Are You Willing To Walk The Narrow Road?

 

EAT AND BE FILLED!

         Be fed and be filled! This can seem like a simple concept, most people understand. When you eat some food, eventually you do feel full. This feeling of fullness is both satisfying to the body, but also the mind. Contentment begins to come into your mind and you are without want. This blog is designed to address that part of your need, for food and to be filled with those things that make your body and mind seem content. However, as many of you know, there is a hidden truth that many choose not to discuss. There is a contentment and peace that no one can find with food alone. What do people do when they are sad, scared, frustrated, and even angry? The various emotions can lead many to things of this earth that hopefully will fill that void in the depth of our spiritual stomachs. Some turn to food, while others to alcohol, drugs, nicotine, sex, friendships, religion, and others routine and distractions. Do these actions, things, and behaviors provide that needed peace and joy your soul and mind desperately seek? Well my friend, you are not alone on this conundrum. Many choose different ways and things to help “FILL” the void within. If you will let me, I will share some much needed nourishment, that all of us can turn to, which will not only feed the physical stomach you must fill, but also the eternal part of your being, your soul and spirit.

 

What is the purpose of my ministry?

 

    In the books of Matthew and Deuteronomy, I will show you scripture that this whole ministry will be based upon.

 

Matthew 4:4 says, But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. (KJV)

 

The context of this verse is when Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, right after he was baptized by John the Baptist and  told by God, “and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 KJV).

 

Jesus was led by God to go to the wilderness. After “forty days and forty nights” , Jesus became hungry. (Matthew 4:2 KJV)

 

    Rightfully so, being that He didn’t eat for over a month. Well, what does Jesus mean “it is written”? Deuteronomy 8 speaks on this exact verse. Yes, the old testament and new testament are in sync. They don’t contradict one another at all!

 

Prayer Time:

      Before I begin to bring you on this journey to understand what Being Truly Filled means, please take a moment to pray and ask for God’s understanding concerning “Being Filled”. (Little tidbit: the first sentence above, “Eat and Be Filled!” is something that God provided me to begin this first entry 😊) If it came from Him, then He has every intention on ensuring you understand this concept. Here is a guided prayer, if you are not sure how to do this easily…

 

Lord Jesus, You are so faithful and true. Lord God, You are a perfect and loving Father.  You are our Jehovah Jireh, our Great Provider.  Please forgive us our sins and we forgive those You bring to mind, who hurt us and cause us any pain.  Thank you so much for your Son, Jesus Christ, and thank you for dying on the cross for our sins, so we can be saved. Thank you for hearing our prayers, even before we start them. We ask that you fill us with your Holy Spirit. We ask for the gifts of discernment, knowledge, wisdom, as well as a complete understanding of what You are telling us in Your Word. Thank you for hearing our prayer. We love You and praise You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Verse By Verse Overview:

 

     Now, take a moment and look up Deuteronomy 8. Read specifically verses 1-5. Those are the ones that I am addressing today. Read this about three times and let the Words sink in. The book of Deuteronomy is a book of the laws that God set forth for the Israelites after they left Egypt. These are ways to understand the need to change their behaviors, attitudes, and lifestyles from what they knew in Egypt. It was a huge transition. God knew this and was very detailed in all aspects of their lives, in order to help them be a holy nation of God.

 

Vs 1: Emphasizes the need for Israel to purposefully protect, guard, and attend to every commandment God was giving them in the book. In other words, pay close and thoughtful attention.  He adds that this is so that they may grow as a nation and enter the land that God promised.

Vs.2: God said that He led them through the wilderness through those 40 years because He wanted to humble them and test them, in order to show them their own hearts. They needed to understand where they truly stood amongst our Creator. He showed them that they needed Him, through their ability or inability to follow those commandments.

Vs.3: He humbled them through feeling hunger, seeing that God would be the one to provide for them, that they were completely dependent upon Him. The manna was a food that could not be made. Think back where this food would become rotten the next day. It was unable to be kept.  This is where the power of my ministry lies. We are completely dependent upon the Word of God to provide what we need in every aspect of our lives.

Vs4:  God provided for every need for the body and allowed them the stamina needed to do what He needed them to do.

Vs.5: God tells them that He only disciplines His own, those of His household, as a father does with a son.

These verses explain a few items that are important when thinking about how you perceive God, your relationship with Him, and what you should do concerning those items.

 

Digging Deeper:

 

Verse 1.

     God expects you to always seek His Word. He expects you to meditate on His Word, read it daily, and live by it. When you read and meditate on His word, you are digging deep into understanding the context and meaning behind the written Word and what those words say to you. Meditation does not mean to sit with your legs in a certain position and say “Humm”, like the new agers do. This simply means to memorize; to dwell on a scripture or verse repeatedly.

    When you go to school, don’t you read to understand? To become a lawyer, doctor, or teacher, don’t you need to understand the deep abstract information? How do you accomplish this? You memorize, research, and think on these things. It becomes a consuming part of your brain, your day, your life. This is how reading the Word of God should be to all Christian believers. We are to read every day, often, and reflect. It is not a comic that we enjoy for a moment and then walk away.

Reflect on these verses and think about how they apply to today’s verse I addressed.

Hebrews 4:11-13, Revelation 19:11-13

Next Time...
I will continue on exhorting and teaching on the remaining verses. I will also post a recipe that I have tried with my family. If you have any desires for yummy dishes, books of the Bible, scriptures, or any questions that pertain to learning about the Word of God, please let me know. Thank you for reading and I hope you were blessed. 

*Verses were found in the King James Version of the Bible. I recommend the NKJV to use as a more modern translation.