
In Solomon's instruction to his son, he uses a Hebrew teaching technique of word play. When he speaks of the righteous appetite/naphsho he is punning off of mankind's soul/nephesh, which includes the entire spectrum of living needs and desires. It covers everything from bodily hunger to spiritual desire, from food to bedroom intimacy to worship. Your nephesh is all about you. Naphsho is your appetite for living. It’s the desire to be fully alive. To be totally satisfied with being here. To know what it means to be completely me...that's scary for some of us :-)
As we move through the winter months, and rainy season here in Central America, towards the Spring holy days, we need to have a mentality way past 'surviving'! We need to live life with gusto! A life filled with splendor. No opportunity passes us by.
Life was meant to satisfy! God made it that way.
However, before you go out and buy your 'yacht' take special note on who it is that enjoys this type of locust lifestyle...the people that God references over 700 times in our bibles...yeppers, the righteous (Job 36:7; Psa. 1:5,6; 34:15; 37:17; etc, etc.) The ones who live under the hand of their all-providing Father, reflecting His appetites in this world. The mirror images of God’s heart. They will be satisfied.
Can I have another helping please!?
Thanks for your prayers!
Shalom
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