Leanness of soul

"And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." -Psalm 106:15

After listening to a message on fasting by Alan Redpath this morning I had this thought: that the soul that is made fat with delight in God can also take pleasure in simple things while the appetite that feeds always on the things of this world can not ever be satisfied except by greater and greater measures of the things it desires; such is the nature of lust, it is like a bag full of holes and a pit without a bottom.

Deut 8v2, 'And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you to know what was in your heart whether you would keep His commandments or not'.

Remember, after Jesus fasted 40 days, He returned in the power of the Spirit.

Man cannot live by bread alone.

2 Timothy 3v4 says...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Fasting is needed to keep the soul in check, and to empower us in the things of God.

Thanks for the post.

God bless.

"And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." -Psalm 106:15

such is the nature of lust, it is like a bag full of holes and a pit without a bottom.

The verse in question was written about Israel in the wilderness, when they despised the manna God provided and lusted instead for meat. This is an important reminder that when we seek to feed the desires of our flesh, our spiritual life is starved. This is the root of so much of our breakdowns, that if we are not satisfied with Christ, the true manna from heaven, we will never be satisfied with anything else.

In Christ,

Ron

"And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." -Psalm 106:15

Hi everyone.

Brother Ron(Philologos), what you suggested made me think of James 4:3? What do you think?

Brother Ron(InTheLight)

"...our spiritual life is starved. This is the root of so much of our breakdowns, that if we are not satisfied with Christ, the true manna from heaven, we will never be satisfied with anything else."

Think this is rich brother. Is it not true of us? In the words of the puritan writer 'I am not yet weaned from all created glory'. And I am still seeking comfort in anything that is [i]other[/i].

Something which I read from Andrew Murray the other day comes to mind. It may not seem connected but I think it is. He says

"Humility is 'simply the disposition which prepares the soul for living on trust. And every, even the most secret breathing of pride, in self-seeking, self-will, selfconfidence, or self exaltation, is just the strengthening of that self which cannot enter the kingdom, or possess the things of the kingdom, because it refuses to allow God to be what He is and must be there-- the All in All."

The reason I think it is connected is this: I wonder if only those who are truely humble can find all their satisfaction in Christ. That is, is it only the truely humble that can be content in being posessed completely by another? What does it mean to be satisfied with Christ? Would'nt it mean being satisfied with His glory alone, to take it as our own, not as a posession, but rather to wear it as a garment, as beuatifull ornamanets that deck a bride. To adorn ourselves with all His fulness and goodness.

Yet I think I find so much friction in trying to mingle the two, to have some His and some mine. Seems like there is a strong connection between living off of self and this [i]leaness[/i].

[b][color=660033] I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.[/color][/b]