I went to a group through New Walk Church that was called Made to Crave. It was an awesome group that was centered around a book by Lysa Terkeurst called "Made to Crave, Satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food." It was an awesome group and I have to say the book was very good. If you find that you have any issues with food in your life, this book would really help you.
Through this book and group, I learned that I was made to Crave, but we all were made to crave more of God. God made us in his image and he wants us to be closer to him so he put that "crave" in all of us.... When we don't fill our hearts and our minds with the Word of God we will find something else to fulfill this need to crave. The thing is..... God made us to crave him, so no matter what we try to fill this crave with, we will never be totally filled. In Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul says:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Is that awesome or what..... "to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" I think when we try to fill this craving with worldly things, we are never filled to the measure of all fullness, because it is not God filling that space. If that space was made in us by God to be filled by God... how will we ever feel satisfied if we do not put God in that empty place within ourselves.
I find that the more I spend time in the Word, I am getting a greater understanding of who Christ really is, and how much I really mean to him. I know that he is all powerful and faithful.. Even when I am faithless, he is still faithful to me.
Now this book and this group was totally focusing on food as the issue that we were using to fill that Crave inside of us. I have to admit that I have not, at this time, been focusing these principles on my food choices right now, I have been focusing them on cigarettes.... for 30 years, cigarettes have had a strong hold on my life. I have been a slave to cigarettes so bad that everything I did would revolve around smoking... I would push my grandchildren away because, Bamaw is smoking right now.... what was I teaching them... I would take time away from God because I had to have a cigarette... I would be sitting in church just waiting for the service to get over so I could have a cigarette.... I was having a constant craving...... for cigarettes????
On March 4th of this year, at 2am, the Lord set me free from the chains of nicotine and smoking... If God could part the red sea for Moses and the Jordon for Joshua.... I knew that he could break the chains that nicotine had on my life... I felt those chains break, right there in my bedroom... I have not had one withdrawal symptom at all. I am not saying that I have not had the urges, or been tempted.. on the contrary... I have been tempted every day and in every imaginable form... The only way I have been able to walk in God's freedom is with prayer... I have had to pray and be in his word daily. I notice that when I am praying, worshiping, listening to christian music or reading the word, I never have the desire to smoke. I know that is because that "crave" inside of me is being filled with God... After all, that it why it was put in me.
Father I come to you to day with thanks in my heart. I thank you that you sent your son Jesus Christ to die for all my sins so that I may know your true love and freedom. Lord I thank you for this fire that you have put in my soul to get closer to you. I pray that you will keep this fire burning that I will always crave you... Crave to be in your word daily. Lord, I invite your spirit into my live, into my heart and into my home. I pray that you will make my life, spirit and home your home, that I may always feel your presence. You are an awesome God and I am so blessed to have you in my life. Lord I lift up all my God's Girls to you.. I pray that you fill them with the same hunger you have given me... I pray that they too continue to crave you so that they may know your love that surpasses knowledge that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of you... I pray this in the precious name of our Lord, Jesus Christ... Amen
Hi Mary Alice!
ReplyDeleteI just read your testimony and you know what? When I was thirty I quit smoking (only after praying and asking God for his help), and I will never forget how he took the burden of addiction from me, like you said, I still wanted to smoke "BUT THE POWER OF GOD WAS UPON ME AND I JUST DIDN'T SMOKE". I often say, one of the hardest things I ever did was to quit smoking (before I did it with the Lord : ). Cigarettes are one of the worst addictions there are. I've heard alot of preachers in my day, but nothing compares to ones self diligantly seeking and submitting themselves to the Lord and his word (I believe that), so if I try to preach or lead someone to God, I always try to remember to tell them to read their bible, (I have my own issues) (I've got nothing to brag about except Christ), and you'll find him! (seek him "HARD", not, so so. ) I have read the Bible from the first word to the last, have bounced all over in verses, and I still love to listen to my bible CDs, which I diligantly have done for years. I'm so proud of you and I feel closer to you already knowing your reading your Bible and loving the Lord. We are all flawed, but through submission to Christ and seeking him daily in our lives, we receive joy, not perfection (we still make mistakes), but our trust in him always reminds us he is with us (and he reminds me to do better when I'm not). It's a beautiful thing to understand, that when you submit yourself to God and Jesus Christ, he looks at everything that is wrong with us and that we have done wrong, and says, IT'S OK, YOUR WITH ME NOW! God knows more about us then we even know about ourselves, and I am so thankful he gave me the desire to love him and the privilage to do it, "OF MY OWN FREE WILL" and of that we can boast! We as Christians have only begun to see all the beauty and majesty in this world, that the Lord provides through everything that is good. I'm certain he has something very special for us, if we put our trust in him and seek him with all our hearts, souls and minds throughout our life. I've noticed the more I read my Bible, the quicker the word is their when a situation in life comes, that I myself would blunder. When I operate from scripture, (not from my own ways) things always work out, and many times, when I see and feel his presence, tears of joy follow, as I recognize his reward for my obediance in the core of my spirit, a joy of being Loved and accepted! He is so wonderful!
God "HAS" Blessed You Mary Alice : )
Hi Mary Alice. Thank you for inviting me here. I love meeting new sisters and brothers in Christ. I understand about this "craving". I've always told people that I've always felt like a stranger in this world, like I really didn't belong here. Imagine my surprise at discovering that I really DON'T belong here, that my home here is just temporary. I so look forward to seeing Jesus, my first love, my Savior, Lord, and very best friend face-to-face.
ReplyDeleteI am so very proud of you, for though smoking wasn't something I struggled with, there were other things. The Lord is my Teacher. He has had to help me UNLEARN so many things I'd learned from the world, people, books, movies, etc. I start my day with him and end it with him. He alone satisfies. Right now, HE is sustaining me, holding me steady through my painful struggles. My younger sister died on Feb, 22 and my sweet husband, Johnny, is now on hospice. I'd not make it through a day without the LORD.
Stay as sweet as you seem to be, always faithful too. You'll be in my prayers, Mary Alice. Please keep me and my loved ones in yours.
God bless you, my friend.
Hello again, Mary Alice,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to leave my blog links for you;
http://barb-myjohnny.blogspot.com/
Me again, Mary Alice. Here is link to my spiritual journal. I invite you to check it out.Also, hon, have you considered putting a following link to your journal? I went to click on it but you don't have one. Of course maybe you prefer not too. A lot of people do.
ReplyDeletehttp://frombarbsspiritualjournals.blogspot.com/
Amen to craving God...! I do keep a spiritual journal at home, on paper, but I keep a semi-personal, semi-art class blog here:
ReplyDeletehttp://anewbridge.blogspot.com/
I'm glad you are blogging again!!