Exceptional people ∙

Exceptional people ∙

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. – 1 Timothy 1:15

1 Timothy 1:12-16

 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,

 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them all.

 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then, others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

David Halberstam’s well-known and well-used phrase, “The Best and The Brightest,” originated from the title of his 1972 book. The book thoroughly examines the key figures within the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. It effectively captures the mindsets and tendencies of these individuals, shedding light on the series of decisions that plunged the United States into the Vietnam War.

Halberstam delves into the perspectives and backgrounds of these American policymakers, exploring the factors that contributed to the United States’s involvement in Vietnam. He unravels their histories and backstories. What did they have in common? What drove them?

Halberstam describes them as “men that never failed.” They moved from major success to major success, and their achievements shaped their mindset and outlook. Because of their success, they could not recognize that their Vietnam policies were not working. Their string of accomplishments distanced them from the everyday American. They felt no need to keep the American public in the loop. Their overconfidence and hubris led to government secrecy and failed policies that have since become synonymous with the Vietnam War.

The “Dream Team” brought together by Kennedy and described by Halberstam was one of the best groups of high-level advisers that an American president has had. Nevertheless, they utterly failed to manage a war against a third-world state (genzconservative.com).

Regarding a similar group of individuals with remarkable ability and aptitude, John F. Kennedy once quipped at a dinner honoring Nobel Prize winners, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

On planet Earth, there are many times and places where the “best and brightest” rise to prominence and become successful. It is a natural pattern in the world. But in the Father’s kingdom, this is not so. The Father often selects very difficult, rebellious, defiant, and stubborn people to serve Him. He uses ordinary, flawed raw material to create delightful, devoted souls who desire nothing more than to serve Him faithfully.

Consider John the Apostle. In the Gospels, he and his brother James are called the “Sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). By nature, they were passionate, quick-tempered, and prone to acts of retaliation. They were fiery and demanding. When it came to love and compassion, they were more than a few bricks short of a full load. Their solution to a problem was markedly harsh, violent, and blunt.

Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and burn them up?”

But after a lifetime of walking with the Lord, John the Apostle came to be called the Apostle of Love. This was a remarkable transformation for an exceptional person, exceptionally irate, that is.

Paul the Apostle was also unique. He referred to himself as the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:12 – KJV). He was exceptional when it came to being a blasphemer, persecutor, and outrageously offensive, ruthless opponent. Before his conversion, he ravaged the church, entered house after house, dragged off men and women, and imprisoned them (Acts 8:3).

Unlike John, Paul’s transformation was remarkably abrupt. On the road to Damascus, he had a very close encounter of the third kind with the Lord Jesus Christ, which was nothing short of transformative. Paul was irreversibly altered, never the same again.

The Father uses exceptional people. Many are exceptionally bad people with challenging temperaments, attitudes, and pasts, while others are exceptionally ordinary people. Who does the Father choose now have totally lost my contacts these are these were all out of order

1 Corinthians 1:27-28

 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

REFLECT & PRAY

Whom does the Father choose? He often selects those who are notably ordinary or even strikingly flawed. The Father showcases His boundless compassion, love, mercy, and grace through these choices. He truly is wondrous and awe-inspiring.

Father, as I ponder my life and recognize my inner, hidden life and insecure, ugly, vengeful thoughts, I can hardly imagine how You could possibly choose me to serve You. I stand in awe. Thank You for Your perfect patience.

INSIGHT

When we consider John and Paul, it is blatantly apparent that their salvation and selection for the Father’s service are totally undeserved and unmerited. The Father demonstrates remarkable grace, mercy, and kindness. He does so for every child of the King.

John was transformed from an angry son of thunder to the gentle, kind “Apostle of Love.” This occurred because of a lifetime of getting to know and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

“No one persecuted the early Christian church more zealously than did Saul, and no one preached forgiveness more than Paul” (Stanley).

“The grace of God turned the persecutor into a preacher and the murderer into a minister and a missionary! So dramatic was the change in Paul’s life that the Jerusalem church suspected that it was a trick, and they had a hard time accepting him (Acts 9:26-31)” (Wiersbe).

“Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” even some of the most defiant and vile. The Father has mercy on them, and so they serve as remarkable examples for others who would later believe in him and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:15-16 ).

Regrettably, many children of the King become so discouraged that they feel they are the worst sinner ever. Not! However, in comparison, they cannot hold a candle to the apostle Paul.

Do you have a lamentable past? Rejoice; the Father is at work to transform you into an exceptional, devoted child of the King.

