feed me.

We all have desires for something. Our fave food. Latest shoes. That bargain deal we’ve been waiting to go on sale. A new job. More money. A bigger home. I’m sure if we all sat in a circle and put all of the things we are asking God for in front of us we’d be super shocked at just how much stuff we would see. We may even look at the person next to us and see what they want and realize we too could benefit from that!

We are constantly bombarded with so much input that sometimes we can’t even pinpoint why we want what we want. But we just have to have it. Many social media platforms use algorithms to control how and what they feed us…It's basically a mathematical model that automatically sorts content based on certain factors. And although it’s designed to respond to user engagement, sometimes the things we see on our feeds leave us wondering how it got there. If you’re like me, you purposely avoid clicking certain things because you don’t want to mess up your "feed".

Have you ever taken this same approach to your deepest desires? Checking what's feeding you really does put your desires in perspective. As I reflected, I was reminded of a scripture passage that addresses this:

Numbers 11:18-20

"Say to the people, ‘Consecrate (separate as holy) yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept [in self-pity] in the ears of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For we were well-off in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and is disgusting to you—because you have rejected and despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept [in self-pity] before Him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”AMP

We see here that complaining before the Lord can impact outcomes drastically. Discontentment despises the Lord. If you read the whole chapter of Numbers 11, you will also see a little of the root of why the people wanted meat so badly. The Lord had already blessed them with everything they needed, but they were driven by their lusts and demanded what they wanted. This desire was not from a genuine place, but it was planted and nursed by outsiders as they longed for what they had in Egypt. You see, in life, we must be careful who and what we surround ourselves with because if we are not careful, we will desire things outside the will of God.

I asked God why He was upset that the children wanted meat. He told me, clear as day, the issue wasn’t that they wanted meat; meat is not bad. The issue is that they were not content with what I was already providing for them. God provided manna from heaven daily; they didn't have to work for it, they just woke up and it was there - God's GRACE. It was always enough, so they didn’t have to pack it up or store it - God's PROVISION. And it could be prepared in many different ways - God's INTENTIONALITY.

BUT, they wanted meat.

God warned Moses that he would give them what they asked for, and it would literally make them sick. But instead of listening to the warning, they were focused on their desires finally being filled. And in the end, they became sick to death.

Let this be a reminder to us today. If we are not content with what God provides, we must remember that our desires can lead us away from Him. There is great gain in Godly contentment (1 Timothy 6:6). So, instead of always asking for more or different, let's pray and ask God to help us accept what HE allows and enjoy what HE provides. As we intentionally guard our ear and eye gates, our internal algorithms will stay pure and holy.

"Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] (1 Peter 5:8-9) AMP