Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Hunger (07/04/24)
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TITLE: Are You Hungry? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
07/09/24 -
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When a born-again believer suffers a diminished appetite for the Word of God, it calls for a 2Cor. 13: 5 self-examination.
There is no such thing as having heard it all, and certainly not having applied it all.
I have been a student of the Bible for most of my 70+ years on this Earth, and still remain to be a work in progress.
The more you learn, the more there is to be learned.
“My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4: 6 NASB2020).”
Equally important is the willingness to apply the knowledge that one acquires (1).
The lack of an appetite for one’s next feeding on the Word of God is a clear indication that something is missing in the spiritual life of a born-again believer, especially one who has entered into the post (after) salvation spiritual life of Biblical discipleship.
Initially, discipleship is for the spiritual edification of oneself, but with the long term objective of participating in the Great Commission.
Once born again, impeding the execution of your post (after) salvation spiritual life of discipleship is the primary objective of the devil (2).
The prevention or destruction of one’s appetite for the Word of God is a key part in the devil’s strategy to achieve this objective.
Other than the time spent listening to the (accurate) teaching, reading, or meditating on the Word of God, the devil’s world will bombard our soul with all kinds of thoughts that appeal to the fallen nature within us (3), but runs contrary to the Word of God.
A weekly homily or sermon, and perhaps a couple of accumulated weekly hours of private devotional time, leaves the devil with most of what remains of our 168 weekly hours, to launch his counterattacks.
Our need for Psalms 1: 2b, 24/7 meditation is obvious.
Yes, even in our sleep, we process much of the more-recently received information, be it edifying or destructive, that we have allowed to become a part of our thought processes.
Discipleship is a 24/7 operation (4), in which we, among other things, build and maintain a dome to intercept and destroy incoming missiles.
Satan launches these missiles (5) through such things as the media, worldly-minded people, entertainment, apostate pulpits, and the many means of communication available to him.
Satan has mastered the art of spiritual warfare. He knows what buttons to press and when to press them for maximum effect.
Saran is well aware of where the weaknesses are in our individual dome of protection.
Sometimes these attacks are covet operations, planting seeds of destruction for a later harvest.
Sometimes these attacks are overtly brutal with the intent of immediate destruction or discouragement.
Rather than trying to keep up with all the different alternatives designed to distract and to deceive us, the advancing disciple will develop an increasing appetite to know what the truth is.
Knowing truth is what exposes the lies.
We will find the time and the means to satisfy the appetites we develop.
Just as metabolized food supplies our physical body with the means to function in the natural realm, metabolized Bible Doctrine circulating in our soul structure (6) is what supplies advancing disciples with the means to endure the adversity during the storms of life and satanic attacks.
In the middle of a storm is not the time to go searching for answers. It is the time to apply what we (should) have already learned.
During periods of blessings and prosperity is the time to prepare for the next attack.
Developing an appetite for the next feeding on the Word of God does NOT come to us naturally!
We have a fallen nature within us that does NOT go away when we are born again.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote of this ongoing battle 30 years after he was born-again.
This remaining fallen nature increases its hostility (7) towards God and the things of God, keeping pace with whatever forward progress one makes along the road to spiritual maturity.
Developing a healthy appetite for metabolizing the Word of God may begin with enforced discipline for only a few minutes each day, but for an advancing disciple, it will become an insatiable desire, placing a greater value on it than his or her desire for natural food and water (8).
(1) James 1: 22 (2) 1Pet. 5: 8 (3) Romans 7: 14ff (4) Psalms 1: 2b (5) Eph. 6:16 (6) Matt 7: 24 (7) Rom. 8: 7 (8) Job 23: 12
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I can see this developed into a book of devotions One for each point.
Blessings