Philippians 2:13 God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

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© Dr. H 2024

Wilderness Therapy ∙

Wilderness Therapy ∙

This was the regular pattern – at night, the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the LORD’s command wherever he told them to go. – Numbers 9:16-18

Deuteronomy 8:2-18

 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.

 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

 4 For all these forty years, your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell.

 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you for your own good.

 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.

 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock!

 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.

 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, “I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.”

 18 Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful.

Trails Momentum of Henderson, N.C., is a therapeutic outdoor-adventure program for young adults based upon Wilderness Therapy.

Wilderness Therapy has the potential to be a transformative experience for young adults. Taking participants out of their comfort zones and challenging their boundaries encourages pursuing new goals and passions while testing and affirming their faith. Through Wilderness Therapy, young adults can experience personal growth and expand their horizons.

This journey of self-discovery provides young people with a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their capabilities, and their limitations.

Those who successfully navigate the challenges of Wilderness Therapy often gain a newfound sense of self-awareness and discover inner strengths they never knew existed. They develop self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment by facing and overcoming challenges that they previously thought were insurmountable.

Wilderness Therapy is nothing new. The Father used it to guide and transform the generation of Israelites. Wilderness Therapy successfully transitioned the people from slavery to becoming resilient inhabitants of the Promised Land. A unique aspect of the Father’s Wilderness Therapy program is that He is always present, providing constant support to those who embark on this journey. They were never alone in the wilderness.

The Father’s presence among His people was not that of a mere observer but of a leader. The Lord led them using the cloud. He directed the Israelites to move or settle down and determined the duration of their stay in each location, whether for one night or two days, a month, or a year (Numbers 9:22). The Father guided them and directed them on every leg of their journey (Duguid and Hughes).

REFLECT & PRAY

How blessed we would be if we went when the Father told us to go and stayed when the Father told us to stay! Obedience brings blessings (Stanley).

Father many children of the King are reticent to travel or move about. You use Wilderness Therapy to transform lives. Encourage me to be willing to follow You wherever Your love leads.

INSIGHT

The wilderness in the Scriptures is not just a physical place but also a symbolic one representing spiritual trial and growth. It often serves as a significant setting for spiritual growth and character development. Through various stories, it becomes evident that the wilderness is integral to the development of resilience, faith, leadership, and deeper reliance on God.

In the wilderness, all familiar comforts and securities are stripped away, forcing people out of their comfort zones and requiring them to rely solely on the Father’s provision. A new and profound experience with the Father often leads his servants into a more intimate and profound relationship with Him.

The lessons learned in such desolate places prepare God’s servants for the challenges and responsibilities ahead. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the enemy.

He is the ultimate prototype for overcoming life’s trials and tests through obedience and reliance upon the Father and His Word. The Lord Jesus Christ had internalized the Scriptures, memorizing them in the context of life’s vicissitudes. In each situation, He quoted Old Testament Scriptures, the firm foundation upon which He stood to resist and overcome. He was armed with the sword of the Spirit, the living Word of God.

Matthew 4:3-4

 3“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Matthew 4:6-7

 6 “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”

 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God’” (Deuteronomy 6:16).

Matthew 4:9-10

 9 Satan said to him, “All these I will give you if you will kneel down and worship me.”

 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

The Father’s sovereign and purposeful guidance and leadership of His people is seen in how He led them in the wilderness. The Israelites stayed in one place for as long as God intended, and each experience along the journey was purposeful and not coincidental (Wenham). The people had to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. They had to follow God’s visible guidance each day until the cloud came to a halt – this required unwavering obedience to His will (ESV – Notes).

“There was no place for fussing and crying out, ‘Are we there yet?’ What they had to do was watch the cloud and follow carefully wherever it went. . . This journey is at the will of the Lord himself and under his direction every step of the way” (Duguid and Hughes).

It required forty years and the death of an entire generation for the Israelites to learn to trust God more than their eyes or emotions.

What does it take for us to learn to trust God in the same way?

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© Dr. H 2024

Looking beyond ∙

Looking beyond ∙

Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. – 2 Kings 6:17

2 Kings 6:15-17

 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the following day and went outside, troops, horses, and chariots were everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

 16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Laurel and Hardy, legendary icons of the golden age of American cinema, carved out a unique niche as one of Hollywood’s most beloved comedy duos during its early years. The lanky Stan Laurel and his stout, rotund counterpart Oliver Hardy became household names from the late 1920s through the mid-1940s, endearing themselves to audiences with their hilarious and charming performances.

