INTRODUCTION

Food is a necessity for sustaining life. Interestingly, the Bible records several instances where a man’s need for food became a source of great temptation. For instance, Esau was willing to sell his birthright because he considered one meal more valuable than his future inheritance. The Bible also records several instances where the children of Israel allowed their desire for food to incite rebellion against the Lord (Numbers 11:4-6 [4] And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? [5] We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: [6] But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
See All...). Another very important example of appetite involves the earliest narratives recorded in Genesis involving an overwhelming appetite. In the garden, Eve partook of the forbidden fruit when she “saw that the tree was good for food” (Genesis 3:6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
See All...). Due to the many examples of inordinate appetite leading to sin, it comes as no surprise that the Devil first sought to tempt the Lord by commanding stones to be made bread (Luke 4:3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
See All...) after He had fasted for forty days.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): The children of Israel allowed their lust for food and lack of faith to cause them to disobey God. The Lord gave His people explicit instructions. He provided manna every morning and told them to take only what was necessary for each day and not save any for the next day. Some of the people allowed their appetite to rule them (Exodus 16:14-20 [14] And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. [15] And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. [16] This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. [17] And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. [18] And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. [19] And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. [20] Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
  See All...). Read Solomon’s prayer about food (Proverbs 30:8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
  See All...c-9).
• (For everyone): How can man’s need for food cause him to sin? How can it be used against believers in their time of weakness (i.e., persecution)?
• How often do you complain against the Lord because of the food that He has provided for you? Does allowing your appetite for food to be more important than pleasing the Lord upset you?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Thank God for the food that He supplies.
• Ask God to keep your appetite from being a source of sin.

HYMN

TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

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