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*DAILY ⓂANNA DEVOTIONAL*

THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER, 2022

*FEASTING ON PLAGUES*

📜TEXT:NUMBERS 11:31-35📜

🔑📖“`KEY VERSE:“` _*”And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague” (NUMBERS 11:33).*_

The first law of materialistic man is to rabidly pursue wealth as the way to happiness and fulfilment. He believes that if he is able to eat, clothe the body, get a roof over his head and pay his bills, he will get the expected return of true joy. It is a limited world that does not reckon with the other plane of existence – the soul. Neglecting the soul, however, is a costly mistake with consequence in eternity. Realising this truth late comes with a heavy price.

In the wilderness, on their way to the Promised Land, the Israelites paid a great penalty for their wanton lust for “flesh to eat”. They contemned heaven’s manna and clamoured for the slavery days, implied by their longing for “fish, which [they] did eat in Egypt freely.” The Lord did not abort His Promised Land plan by returning them to Egypt. He granted them the permissive will of eating flesh. God gave them quails, which came in such large numbers that the Israelites feasted on flesh “all that day, and all that night, and all the next day.”

They were consumed by a passion to please the body at the expense of the soul. This left them no time to nurture and nourish the soul through prayer, meditation, counsel from Moses and preparation to make it to Canaan Land. This disregard for their soul brought the judgment of the Lord. So, instead of feeding on flesh, the Israelites feasted on plagues.

This calamity was avoidable. The Lord who created our body knows we need to meet its demands in order to survive. But there is also His unequivocal word of guidance: “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

✍🏽“`THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:“` _*A spiritually famished soul is easy target for plagues.*_

📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:` *PSALM 78-79*📜

*MEDITATION*

*Beware of lawful things that damn the soul*

*1. The divine provision*
a. They cried for meat and God provided, v31. It was lawful to eat clean meat.
b. The provision was greatly miraculous; no doubt only God could give it and not Satan, v31.
c. God through the agency of the wind, commanded pigeon-sized feathered birds from the sea shore to where they were, v31, Psalms 78:27.
d. The birds came flying above land level at about one metre (two cubits) high so that they could easily pick and use them, v31.
e. Each person or soldier were able to get 10 homers or about 200kg weight or about 1900 birds! (v32). 200k is the weight of 3 averagely sized adults. 1,900 birds per soldier for 600,000 soldier equals about 1.15 billion birds. No wonder, psalm 78:27 described it as “the sand of the sea”.
f. God truly proved to them that He is the all sufficient and more that sufficient God who can give exceeding abundantly more than we are able to ask or think, if we wait for His time, Ephesians 3:20.

*2. The damnable punishment*
Those who eat the meat were killed before they started chewing it to enjoy, v33. So they got what they wanted but God did allow them to live to enjoy it 🙆‍♂️. It was not viral or bacterial infection that killed but divine wrath. Why did something that should turn to a testimony became a curse? Why should eating something lawful made God to be angry at them to the point of sending them straight to hell?
a. They were not interested in the will of God but enslaved by their own desires. Did they ever asked the reason why God did not want them to eat meat at that time and submit to the will of God?
b. They frustrated the purpose of God for not giving them meat, Deuteronomy 8:3. God wanted them to learn something eternally important through pain before pleasure. What was the most important lesson they rejected in Deuteronomy 8:3?
c. Can you imagine their response to billions of birds that came overnight? No record of fear of God, no record of praise or thanksgiving to God except murmuring👌. Obviously their state of heart was not right with God.
d. It was not prayer that brought the miracle but blaspheming, tempting God and wilful unbelief. See Psalms 78:17-19 for more details. “Whatever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23b.
*Note* that not all of them were punished. Some of them were reflective and sober enough and avoided eating it. Only those who lusted or eat it were destroyed, vv33,34.

*Question*
What are the lessons you can learn from this about God?🤔

*Note*
a. It is not all things that are lawful that are necessary. In order to please God, self control and discipline are needed, I Corinthians 6:12.
b. Miracles and the gift of miracles without right attitude and holiness can lead to destruction and damnation. The matter of the heart is the heart of the matter👌Those who receive miracles must seek for salvation and holiness in their own interest, John 5:14.
c. Delay is not denial. God had His timing and reasons for allowing pains for His children. Be discerning, reflective and patient to allow the divine purpose for you be fulfilled so that you will have the maturity to manage His blessings without perishing, James 1:3,4.
d. Lawful things will be sinful and damnable if they propelled by carnal mind or consideration or the evil one👌

*Prayer points*
Ask for grace to always walk close with Him so that you will not miss His purpose🙏
Ask for discernment and understanding so that you will always know and abide in His perfect will🙏
Pray that all the sinners who received miracles at our outreaches will press further to get salvation and holiness🙏
Pray that all forms of carnality will be washed from the heart of His children 🙏

*HYMN* Close to Thee. ( GHS 42)

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