Taste buds of the spirit

It was time to move out of Horeb. The march towards the Promised Land was an orderly affair. Unfortunately trailing at the rear of the Israelite Nation were a large number of non- Israelite people. Had they been impressed by the signs and wonders done by God for His people in Egypt? Had they copied the act of daubing the Lambs blood on their door posts and lintel? Unfortunately for them they were not a part of the Nation and apparently never sought to be. They were along for the ride. They wanted to share in the promises without making a commitment to become part of the Nation.

When the going got tough on the march out of Mt. Sinai this ‘rabble’ (Numbers 11:4 NIV) began a campaign for a better diet. Their mumbles and grumbles were taken up by many in the redeemed Nation. The tasty and healthy Manna was demeaned and as such the people offended their Lord, Saviour and Provider. What was their alternative? Cucumbers and leeks, melons, onions and garlic as a side dish to fish. Over fifteen months had passed since marching out of Egypt but their taste buds hadn’t been converted. When they experienced some difficulties and were dissatisfied with manna their taste buds salivated for cucumbers

Taste buds are simply an expression of their heart. Forgotten, the harsh living conditions of slavery. Forgotten, Pharaoh’s edict to kill all the male babies. Forgotten the signs and wonders God did on their behalf.  There wasn’t anything wrong with cucumbers and garlic and the other fruit and vegetables. It was their taste buds, symbols of unconverted desires, memory loss and spiritual immaturity which swamped their hunger for God.

Cucumbers and I don’t agree so I’d never hanker for them. Unfortunately, what they represent has sometimes infected my spiritual taste buds. The result, a loss of appetite for the manna of God. In that realm of being spiritually malnourished but feeding on a carnal diet how easy the voice of the ‘rabble’ is heard. Unless treated it is toxic to faith and fatal to testimony. Mercifully, God the Chef of Heaven won’t let me, or you, stay away from His restaurant, cafeteria, barbeque or bistro too long. He goes outhunting for you, for me. He wants to bring you to where His ‘bread, meat, milk and wine’ and other Heavenly food are served.

We live in the realm of the ‘rabble!’ We are to minister to them yet at the same time beware of their influence. 1 Corinthians 15:33 puts it well, ‘Don’t be misled. “Bad company corrupts good character.”’ May I change that to ‘bad company corrupts one’s spiritual and moral taste buds?’ That is why we are encouraged to continue to meet together for worship, teaching, support and discovering God’s new diet delights for the spirit. Whenever the World, the Flesh or the Devil tempt and we ‘taste’ their ‘sweet poison’ spit it out quickly. Let the Holy Spirit give you a ‘mouth and soul wash’ through His Word and begin sipping the nectar of forgiveness. Then you will once again have that taste sensation of knowing the banquet of God’s grace. Rising up from that ‘table’ you and I will be able to say “amen!” to the words of Jesus in John 4:34. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.”

©Ray Hawkins. July 29 2017.
                     New Devotional coming very soon!

DEVOTION: To the Ends of the Earth ~ by Judith Robl

Focus verses: Acts 10:1-11:18

The disciples were all Jews. And until now, the gospel had been preached in the synagogues, reaching more Jews. It was generally thought that this new religion was a sect of Judaism.

In this passage, however, we see that this man named Cornelius – who was not Jewish – had been selected by God to be a convert to this new faith. Cornelius was righteous, much as Job was righteous. He did all the right things and prayed to God. He simply wasn’t a Jew. But he was a son of Adam.

We also see that Peter had been selected to teach Cornelius. The Jewish dietary laws were very explicit. God had told them that certain things were clean or unclean for eating purposes. Peter, in his hunger, was shown a vision of many living creatures and told to kill and eat them. But he objected that he had never eaten anything unclean – ever. But God told him not to judge. That God can make anything clean.

Peter’s physical hunger seems to have been a metaphor for God’s hunger that all the world should know Him. God’s overriding desire is that all men should be saved. Jesus said that the disciples would be witnesses to Him throughout all the earth.

As the spiritual descendants of the disciples, we should be witnessing, too. We should be witnessing to the pagan, the atheist, the deluded, the deceived, the murderer, the rapist, the robber – the entire world.

Let me be very clear here. We do not convert. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. We merely inform. We tell what we know. God will do the rest.

Father, God,
Teach us more of You that we may tell all the world around us. Keep us open to the movement of Your Holy Spirit and rein in our tendency to prejudge.
In Jesus’ most precious name.
Amen.

JUDITH ROBL is the founder of Reflected Light Ministries and speaks to women’s groups about prayer, forgiveness, and drawing closer to God. Trained as a secondary level English teacher, Judith has a heart for mentoring. She and her husband, Martin, have been married fifty years and have four children who have presented them with nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Her book, As Grandma Says, is a devotional gift book, incorporating her grandmother's adages with an appropriate scripture, a pertinent life lesson, and a word of prayer. Visit her at her website or on Facebook.