Check Your Appetite
Today's Verse:
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. ~Proverbs 23:6-7
Do you have a healthy appetite? Generically speaking, the appetite is the craving to eat and be satisfied. Spiritually speaking, our appetite speaks of all cravings and desires. Proverbs 23 is Solomon’s caution and counsel to his son regarding his appetite. He knew that his son was being exposed to many things that were appealing to the appetite of lust. As a young man, his son did not know how far the limits could be pushed and the eventual destruction that an uncontrolled appetite could lead to. Our devotion this morning is God’s instruction on controlling our appetite.
There is the doorway of our appetite.
Our appetite is a direct doorway for temptation and sin. Our appetite is susceptible to corruption. Solomon addresses three means by which we are sorely tempted and can fall into the traps of sin. These doorways are the snares of wealth, women, and wine. These three areas are constant pressures and sources of temptation that affect men and women alike. They are the temptation to pursue worldly increase, wicked immorality, and woeful intoxication. When a person is tempted in one of these three areas, the craving and desire can be very strong, especially at a weak point in the person’s life. We must be careful to identify the doorway to a corrupted appetite.
There is the deception of our appetite.
Satan uses various means to deceive our appetite. Solomon cautions that we should be careful to consider diligently what is set before us when we sit with a ruler. He said we should put a knife to our throat if we are given to appetite. He said we should be careful of wine, or alcoholic beverage, and the enticement of its color and control of the senses. He said we should be careful to turn away from the looks, words, and call to sexual temptation. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the very area that he attacked our Lord was in the area of appetite. Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Be careful of being attacked in your appetite when you are weak, your guard is down, and you are trying to be successful without God’s help.
There is the defilement of our appetite.
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Consider the devastation that an uncontrolled appetite can lead to: “The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words... For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags... For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men... Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” An uncontrolled appetite can lead to sorrow and regret.
There is the discipline of our appetite.
In order to control our appetite, we must discipline our appetite. The first thing is we must do what the Bible says about the areas we are tempted in and remove not the ancient landmark. Second, we should avoid the company, counsel, and fellowship of men and women who are ungodly and seek to corrupt us into following their lustful lifestyles. Third, we should not allow our heart to envy sinners, but to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Discipline your desires by walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Control your appetite! Don’t allow your desires to control you. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.
Have a disciplined God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 30-32