Food

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Job 23:12 Treasure His Words

I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:12

Going through life people will treasure different things and often differently during various times in their life. Some will treasure non-material things such as their family and friends, while others treasure physical things such as their money, house, car and more.

The things that people treasure they will spend their most time, effort and money on to have and keep. Other things will often get forsaken or left aside in order to have what they treasure.

Job said that he did not turn away from God’s commands but treasured the words of God even more than needed food.

One thing that every person needs to survive is food. Without food, one will get weak very quickly and be susceptible to sickness. Given enough time without any food at all, one will die.

Yet as important as food is, there is one thing that is even more important. That one thing is obeying God’s commands. In order to obey God’s commands, one has to first treasure them.

The commands of God have to become extremely important or else one will not be able to even begin to really obey them. As soon as a person does not choose to treasure the commands and word of God, that person will choose to step into sin against God.

Choosing to obey God’s commands must take such a priority in the believer’s life that the believer would be willing to go without the needed food for survival rather than disobeying God. One would rather die, than disobey God’s commands. This is what Jesus was saying when one must take up his cross and follow Him.

You most likely have many different things in your life that you treasure. Many of those things may be good to have and desire. And most likely you enjoy eating food, or at least some types of food.

Although these things may be good and acceptable, what is your greatest treasure in your life? Allow yourself to treasure God’s word and obeying God’s word above everything and anything in your life. Without God and His word, you really have nothing of value. Most everything else will fade away, but God and His word will never depart or fade.

What do you treasure today?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know God’s word and commands to you; that you will treasure God’s word in your heart; that you will live by God’s commands; and that you will seek to obey God’s word over anything else in your life.

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2 Kings 7:9 Don’t Keep It To Yourself

Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” 2 kings 7:9

Every so often a person may receive something of great value that is actually available to anyone who wants it. Instead of telling others about the great find, many will often hoard it to themselves and not share it. This is done so that they do not lose out on what they found.

While Samaria was under siege and had no food, some lepers went into an Aramean camp that was deserted and found a lot of food. They recognized that what they were doing was not right and chose to go tell the royal palace about the food.

It is easy to want to hoard something that one gets, especially when it is an extremely needed item that one has not had in a long time. Yet, hoarding to one’s own self will often bring a lot of problems and punishment in the end.

Believers have come across a table of food that will feed into eternity, yet many believers hoard it to themselves. This food is the word of God and His plan of salvation for each and every person. This is the greatest message that anyone can know about or ever tell.

Yet, many choose to not tell other people about Jesus, to tell of the great gospel message. This is done out of fear of rejection, fear of hatred, fear of being ridiculed, or fear of many other different reasons.

Every believer needs to go out and share what God has given them and done for them. Life needs to be brought to the rest of the world living as lepers and dying.

As a believer you have been given the greatest gift ever–salvation. You have the food that every person needs, and you have more than you can ever use on your own.

Do not keep this great message to yourself but go out and be willing to share it with anyone and everyone you meet. God is ready and willing to save people, but they must know about it. If you hoard it to yourself, you may be saved, but God will pull back on other blessings that were available to you.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will share the gospel message of Jesus to everyone you can; that you will share what God has done for you with others; and that many will believe through your message.

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2 Kings 6:22 Treating The Enemy Correctly

“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and go back to their master.” 2 Kings 6:22

Throughout history there have been many different wars with various nations against other nations. In every war there have been soldiers who have been captured. Many of those who did the capturing would torture those they had captured with severe painful torture. The torturing was done out of anger and vengeance against their enemies and to instill fear into their enemy.

The king of Aram sent soldiers to find and capture Elisha. Elisha had those soldiers blinded then led them into the king of Israel. When the king of Israel wanted to kill them, Elisha said not to, but to feed them food and water and sent them home.

Very few people will ever be in a position of capturing an enemy and being able to deal directly with that enemy as in an army with a nation against another nation. The enemies that the average person has are those people who treat them badly and lie, cheat or even physically harm them.

When a person is caught in the act of doing something wrong, most people may not want to physically kill the person, but they do want to strike back and often harshly. People want their enemies to pay a severe price for doing wrong.

Years after Elisha told them not to kill the enemies, Jesus told the people to love their enemies and do good to them. Believers are to provide for the needs of their enemies to show and represent God’s love to them. Love, in this way, will turn their hearts away from their sin and to God, rather than angering them more.

You most likely have someone who has done you harm. When you have caught them in doing the harm, you have a choice to make as to how you deal with them.

Keep in mind the love Jesus had for you when you sinned against Him and did Him harm. He loved you and treated you with respect providing abundantly for all of your needs, despite your deserving death. In this same way, treat those who harm you with love. Give them food and water, things that they need, to win their hearts over to God.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the love God has for you and your enemies; that you will treat your enemies with God’s love; that God will guide you in providing what your enemies need; and that you will be a witness of God’s love to this world.

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Leviticus 26:3-4 Provision Comes With Obedience

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Leviticus 26:3-4

Every day the majority of people work long days on a job in order to bring in what is considered the needed money to provide for what is believed to be a need. As long as one obeys the rules of the company he is working for, he has a job that pays him.

If a person suddenly chooses to not obey the rules, after a time of correction, he will be released from the job and no longer have that needed provision.

God told the Israelites that if they carefully obey His commands, then He will provide rain in the right season and the crops and trees will be fruitful.

During the time of the Israelites in the Bible, farming was a major way to provide for the things needed in life. It was important to have rain at the right time and for the crops to be abundant.

In today’s society most people do not rely upon rain to provide for themselves, but rely upon a job and stores. However, if the rains do not come in season, then farmers will not be able to produce the needed food, and the workers will not be able to purchase the needed food.

When people, as a city, state or nation, obey and follow God, He gives them favor in providing the needed rain or any other provision needed to live life. As people or nations choose to walk away from God, disobeying His commands, He pulls away His favor. Drought and disasters begin to occur causing a lack for needed items.

Believers need to continue to obey God and lead others to obey Him. This brings His favor of provision upon them and their nations.

God uses many ways to provide abundantly for all of your needs. The windows of provision are opened wide when you choose to obey God in every area of your life. This provision may be with a job, but will also be with stores having the needed items in stock.

Begin by focusing on obeying all of God’s commands and trusting Him for provision for all of your needs. He will open doors to meet your needs as you obey and trust Him.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will obey God’s commands to you; that you will trust God for all of your needs; and that you will be a witness of Jesus to those around you.