Do Not Starve To Death Spiritually
John King
Having lived in northern Pennsylvania, I had the unpleasant experience of seeing deer die of starvation during a severe winter. The irony of this situation is that they died of malnutrition while having a full stomach. After all the nutritious food is consumed, the deer satisfy their hunger by eating pine needles and leaves from the abundant laurel plants. The problem is that there is nothing in the pine and laurel that they can digest. Hence, they die emaciated; yet, their belly is full.
Spiritually, this same situation occurs in human beings daily. Man’s intelligence tells him there is a God. Romans 1:20 tells us, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what hath been made.”
Most humans have a desire to know about and please God. As long as their desire is fed by God through His word, their needs are satisfied and man grows fat and healthy, spiritually. However, all too often, man’s hunger for knowledge of God is fed by denominational error, error that fills his spiritual stomach but has little or no true nourishment for the soul. Thus, man eventually dies of spiritual malnutrition; even though he regularly consumes what he thinks is the true bread of life.
Back to my deer story. The sad reality is that animals of prey start to consume these weakened deer even before they are dead. It is a gruesome sight, yet reality. Satan is no less gruesome. People, weakened by insufficient knowledge of God through false doctrine, are being consumed daily by Satan. Paul told the Ephesian elders to beware of “Savage Wolves.” Acts 20:29. This was not just a first century warning and reality.
Jesus said He is the true bread of life. In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.” Feed on Him through His word.
Grow fat on righteousness. Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Eat Heartily!
Provide yourself an all-sufficient diet. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” -RR 1 Box 67, Berea, WV 26327.