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Ephesians 5:20 … Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Adon, Yeshua HaMashiach. The old saying, 'Be careful what you pray for, you may get it' is true. When the children of Israel complained about their diet in the desert Abba gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them (Psalms 106:15). The lifestyle of the disciple is not generally one of abundance. The Nazarene sect of the early Israeli disciples of the Master were nicknamed, the 'Ebionites', meaning, the 'poor ones' (Galatians 2:10). There is nothing wrong with abundance as it certainly can be a sign of God's blessing, the problem is not abundance, but our attitude towards it, an attitude very well described in the episode of the Children of Israel and the quails (Numbers 11). If there is anything God hates I think it is whining, grumbling and complaining, especially against our own blessings. Here the Children of Israel had experienced the miracles of miracles since coming out of Egypt. From and enslaved people, they were going to be established as a sovereign nation in a country flowing with milk and honey, but all they could think was about a little more variation in their present diet? The problem was not 'Manna' or 'fish' abundance or poverty, the problem was the spirit of entitlement. We are not owed anything by the Almighty, except maybe a good whooping. The attitude that needs to emanate from our spirit is, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21). The minute we approach life in a spirit of entitlement, we are bound to disappointment, discouragement, and eventual failure. I think this to be the problem behind depression, sadness, and discouragement. We have been mistreated and it's oh so unfair; so we give up and curl up in self-pity licking our wounds. There is something very special about food. We think we are entitled to eat whatever we want in the quantity that we want. Nothing in life works that way. In everything we need to learn the discipline to choose the good and eschew the evil, but when it comes to food, we think we are entitled to whatever suits our palate. As a result, in America we have an epidemic of obesity. The first notion of sin ever taught us was about something to eat. Also a big part of God's requests for His people is concerning their diet. There is old song I sing sometimes: God has not promised skies ever blue, flower strewn pathways all our lives through. God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sadness, peace without pain. But He has promised strength for each day, grace for all trials, light for our way, Rest after labor, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love. May we learn that we are not entitled to protection, health, or wealth, only to redemption, and eventual resurrection in the 'World to Come'; May it come soon Abba, even in our days! www.yedideiadonai.weebly.com
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