Their on-screen adventures consistently plunged them into an array of predicaments with unforeseen outcomes. Oliver Hardy, often portrayed as the more responsible and authoritative figure, would frequently find himself exasperated by Stan Laurel’s innocent yet bungling antics. This led to one of the most memorable catchphrases in film history: “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.” Delivered with Oliver’s trademark look of dismay and a pouty expression, this line became synonymous with the duo’s comedic style, making appearances in over 15 of their films.

Beyond their slapstick humor and perfectly timed gags, Laurel and Hardy’s enduring appeal lay in the chemistry and camaraderie between them. Their ability to evoke laughter through simple, relatable scenarios, combined with impeccable comedic timing, turned their films into timeless classics. Audiences of all ages could identify with their charming misadventures, ensuring that their legacy would continue to thrive long after their final curtain call.

Children of the King frequently encounter challenging predicaments due to their own choices. Life is filled with uncertainty, which raises a pivotal question: How do we make the best decisions? The Father has given us minds capable of observation, calculation, and logical reasoning to navigate through life’s complexities.

In the kingdom of the Father, there is much more. Sometimes, clarity doesn’t come from hard work and perspiration but rather from divine inspiration. The children of the King are guided more by faith than by sight. Human sight is limited to the physical world that can be seen and observed. However, there are unseen realities that are not visible to the human eye.

Elisha and his servant found themselves in a difficult situation. They were surrounded by enemies who intended to harm them. Humanly speaking, they were defenseless and had no earthly means to resist. However, Elisha knew something that his servant did not. He could see beyond what was visible and could see the unseen. Elisha was aware that the Father had sent an army of angels to protect him and his servant. This angelic army came with the power and authority of the commander of Heaven’s army. In the face of Heaven’s army, the Syrian forces were impotent.

Elisha, the prophet, was a seer. He could see angels, and he was fearless because he saw with the eyes of faith. The angels were more than a match for the Syrian army. Elisha wanted his fearful servant to be able to see as he did, so he prayed that the eyes of his servant would be opened to see the unseen.

2 Kings 6:17 Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes, and him see!”

A whole new reality opened for his servant, one that can only be seen by the eyes of faith. The angelic armies had been there all along, yet they remained cloaked to the ordinary human eyes. Much remains invisible and thus hidden to those who do not look with eyes of faith.

“Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees” (Stanley).

REFLECT & PRAY

The limitations of our physical eyes restrict our natural vision here on Earth. However, our spiritual vision knows no bounds. It enables the eyes of our hearts to open and see the unseen.

Father, I often don’t know what to do. I am limited by my human resources. Help me learn to tap into Your resources and walk by faith, not by sight alone.

INSIGHT

Elisha was a servant leader and a man of faith. He routinely saw the unseen, things that were hidden from others. This extraordinary ability had landed him in the precarious situation of being encircled by adversaries. Aram, the king of Syria, was at war with Israel. He had drawn up secret plans for attack. Time and again, his covert strategies were foiled. His plans were thwarted. He was furious and decided there must be a spy within his ranks that was betraying him.

There was a spy, all right. But that spy was Elisha.

2 Kings 6:12 Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!

Elisha had prophetic insight. He could see the unseen and discern what was hidden from others. Geographical distance and palace walls were not obstacles to him.

A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way (John C. Maxwell). A leader can translate vision into reality, faith into substance, and hope into conviction. While a boss issues orders. A true leader guides.

A leader is optimistic and upbeat. They radiate confidence and resilience. Challenges are not overlooked nor ignored; they are addressed and surmounted. Ultimately, a leader is defined by optimism, courage, foresight, planning, and implementation.

“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been” (Henry Kissinger).

2 Corinthians 4:18 We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Paul’s unwavering trust and confidence in the Father’s promise and power rips away the veil of limited physical sight. The chasm between the visible and invisible, the temporary and the eternal, is seamlessly bridged by the lens of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 We walk by faith, not by sight

“If we think only of the things that are visible, we are bound to see life that way. But there is another way. The writer to the Hebrews said of Moses: ‘He persevered as though he saw him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27)” (Barclay).

Supernatural sight, that is, seeing the invisible, comes through faith in the One who is Himself invisible. It is a paradox. It cannot be validated through scientific experimentation.

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that eyes of your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called.

What do you see, enemies or the angels of Heaven’s army?

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© Dr. H 2024

I’m constantly losing stuff ∙

I’m constantly losing stuff ∙

The Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost. – Luke 19:10

Luke 15:4-6

 4 If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.

 6 When he arrives, he will call his friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.”

The story is told of a lady in her 30s wearing a lanyard around her neck, holding her cell phone, and a small sign reading, “I’m a loser.” She used the lanyard to ensure she wouldn’t misplace her cell phone. We often find ourselves misplacing or losing items like car keys, credit card holders, cell phones, and clothing items such as hats and coats. However, in our modern tech-driven world, there is an answer.

