Strong in the Strength of His Might
Ephesians 6:10
“The Almighty says, “I will feed you, I will provide for you, only make your service to Me and the glory that is due to Me your goal, and all provisions will be yours””
The Israelites became impatient because of the wilderness journey and spoke against Yahveh and Moses, saying, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.’” (Numbers 21:4-5) Their merciful God is still feeding them, yet they have the gall and lack of reverential awe, and seemingly no fear of Yahveh (the Lord) from the many plagues and judgments that had just smitten thousands, and all the other kinds of destructions and judgments their rebellion brought upon them. The Israelites are back in the flesh again, and have the nerve to say—we have the nerve to say, “We detest this spiritual walk. We don’t like the wilderness, and we don’t like the food that comes from heaven. We like Egypt, we like the world and the pleasures of the world. We like the food and the things of the world.” Most people won’t say it, but there are many who do not like what the Almighty gives them. They are not satisfied. He had previously told the priesthood, “You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance [your reward]…” (Numbers 18:20). I will feed you, I will provide for you, only make your service to Me and the glory that is due to Me your goal, and all provisions will be yours.
“Our carnal appetites must be put to death so that we, like little children, don’t eat lollypops and candy bars, but rather save our appetite to eat what is healthy, so we can grow big and strong and not be spiritually dwarfed””
In the book of Malachi, Yahveh (the Lord) was angry at the priesthood, He was furious. In essence He said, “I bring you My banqueting table, I feed you with manna from heaven, I feed you what you need to be strong in the spirit, strong so that you can overcome. I give you what you need spiritually and physically, but it is not enough and you turn your nose up contemptuously and sniff at it and walk away and call it detestable.” (see Malachi 1:12) For many of us Yahveh is not enough, we are still hungering; the flesh still hungers after what it wants. The flesh must be put to death. Our carnal appetites must be put to death so that we, like little children, don’t eat lollypops, don’t eat candy bars, but rather save our appetite to eat what is healthy, so we can grow big and strong and not be spiritually dwarfed. Yahshua (Jesus) instructs us, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…” (John 6:27) Beloved, “Do not take the hunger and thirst that is given by Yahshua (Jesus) in the depths of your spirit, and fill it with junk food that will stunt your spiritual appetite and growth, inevitably you will end up spiritually unhealthy, weak and anemic with brittle bones that can break at the onslaught of an enemy. Let us eat from our Master’s table. He serves and presents to us, His children who are royalty, only the most balanced, nutritious holy meals prepared with love. Yahveh forbid that we should turn our nose up at such spiritual nutrition and not thank and praise Him for taking such wonderful care to nourish and raise us up to be spiritually fit.
Yahshua (Jesus) says, eat of Me, drink of Me: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” (John 6:54) Because of this statement many of His disciples who had been following Him grumbled (the ones who did not truly have faith) and departed after hearing these hard to understand words. Our God and Savior looked at the remaining disciples and said, “Are you going to depart, too?” as He watched the myriad of what were once called disciples vanish in the distance. Perhaps they gave in to the carnal nature that says, “It is too hard, my life needs other things than the banqueting table of God, I can’t exist on spiritual food and a holy life. I have to have some self-satisfaction and enjoyment that suits my carnal desires. I have got to have fun and feel that life is satisfying to me.”
“Doing the will of Yahveh is to eat and drink of Yahshua (Jesus) so that He is our all in all””
We need to cry out to our heavenly Father, to change our appetite from that which is of the world and satisfies the flesh, indulges self, and pleases others by beseeching Him to bless us with a wholehearted thirst and spiritual appetite as Yahshua (Jesus) said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) What is it we long for? What is it we crave that motivates us to do the things we do, say the things we say, and go after the things that are appealing to us? It is time to take a spiritual diagnosis of our appetites and learn to distinguish what is healthy and what is not. “Thus says the Lord, ‘if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman’” (Jeremiah 15:19) We have got to be honest with ourselves. Are we truly hungering and thirsting after. righteousness? Our Savior says, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 4:34) Doing the will of Yahveh is to eat and drink of Yahshua (Jesus) so that He is our all in all. He feeds, fills and leads us, so that we become like Him, built up in His identity. His Spirit gives us the grace, strength and power from within to beat back the flesh so that the life of Yahshua (Jesus) is mighty in and through us—that we are “strong in Yahveh (the Lord), and in the power of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10) HalleluYAH! Praise be to Yahveh. What is impossible with us is possible with Him.
Prayer
Loving Heavenly Father, I know it is your desire for me to have a healthy, spiritual appetite and to continually dine at Your banqueting table, consuming balanced, nutritious delicacies from Your very throne room that are presented only to Your redeemed royal children. What an unfathomable privilege to be delivered out of this world and to be considered Your royal child who is presented heavenly food that builds up my spiritual stamina so I can live to glorify and do Your will and to advance Your kingdom, not by my might or power but by Your Spirit and the strength therein. I ask You, Yahshua (Jesus), to stir up a new voracious spiritual hunger and thirst in my heart and spirit. May my appetite grow so healthy as I feast upon what is holy that the food of this world and the temptation to eat junk food to satisfy the flesh and its cravings will become so repulsive that it will make me sick to my stomach. Teach me to be spiritually fit as I recognize what is precious and comes from You from that which is worthless. Please cleanse me of the spiritual junk food and the damage it has done to my spirit as I grow strong and healthy as Your child. May I truly be strong in You and the power of Your might that comes from Your spiritual food. In Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) name, Amen
