a word that grieves

Shameless...

Webster's says... having no shame... shame being... a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety...

The sign of a hard heart... a dangerous condition for a Believer...

During the Exodus... the newly freed Isrealites were shameless in their craving for meat... tired of the miraculous meals from heaven... they longed to return to Egypt... the land of slavery...

God heard the cry of His people... He knew their hearts... He gave them what they craved... miraculously... He provided the desire of their heart...

Their hearts were far from God... they were not thankful... they were not fearful... God gave them what they craved... but it came with a price...

An episode recorded in song...

He saved them from the hand of the foe;

from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

The waters covered their adversaries;

not one of them survived.

Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.

But they soon forgot what he had done

and did not wait for his counsel.

In the desert they gave in to their craving;

in the wasteland they put God to the test.

So he gave them what they asked for,

but sent a wasting disease upon them.

Psalm 106:10-15

(my emphasis)

... a wasting disease... translated by others as... an empty heart... and... leanness into their soul...

God answers prayers... He hears the cry of the heart... He will feed the flesh... or He will feed the soul... the spirit... you can't have both... it's a choice... life or death...

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

John 3:6

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.

John 6:63

That's why the call to carry your cross... crucify the flesh...

We all... who believe... have been freed from the slavery of sin and death... we walk this wilderness world... until we reach the Promised Land...

We can choose to crave... feeding flesh... asking God... demanding... grumbling... You are not enough... Or we can choose to die... put our fleshly desires on the cross... trusting... Your will be done...

But we cannot have both... to feed the cravings of the flesh... is to starve the soul...

To demand... beg... grumble... asking God... the Bread of Life... to feed a craving that kills...

Shameless...

A word that grieves...

Seeing this word made flesh... in the life of a loved one... fills with sorrow...