Feeding the Famished and Fainting – Part 1

 

Are you hungry for the living Word of God? These lovely ladies are. They are my Gems from the Cotacachi Ladies Bible Class, in Ecuador.

1. What about you, Christian? Do you believe that God speaks to us through His Word? You do? You preach the Word, you teach the Word, you read the Word, but do you stand on the Word of God – for the decisions that you take in life? Failure to do so is a danger of stepping out of the will of God.  Can you share the “spiritual delicacies” that God has given you, because you desired to hear His voice? God, the very God of the Universe speaks to us – personally? Absolutely! God has no favorites. He will speak to anyone who really wants to hear from Him. All that God can say to you is contained in the most precious BOOK called the BIBLE.

Ruby (Diana) is displaying her “Treasure” and during the lesson, the Holy Spirit gave her a revelation from His Word. Her words were to this effect. “I did not know this Scripture was in the Bible, but it is so true. I experienced Jesus with me, when many decades ago my husband died, and I was alone”. What was the Scripture? “I will not leave you as orphans in the storm, I will come to you”. (John 14:18) God worked in our midst this morning in our Bible Class. He wants to talk to you. Please allow Him! He speaks often to me. Why? I can say with Paul, “I am the least of all the saints.” Why does He talk to me? Because 20 years ago, I took a book, wrote in it, and called it, “Lord, speak to me”. And He has not stopped, even more so now, that God is leading me into a field of service for Himself.

Oh, my burden today is: please listen for God’s Word to you personally.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Today, I am going to share my notes with you, with regard to the topic we studied. It will probably cover a number of posts on this blog.

Before I begin, I want to demonstrate to you how the Holy Spirit speaks through His Word. Each week, our prayer session is targeted at a specific group of people. I felt a need to pray for certain people who have problems with Drug and Alcohol abuse. My reading from the Daily Devotional that I wrote 6 years ago, spoke to me. The Scripture reference was found in Mark 2:1-5, where a certain paralyzed man was lowered down through the roof in a house, by his four friends, where Jesus was teaching.The challenge in the reading said, “Perhaps you are one of “four friends” and you have a loved one who is a tremendous burden to you and others. Get a little group together, form a “four friends” group; each one should take hold of a rope, and your life and your prayers, praying that God will remove the roof of sin and bondage, and lay this dear one at Jesus’ feet. Trust Jesus to exchange the paralysis (spiritual bondage) and the burden, for a blessing in your loved one’s life.

That was an appropriate message for people in bondage. Only after I decided on our “target people” for prayer, did the Lord give me this message – dated 7 April, the same day as our Bible Study. After reading to the Ladies, one of our group – our “Emerald” told us that in her quiet time with the Lord this morning, she had read the same Scripture. Coincidence? No, the Holy Spirit was in our midst and revealed to us in a practical way how He speaks to His children. “Thank You, Holy Spirit, for your presence with us in a mighty way this morning. All our efforts are pointless, unless you work in our midst.”

Now let us turn to the BOOK and see what God tells us about “Food for the Famished and the Fainting”.

 

1. INTRODUCTION: God’s Word, put simply is: “His Word for man”.

1. “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today . . . all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you.” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47) (with watchful expectation).
2. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God” (Matthew 4:4) If physical man does not eat, he will die. Can a dead man eat?
3. Likewise “spiritual man” needs food – the Word of God. “Spiritually dead man” does not understand Scripture.
4. The Word needs to go from “Head to Heart”, and the only means of achieving this is by the Holy Spirit.

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2. FOOD FOR THE FAVORED

1. The written Word of God is not only knowledge, but there are underlying messages from God. It has deep spiritual meanings for us.
2. Do not “Rush and Ruin” your spiritual meal – (1) Savor every mouthful; (2) Avoid reading the Word out of mere duty; (3) Would you leave a Banquet without eating  anything? – God’s Word is a never-ending Banquet.
3. We address each other by name. So does God. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) You have a personal invitation to God’s Banquet – His Word. Does God feed us? Psalm 23:5 says, “You prepare a table before me . . . .  You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” In Bible times, when a traveler arrived at someone’s home requesting food and/or shelter for the night, the host would do two things in particular.
4. If the guest was welcome, he would anoint him with oil as he stepped into his home, and after the meal when serving the guest with something to drink, if he half-filled the drinking vessel, the guest would rise from his seat and leave, but if the host poured the drink until it overflowed, he knew that he was welcome to stay overnight in the host’s home. God has both anointed us with His Holy Spirit as we entered into His “eternal home” when we were born again, and He always fills our cup to overflowing.

