THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD I SHALL NOT WANT
“….THEIR
APPETITE IS NEVER SATISFIED….” (ECCLESIASTES 6:7 KJV).
*
Human appetites are
highly connected to the soul. The soul expresses itself outwardly and reveals the fruit of your deepest character traits. Soul is neʹphesh in
Hebrew (Old Testament) or psy·kheʹ
in Greek (New Testament) and refers to the “active” part of the person.
The word soul occurs over 850 times in the
combined old and new testaments and basically has the same meanings for soul: an
existing being (human being, person).
In the book of Genesis, the soul is called a “living” soul. “….God formed man of the dust of the ground (BODY), and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life (SPIRIT); and man BECAME A LIVING SOUL (SOUL)….”
(Genesis 2:7 KJV).
However, the soul was called a
“living” soul AFTER God breathes into the nostrils the breath of life, which is
the SPIRIT. “…It is the SPIRIT who
gives LIFE…” (John 6:63 NASB). The soul needs the body to exist
on earth, but needs the Spirit to exist in heaven.
Mankind’s body was formed from the “dust
of the ground” and contributes to making the soul a LIVING soul on earth “…and man BECAME A LIVING SOUL (SOUL)….”
(Genesis 2:7 KJV). On the other hand, “…The BODY without the Spirit is DEAD…” (James 2:26
KJV). Without the Holy Spirit the body, of the “LIVING” soul, exists on earth, but is spiritually DEAD.
The “breath of life” or Spirit of God is
what makes the spiritual dead soul a LIVING soul. “…and man BECAME A LIVING SOUL (SOUL)….”
(Genesis 2:7 KJV). The Spirit is what makes the soul ALIVE. “…MADE alive
in the spirit…” (1 Peter 3:18 NASB). “…It is the
SPIRIT who gives LIFE…” (John 6:63 NASB).
God created the soul. “…As Jehovah liveth, that MADE US THIS SOUL…”
(Jeremiahs 38:16 ASV). “….God formed man …and man BECAME A LIVING SOUL (SOUL)….”
(Genesis 2:7 KJV).
At creation, the body, soul,
and Spirit were an UNITY that God called a “LIVING” soul. “….God formed man of the dust of the ground
(BODY), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (SPIRIT); and man BECAME A LIVING
SOUL (SOUL)….” (Genesis 2:7 KJV).
God’s Holy Spirit made man
“….a “LIVING” soul (spiritually
alive). However, “…through one man sin
entered into the world, and DEATH
through sin, and so DEATH passed
to all men—“(Romans 5:12 KJV). “… [their] … iniquities
(sin) …separated
[them (their soul)]… from [their]… God… …” (Isaiah 59:2 KJV).
There was a SOUL and
there was a BODY, but both are DEAD without the SPIRIT.
Man became a spiritually “DEAD” soul. Adam and Eve were “…separated
from the LIFE of God…” (Ephesians 4:18 NIV). “…It is the SPIRIT who gives LIFE; the flesh profits nothing…” (John 6:63
NASB).
Therefore, like Adam and Eve your soul, or
“…YOU… were DEAD in your transgressions and sins…”
(Ephesians 2:1 NIV). “…YOU were dead in your sins and ...God made you ALIVE with Christ. He forgave [you]…
all [your]… sins…” (Colossians 2:13 NIV). God “….made [you]… ALIVE with Christ …when [you]… were DEAD in transgressions…”
(Ephesians 2:5 NIV). Like the prodigal son, “… [YOU (your
soul) was]…. DEAD and [you
have been made]… ALIVE AGAIN; [you
were]… lost and [have been]… found…” (Luke 15:24 NIV).
Before being made “ALIVE AGAIN” you had to be DEAD. The soul was a DEAD soul. The appetites of the DEAD soul dictated YOUR various longings,
cravings, hungers, or needs for personal gratification demanded by the carnal (dead) nature. “….YOU (your dead soul) USED TO LIVE in sin, just like the
rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen
world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to
obey God. All
of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires (APPETITES) and
inclinations of our sinful (dead) nature. ….just like everyone else…”
(Ephesian 2:2-3 NLT).
Spiritually DEAD souls express or reval the sinful (dead) nature. “…The
sin of my SOUL…” (Micah 6:7 KJV). The
spiritually DEAD soul has an appetite
for carnality and for many other fleshly (deadly) desires. “….When
you follow the desires (appetites) of your sinful (dead) nature, the results are very
clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I
have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom
of God. …” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).