Welcome to the realm of 21st-century digital trackers. Two of the most popular are Air Tags and Life360 Tile. These small, thin tiles act as trackers for objects with a knack for running off and hiding from us. They can be affixed to or discreetly placed on items like cell phones, keys, credit card holders, purses, or even loved ones and pets. Powered by batteries, they emit signals. To locate the missing items tagged with an heir tile our life 360 tile, you can simply enlist Alexa, Google, a computer, a tablet, or a cell phone.

In a similar way, the Father uses a celestial tracking system of His own intelligent design. In the timeless expanse of eternity, He affectionately and meticulously named and tagged each of His sheep before they were ever born. He intimately knows each one, with an identity crafted through His intelligent design, ensuring they are never lost to the vastness of time or space.

Isaiah 49:16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

This evident anthropomorphism vividly portrays that the Father is intimately acquainted with our names, having metaphorically “inscribed” them onto the palms of His hands. This graphic imagery is intentionally powerful, designed to demonstrate that the Father will never forget us.

We are all born into this life as lost sheep. The Good Shepherd seeks His own until they are found, and He calls them to Himself.

A shepherd will go to great lengths to locate, nurture, and protect his flock. In the first century A.D. context, each shepherd possessed a distinct call that only his own sheep recognized. Upon hearing this call, his sheep would instinctively come to their shepherd. Other sheep would not.

In times when shepherds needed to enter towns or villages, they would gather their sheep in a communal enclosure alongside other flocks. To reclaim his own sheep from this mixed assembly, the shepherd merely needed to utter his unique call. Only his sheep would come forward to him while the rest remained amidst the larger flock.

John 10:2-5

 2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

This is the back story of a remarkable and beautiful promise made by the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10:27-29

 27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,  

 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.  

What is the call of the Good Shepherd? It is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When His sheep hear this message, it has a life-changing impact. It transforms their very being. It echoes deeply within their hearts, urging them to respond to His call. Ultimately, they come to Him and receive the precious gift of eternal life.

It is a profound comfort to know and remember that, due to the Father’s immense love for us, the Lord Jesus Christ never ceases His search until we are found. He will relentlessly pursue us until we are safely in His embrace.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father and the Son will always seek those that belong to them until they are found.

Father, I readily acknowledge that once I was lost, I was a very lost sheep. One day, I heard Your voice calling me and came to You. But sadly, even now, I tend to wander off. And repeatedly, You come looking for me, swoop me up in Your loving arms, and bring me home.

INSIGHT

When the Father created sheep, it might have been shortly after He fashioned owls. Perhaps the wisdom barrel was somewhat depleted by then. Evidently, sheep got the leftovers. Nevertheless, contemporary research questions this notion. In most cases, those responsible for the well-being of sheep discover that they are “not just stupid but mind-numbingly stupid.”

Even though we have come to the Good Shepherd and have been given eternal life as our present possession, never to be lost, we still have the temperament of sheep. We tend to stray and wander off. In the words of Robert Robinson:

Come, thou Fount of every blessing.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

Isaiah 53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path,

We are continuously in desperate need of a shepherd to care for us, protect us, and find us when we lose our way. The Lord is our good Shepherd. We can be confident that He will come looking for us when we stray. When He finds us, He is delighted and joyful. He tells everyone, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Luke 15:6)

Every time the Father finds us, He offers us a fresh start. He provides a new beginning and an opportunity to distance ourselves from the past, embrace new possibilities, and be renewed and transformed.

Many would say that the best part of the journey is not the places we go and see but instead returning home. There is a poignant, pleasant joy when we return to where we belong: home.

For the children of the King, heaven is our permanent home. Although we have never been there, we know He has prepared a place for us. It is a place of joy, delight, and ultimate security. It is a happy place. It is the ultimate safe place. And we will dwell there forever, with our loving Shepherd King.

Are you still wondering about wandering?

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© Dr. H 2024

Junk food ∙

Junk food ∙

Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. – Isaiah 55:2

1 Peter 2:2-3

 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,

 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

The American diet frequently includes unhealthy foods that are high in calories from sugar or fat but lack essential dietary nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These foods are commonly known as junk food or HFSS (high in fat, salt, and sugar) foods.