3. MEANING OF THE MENU

1. God presents His “menu” to us in our own language – we understand it when we read it. People recommend certain restaurants. They will give us instructions and directions as to how to get there. Hear what God says, as He directs us to His “food source”. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8) Listen to this! Have you ever been to a restaurant repeatedly at no cost whatsoever, and as often as you like? Listen to the Word: “Ho! everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear and your soul shall live. . .” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
2. What we do not understand written on the menu, God will explain to us.
3. Is the same menu forced onto everyone? No, we have a choice. Which “dish” would you choose? (1) a dish from the Lord first; (2) make your own dish, or (3) eat what someone else has prepared?
4. You choose the “dish” you want – your particular desire and need at that moment.
5. “Buen provecho!” “Oh! Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

4. FOOD FOR THE FAVORED

1. “God shows no partiality”. He loves all of His children the same. “Whosoever” wants to feast on the Word of God and to hear from Him, is welcome. He will speak to each one.
2. God’s Word is always fresh. It is the Living Word, and it is vital for our spiritual health. It never becomes stale. Who is the “waiter”, the One who serves the meal? None other than the Holy Spirit!

5. FOOD WITH FINE FLAVORING

I. Concentration: on preaching the facts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1. Paul preached in Thessalonica. He reasoned with the people from the Scriptures and a multitude of devout Greeks and leading women were persuaded.
2. Following opposition, Paul went to Berea and the Bereans “received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” They CONCENTRATED on the facts found in the Word. (Acts 17:1-11)
3. Do have some reading plan, and be constantly waiting on the Lord to speak to you. Don’t select a Scripture and apply it to your particular situation. God will “speak” to you from the pages of His Word.

II. Meditation: on the facts found in the Scriptures

1. “Blessed is the man (who follows God) . . .  his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he MEDITATES day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)
2. Meditate, ponder over, think deeply about what God is saying. Are you ready to hear His voice? Ask Him to speak to you and He surely will!
3. Read the words prayerfully, carefully and thoughtfully – the “Logos” or the “Rhema” words. The literal Word of God is charged with spiritual meanings.
4. Philippians 4:8 lists a number of things on which Christians should focus, and then Paul says, “Meditate on these things.
5. Joshua 1:8 is a powerful Scripture with regard to the Word of God: “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

III. Revelation: on the Holy Spirit opening up our understanding to the meaning of His Word.

1. “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:17)
2. “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken . . .  He (Jesus) expounded to them in all the Scriptures concerning Himself . . .  Did not our hearts BURN within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:25-32)
3. “And He (Jesus) opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Jesus was speaking to His followers just before He ascended into heaven. You may say: “But Jesus is here no more on this earth. What now?” Can you hear His precious words, “I will not leave you as orphans in the storm; I will come to you?” How has Jesus made provision for us, for another “Interpreter” of the Word? “Behold I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem until you are endured with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) You have got it! It is the precious Holy Spirit!

IV. Application: on appropriating the Word of God to our own lives and personal circumstances.

1. “I will stand upon my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me . . . . “ (Habakkuk 2:1)
2. “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you”. (Jeremiah 30:2). Get a journal. Write down the words that God is giving to you. Don’t lose the jewels that He is giving you.
3. Ask yourself why you want to hear His voice.
4. What is your motive for hearing from God. Motive – heavily-charged word. We know what our motives are for doing or achieving certain things. GOD KNOWS TOO! “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart . . .  All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13). We can hoodwink our fellow man, but never God!
5. Be specific! “Let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
6. Perhaps you are hearing Him now. You need to ask Him for so many things.
7. “He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)
8. God and His Word give us hope. Cling to it!
9. God’s Word is an anchor for our souls. “God cannot lie”. (Hebrews 6:18)
10. BUT . . . . . When you receive a word from the Lord . . . . BELIEVE IT!

“You can trust the Man that died for you!”

(I acknowledge Dr. Curt Scarborough’s teaching methodology using the concepts - Concentration; Meditation, Revelation and Application. Thank you, Dr. Curt!)

 

 “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.” (Jeremiah 30:2)

DO IT TODAY! You will never regret it! Gather God’s precious pearls. They are priceless!

In my next post, we will be asking ourselves a number of questions – the why, how and the what of hearing God’s Word. In the meantime, "Search the Scriptures . . . .” with your spiritual eyes wide open, and your spiritual ears listening for the only Voice that you can trust with your whole heart – GOD’s!