Thankfully, through
Salvation, “…He restoreth my SOUL…” (Psalm 23
KJV). “…he became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him…” (Hebrew 5:7-8-9 KJV). “…The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the SOUL…” (Psalm 19
NASB). “IN” Christ
you (your soul) have been restored and made “ALIVE AGAIN.” (Luke 15:24 NIV).
Therefore, “…Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….”
(Romans 12:1 KJV). “…For the time past …when [you]… walked in
lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable
idolatries…” (1 Peter 4:1-3 KJV).
“….You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people
enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild
parties, and their terrible worship of idols….” (1 Peter 4:3 NLT).
“…You’ve already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life,
partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it’s time to be
done with it for good…” (1 Peter 4:3 MSG).
You have the sinful
(dead) nature working within the flesh trying to hinder the work of sanctification of
the soul. “…I [am] …a slave to the sin that is … WITHIN
ME (my flesh)…” (Romans
7:14-25 NLT).
You also have the POWERFUL, indwelling Holy Spirit working
within you to sanctify the soul. “…So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your
lives. Then you won’t be doing
what your sinful
nature CRAVES. The sinful nature wants to do
evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the
opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These TWO FORCES are constantly fighting each other, so you are not
free to carry out your good intentions.
…When you follow the
desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality,
impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that
sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit
in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. There is no law against
these things! Those who belong to Christ
Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of
their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there…”
(Galatians 5 NLT).
Renewing your appetites
is about renewing what feeds your soul. When the children of Israel ran out of the supply of earthly food that once fed their bodies, they looked to God, who fed them food from heaven. “…Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m
going to rain down food from heaven
for you. Each
day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.”
That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. When the dew
evaporated, a flaky substance as
fine as frost blanketed the ground...”
(Exodus 16 NLT).
This food from oheaven was
something new and the Israelites didn’t know what it was, but they tried it
anyway. The Israelites had never had this food from heaven, but discovered they
were able to nourish themselves with it. AND they were SATISFIED. “…The
Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “WHAT IS IT?” they asked each other. And Moses told
them, “It is the
food the Lord has given you to eat.
...Each family had just
what it needed.
The
Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it
tasted like honey wafers.
So the people of Israel ate
manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. ….”
(Exodus 16 NLT). “….THE BREAD OF GOD is he which cometh down from heaven …HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER
HUNGER…” (JOHN 6:33-35 KJV).
Physical nourishment, in all its various forms, lasts for a few hours and then your appetite is craving something again.
“….Human desire
(hunger) is NEVER SATISFIED…” (Proverbs 27:20 NLT). “….THEIR APPETITE (hunger) IS NEVER SATISFIED….” (ECCLESIASTES 6:7 KJV).
The human soul craves nourishment too and it has many different hungers, that only God can satisfy. Feeding the human soul can become a lifetime effort of trying to satisfy a bottomless pit. However, their is something that can satisfy the soul's ravenous appetite until it hungers no more. “….THE BREAD OF GOD is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the
world. Then said they unto him, Lord,
evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF
LIFE: HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER…”
(JOHN 6:33-35 KJV). “…The Lord is my shepherd; I SHALL
NOT WANT…” (Psalms 23 KJV). “…I AM THE LIVING BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN…”
(JOHN 6:51 KJV). “…Man shall not live by
[HUMAN] bread alone, but by every word (SPIRITUAL BREAD) that proceedeth out of
the mouth of God….” (MATTHEW 4:4 KJV).
STOP craving that which will NEVER satisfy you, but will have you on the streets BEGGING for the WRONG bread for years and years. There is that BREAD from Heaven that FEEDS you UNTIL you want NO more!! Ask God to GIVE it to you. SAY: “….Give me only my daily bread…”
(PROVERBS 30:8 NASB). “…Give [me]… this day [my]… daily bread…” (MATTHEW 4:11
KJV). “…Give [me]… day by day [my]… daily bread….”
(LUKE 11:3 KJV). The old
hymnal line from Guide me, O Thou Great
Jehovah by William Williams says “…feed
me until I want no more…”
“…I AM THE BREAD OF
LIFE: HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER…”
(JOHN 6:33-35 KJV).
“...Bread of Heaven. Bread of Heaven…feed me until I want no more…” (Williams 1745).
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