The term “junk food” lacks a clear and consistent definition and has changed over time. Generally, it refers to heavily processed food products. However, even protein-rich foods like meat or fish cooked with saturated fat can be considered junk food. Fast food and fast-food restaurants are often seen as the poster child for junk food.

The increase in junk food consumption is linked to various health concerns, such as a higher risk of obesity and diabetes. Other potential adverse effects include difficulties with memory and learning and increased rates of depression. To combat these issues, several public health awareness campaigns have been initiated, and advertising restrictions have been put in place as part of a national effort to improve the health of Americans.

Regrettably, spiritual junk food has also gained traction in our society. This “food” is comprised of superficial teachings and practices that don’t nourish the soul or foster genuine spiritual growth. Many people underestimate the perils of spiritual junk food and consume it mindlessly, oblivious to its harmful effects on their spiritual well-being. Just as physical junk food can damage the body, spiritual junk food can undermine the bedrock of one’s faith, leaving individuals spiritually malnourished, superficial, and ill-prepared to confront life’s trials.

Consuming spiritual junk food has become widely accepted and normalized. This trend can lead to a diluted faith that is more about convenience and superficial observance and less about true devotion. To address this issue, the children of the King must be discerning about the spiritual content they consume. We are to seek out enriching, substantive content that promotes genuine spiritual growth, renewal, and transformation. We should cultivate a robust and meaningful faith that stands the test of time.

“It is no secret that Christ’s Church is not at all in good health in many places of the world. She has been languishing because she has been fed, as the current line has it, ‘junk food;’ all kinds of artificial preservatives and all sorts of unnatural substitutes have been served up to her” (Walter Kaiser).

As a result, Kaiser notes that biblical and theological malnutrition has “afflicted the very generation that has taken such giant steps to make sure its physical health is not damaged by using foods or products that are carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to their bodies.” How ironic!

We often invest in food that doesn’t nourish us or enhance our well-being. Similarly, our spiritual diet can lack spiritual nourishment and substance.

Indulging in spiritual junk food diminishes our strength and leaves us spiritually flabby. Our hearts and souls become malnourished, fostering apathy and lethargy. We grow spiritually dull. We are capable of hearing, yet we do not seem to really listen and are unable to digest solid spiritual food.

Hebrews 5:11-14

 11 . . . And you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.

 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who, through training, have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Just as there is a typical pattern for early childhood development, there is a regular pattern for spiritual development and growth. The children of the King to whom the Book of Hebrews was written were suffering from a tragic case of arrested development. “As a result, they were now ‘dull of hearing;’ that is, unable to listen to the Word, receive it, and act on it” (Wiersbe).

Because their spiritual diet was inadequate, they became spiritually emaciated and unable to progress toward maturity. Despite the passage of time, they never moved beyond the basics. Just as muscles require regular exercise to remain strong, flexible, and functional, our spirits need consistent exercise. Without it, muscles atrophy and lose tone, and the body weakens. Similarly, when our spirits lack adequate exercise, they become feeble and frail.

Moreover, there is additional collateral damage. Although they had been believers for some time, they had regressed in their spiritual growth, functioning at the level of spiritual infants. They had slipped back and forgotten what they had initially learned. They couldn’t receive and digest solid spiritual food and had to revert to milk. Instead of being able to teach the truths of the Word of God to others, they needed others who were mature to reteach them the basics about Christ.

REFLECT & PRAY

The milk of the Word is not solely reserved for spiritual infants. Every child of the King, regardless of their age or maturity in faith, should yearn for the Word of God with the same fervor that an infant cries for its mother’s milk. It is essential for growth and vitality in our walk with the Father.

Father, I pray that I will continually crave the pure milk of Your Word and settle for nothing less.

INSIGHT

Consuming spiritual junk food adversely affects nearly everyone who indulges in it.

The goal is to become mighty in our spirits. When the Father wants to prepare the children of the King for His assignments for them to carry out on earth, He puts them in the wilderness. There, they grow strong in their spirits.

Luke 1:80 John kept growing and becoming strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

The wilderness experience is like a boot camp for children of the King. It is a place for testing and preparation until we are trained, equipped, and prepared to serve Him. At the appointed time, when ready, we are released to serve.

In order to make positive changes, we need to raise the bar and elevate our standards. This begins by becoming more discerning regarding the quality of the spiritual content we consume, seeking genuine spiritual nourishment. Each of us can choose to reject spiritual junk food and strive for excellence. We seek out, find, and take in pure, spiritually nutritious milk of the Word of God. Over time, we develop not merely a taste but a strong desire for this enriching food for our souls.

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk.

How is your spiritual diet working for you?

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© Dr. H 2024