1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value for all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come.
A significant response to the current pandemic has been medical professionals in various places offering valuable advice on the role of diet toward building and increasing our body's immunity to viruses and disease in general. This kind of advice can be truly salutary, even life-saving. Yet the aphorism, "You are what you eat", though often heard, isn't always taken as seriously as we might...And that may contribute to unpleasant health consequences.
But how much more applicable and consequential does it apply to our spiritual health? My answer is "Garbage in … garbage out…!" If we fill our minds with things that pollute soul and body, spiritual junk food as it were, our spiritual immunity will be duly compromised for fighting off the constant incursions from the enemy of our souls.
And while poor physical immunity will subject us to the ills of life on Earth, compromised spiritual immunity will have severe consequences both here, and also when we cross into eternity. Anyone can see that spiritual wickedness is increasing, and so spiritual immunity is more important every day. We all need now to watch and improve our diet, since it could even mean survival.
A healthy spiritual diet isn't rocket science. It's actually a matter of "taste"....that is, "Taste and see that the LORD is good." Be with Him, first and foremost. Just spend quiet time in His presence, without feeling like its an obligation. "The Word of God is living and active..." The Holy Spirit will bring that Word to greater life in your soul and body. 1 Timothy 4:8 adds: "For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value for all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come." Let's not neglect a healthy spiritual lifestyle — in these days we need to be on top of our game. Avoid spiritual junk food! That quiet time to be at complete peace, in God's Word, in prayer, will feed your soul with the spiritual nutrition needed to fight the daily battles... with powerful immunity!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]As we’ve been speaking a word of revival across the United States, a primary purpose is to re-dig the wells for a great harvest in the midst of such darkness. While many would say “there is no revival coming”, we simply refer to Matthew 13:24-30 which describes a two-fold harvest. First, the WHEAT is ripening for harvest, while second, TARES are growing up along with it.
Returning from their ‘mission’ trip, the 72 disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) were filled with joy. “Even the devils are subject to us through your name”, they exulted. Yeshua responded that He saw Satan fall like lightening from Heaven and that He had given them authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt I'm sure several million people were wondering, "How am I going to be fed? How am I going to survive in this wilderness?" Imagine the logistical nightmare. An incalculable quantity of food and water were needed to survive in the desert. Where would it come from? Yet, in this seemingly impossible situation, God provided!
There was a mailman, John Hand, who rode his mail truck through Los Altos Hills of California on his 50 mile route each day. The route was plain, all brown and virtually no color. One day he began to throw wild flower seeds out of the window as he drove. Today, if you travel his route in the Los Altos Hills you’ll find beautiful patches of flowers throughout, blossoming in many colors.
A farmer and his friend went duck hunting. Eventually, they got to talking about the things of God, as they always would. "You're always talking about these battles you have with the devil," the farmer's friend said to him. "It's so silly – I mean, I'm not even a Christian and I've never experienced anything like that."
Have you ever noticed that when people are in love, they tend to forget everything else? Everything becomes secondary — cars, houses, money — nothing matters — it is all secondary to love. Then, when they fall out of love, as in a divorce, all of a sudden those things mean everything! They argue about all the little meaningless things they ever owned together. Each wants it all for himself.
The Hebrew word for a dried up river bed is "Nachal". Israel has many of these. Here, in Israel it rains in winter, but not in summer. In the summer, these places stand as a testament of the rains that once fell and of the rains yet to come. Then, when they do come, the Nechalim (nachal plural) almost instantly fill with water. This is what the Scripture means when it says, "I will give you rivers in the desert." There is a promise in that for us.