Anybody Who Feeds on Ashes

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Anybody Who Feeds on Ashes

We let ourselves be led  and influenced  by various things  in this world.     We have a choice  as to what we want  to be led by.     Some people love  to be led by  a movie.     They long  to get lost  in the imaginations  of film makers  and feel that watching movies is  a necessity  in life.     They feed themselves  with pretended experiences  in an effort  to fulfill  whatever is lacking  in their lives.

Other people are totally absorbed  with sex  and let sex lead their lives.     They spend their time  and money  on pornography;  they seek out illicit sexual encounters;  and they might even have a sex change operation  to fulfill their imaginations.     The concepts  and fantasies  they have repeatedly fed themselves  soon shape their whole lives.

There are also people  who feed their self-concept  with their desire  to always remain young  and beautiful/handsome.     They will spend all their resources  on spas,  face lifts,  and various operations  that will enhance the appearance  of youth.     They cannot bear the idea  of having anyone else  see them age,  get sick,  or have a physical imperfection.

We all feed  on something.     The question is,  “What do we feed on?”     What makes us tick  in this life?     What are our  greatest desires?

God looked at what was feeding the people  of Israel.     They fed themselves  on their imaginations  of what their ideal god  should be like.     They got a lot  of their ideas  from the surrounding heathen nations  and made idols  of various sorts  to worship.     They wanted  a more exciting worship service  where they could have a god  they could see  and feel.     The LORD could not be seen  in the way they wanted  to see,  so their longings were not met.     They wanted a god  where they could create  their own form  of worship,  instead of having the LORD tell them  what proper worship  should be like.

The people of Israel chose  to forget all the things  they had seen the LORD do  for them.     The LORD foretold the future  for them;  He rescued them  from enemies;  He provided  for their needs.     They no longer cared  about any of that.

But,  to create their own god  and feed their imaginations,  the people would choose  the perfect tree  and cut it down.     The choice  part  was marked,  shaped,  and planed  with special tools  to make the form  of a beautiful man  or other being.     Then they would use some parts  of the tree  for firewood  to warm their homes.     Some of the wood  was used to heat ovens  to bake their bread  and roast meat.     But,  with their new idol,  they would bow down  and worship,  praying,  “Save me.   You are my god.”

Here’s what the LORD says  to such people  in Isaiah 44:18-20,

Such men don’t know or understand,  because their eyes are shut,  so that they can’t see,  and their minds,  so that they can’t understand.     Nobody gives it  a second thought.     Nobody knows  or understands enough  to think:   “I burned part of it.     Yes,  I baked bread  on its coals.     I roasted meat  and ate it.     And should I make  the rest  of it  an abominable thing  and bow down  to a  block of wood?”    

Anybody  who feeds on ashes  has a deluded heart  and is led astray.     He can’t save himself  or ask,  “Isn’t what I hold  in my right hand  a delusion?”

What are the gods we create  in our lives?     What do we feed on  and allow  to delude us?     What takes us away  from the truths  of the LORD God?     Are there “ashes”  that “satisfy” us  more than what God gives us  in His word?

Our Creator and Redeemer wants us  to realize  that anything  that we allow  to delude us  in this life  is not any different  than feeding on “ashes”.     Yuk!     When we know  and understand the love  of God Almighty  for us,  all these delusions  become putrid.     They are nothing  but a worthless “block of wood”  — “ashes” —  that are fooling us.     Why should we allow something so worthless  to take us away  from truth  and eternal salvation?

Let us always ask our Lord Jesus Christ  to lead us  in the way everlasting.     It doesn’t take much  for any of us  to become misled.     We are all vulnerable.     So  it is vital  that we daily  ask the LORD  to lead and guide us  every step  of our way.     That is exactly  what He longs to do  for us,  so we don’t have to be afraid  to ask.

Walking with our Lord,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     My Lord,  all Your ways  are beautiful and right.     Let me always feed  on You,  for You are  the Bread of Life.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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