Oh No! Not the Smacks!

There is a passage of scripture in the bible that I am reminded of many times when I take a bite to eat. The message is found in the book of Exodus chapter 11 where the Israelites were in the wilderness. I am sure that you remember that God chose Moses to lead the Hebrew children out of the desert place into the Promise Land. Well, like many of us, the children of God became weary in the wilderness. They began to complain and murmur (This angered God by the way). Although God had freed them from the oppression of the Egyptians, they longed for the food that was provided for them while in bondage. They murmured to Moses that they wanted cucumbers, melons, and the  meat of the Egyptians. Meat. Yeah, who doesn't want meat with their potatoes and vegetables? They complained that the manna from Heaven was not enough. So, being the great and compassionate leader that Moses was, he went to God and requested meat for the Israelites. Indeed, meat was given to them by God. It was quail, an Old World migratory game bird. God's people ate and ate ,and while the food was still in their mouth, the anger of the Lord blazed against His people striking them with a severe plague. Now, I know that food is necessary for me. I must eat to live, right? However, I have many times lived to eat. Ok, let me just go ahead and say it. God is dealing with me regarding the sin of "gluttony". Oh, that word. Is that really a sin?  Yes, it is a sin. It is not for the sake of remaining physically healthy, which is not a very bad idea, nor am I determined to keep the super slender coke bottle figure that I had many years ago. I digress. My concern is that I ignored the voice of God when He says that I have had enough. My desire is to be obedient to His word. However, I have rejected to repent of this sin many years. That old sin of gluttony that many refuse to confront. I can recall visiting a friend's house. I made a statement about being too full to move. See, I had loaded my plate with barbeque chicken, beans, potatoes, various types of salads and casseroles. We were all sitting at the table when a sister in Christ told me that I was being a glutton. I did not respond to her no nonsense statement. Frankly, I was offended and a little wounded. I thought to myself, "Will you let me eat as hungry as I am? I am not bothering you am I?". Soon, the offense dissipated and my wounded heart healed. From then until now, her words ring loudly in my ears every time I fill up my plate. Could this be the voice of God? Recently, I came home from a hard days work. I had not eaten, and it was late in the evening. So, I had in mind to eat the leftovers that I cooked, but I thought to myself, why not eat something light? So, I grabbed the cereal box of "Honey Smacks". You know, the frog with the "dig em" shirt. Wow. I can taste them now. Well, anyway, I got the largest bowl I could find, and I filled it up with "Honey Smacks". I did one thing right though. I used almond milk instead of regular milk (l'm lactose intolerant). So, yeah. I got a small table, took it to my bedroom. I left the bedroom to go back into the kitchen, all the while my mouth is watering with anticipation. I picked up the big bowl of the best tasting cereal in the land. When I got to my bedroom and sat down, I took a few big table spoons of my meal. Wow. It tasted so good. Then, I heard God speak. He said, "Throw that away". At first, I thought, this can't be God speaking. Surely, He would not deprive me of what is good. So, I asked Him. "Lord, did you say throw my cereal away? Once again, I heard, "Throw that away". Oh no, not the Smacks! Honestly, I almost disobeyed. However, I had asked my Lord to convict me of sin, and He answered my prayer. He said, "Man cannot live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. See, my plan was to eat my Smacks first, then read my bible (nothing wrong with that). However, my Lord was teaching ME something. He knows how much I like to eat (physical food and spiritual food). He knows that I tend to over indulge with foods that I like. He helps me in every area of my life, and He will do the same for you. He received my undivided attention that night.  I went to the kitchen and without hesitation, I threw away the Smacks. I had no sadness or anger. There was no pouting on my part nor was there any resentment towards God. He loves me and He loves you too. He does not like gluttony, so I don't like gluttony. Although, I've fallen short a few times even after I put my Smacks in the trash, my Lord gently nudges and reminds me that I am His and He knows what is best for me. It is not that He desires to cause us pain, but He wants us to worship Him. Being a glutton says that there is one who is greater than our Lord. Gluttony is idolatry. Gluttony is lustful. This is why He calls it sin. This is not to bash any person or make fun of those who struggle with this. In fact, this message is just the opposite. I dare you to ask our Lord to teach you discipline. Watch Him do just that. There you have it people of God. Your Pastor's Truth.