Have you ever been chased? I mean really chased? Chased to the point that if you get caught by your pursuer bad things will happen? I grew up with two older brothers, believe me, I learned what it meant to run for your life. A great analogy of this concept, running for your life, I heard while teaching the Dave Ramsey program “Financial Peace” at church. It correlates to Proverbs 6:1-5 which deals directly with guess what? Yep, debt.
“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion—and give your neighbor no rest! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” Proverbs 6:1-5
This passage was critical in Margie and I becoming debt free over 10 years ago. This powerful passage within God’s Word conveyed to us how we should deal with, look at, and react to debt in our lives. We should flee from debt like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter. Folks, have you ever watched a National Geographic show about animal life on the African savanna? As predators approach a herd of gazelle, their amazing hearing and smell are alerted. If the predators get too close, it happens. The entire herd takes off like bullets from a rifle. God made them to run and that’s what they do. And man can they run. Gazelles can reach a top speed of 60 mph and can maintain speeds of 40 mph. That’s fast. But the kicker is, they are running for their lives. They’re not just out for a little run around the park, there’s a lion behind them! And when this idea of running with dire purpose permeated our minds and hearts, we ran for our life from debt.
Today, in 1 Samuel chapter 21 we see not a gazelle on the run, but a heart on the run. A man being chased. A man being pursued by anger, bitterness, and murderous evil. David, the man that once played beautiful music for Saul to calm his nerves, is now being hotly pursued by that very man. David, the man that fought bravely for the king, is now being hunted by that king. David, the man that has been anointed by God to be the next king of Israel, fears for his life from the man that wears that crown. And just as that gazelle sprints in desperation for it’s very life, a heart on the run is a heart of desperation. And in that desperation, hearts can not only distance from the enemy, but they can distance from God as well.
The chapter opens with David entering the village of Nob. He is hungry, scared, tired, and alone. I can only imagine his tear stained, disheveled appearance. The world as he knew it was crumbling around him. As the former war hero walked into town, he went to the one place he knew he could find solace, the house of God. He meets the priest Ahimelech and asks for food. All that the house of God has is the holy bread or “showbread” that is part of the daily worship of God. But Ahimelech sees a body in need and gives David the food his body needs.
A fact of life is that our bodies are built to be fueled by food. (especially tacos) Without food we die. We don’t have to be reminded to eat; our bodies are very good at reminding us. But I have a question for you? What about spiritual eating? We are quick to realize our physical, emotional, and even mental needs in the world today, but what about our spiritual needs? Don’t we need to feed our spirits as well? I think it's the single biggest oversight in our world today. People all over the world are starving spiritually. It’s no accident that David, during this time of great need, was given the bread of God. Bread is mentioned an amazing 492 times in the Bible. And folks, when God talks about bread, He’s talking about a different kind of Wonder bread.
Our souls need sustenance. Our souls need to be fed. And what we feed our souls, we become. If you feed your soul selfishness, pride, and ego, you become a selfish, prideful, egotistical individual. If you feed your soul anger, bitterness, and vengeance, you become just that. If you feed your soul a steady diet of news, social media, and Netflix, you become what they tell you to become. But what if you were on a strict Godly spiritual diet? What if all you were fed was the bread of God? Now we’re talking.
You see, God is the spiritual bread. Jesus is the spiritual bread. The Word of God is the spiritual bread. God knew that we would need to be fed spiritually as we do His work here on this Earth and He did not leave us without proper nutrition. A strict daily diet of the Word of God will feed the soul and allow the servant of God to be strong, nourished and prepared to expend the spiritual energy needed to fight the good fight that lies ahead of us. Let’s look at some amazing verses that tell us about the power, majesty, and goodness of the bread of life.
“Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:32-35
“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26
“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51
Folks, David came stumbling into Nob, hungry, scared, tired and alone. And he was given bread. Bread that satisfied.
Are you hungry today? In this world of lies and falsehoods, do you hunger for pure truth, love, and righteousness? Then you hunger for the Word of God. Jesus says to you:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6
Are you scared today? Are you fearful, running for your life from the spiritual predators of this world? God tells us not to be anxious or fearful, for He is the creator, author, and protector of your life. The security you seek lies within the pages of God’s Word. God says to you:
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
Are you tired today? Is your spirit weary from a journey that is consuming more energy than you or anyone else can provide? You need strength, you need sustenance for your soul. You need the power of God’s Holy Word. Jesus says to you:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Do you feel alone today? Do you feel that your spirit is an island floating in the middle of an endless sea? My friend, you are not alone. God is always near, draw near to Him and His Word, and He will draw near to you. God lies within His Holy Word, consume the bread of God and never be alone. God says to you:
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9
If you are a heart on the run from God today, stop. Stop running, turn to God, and ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you. To save you from the danger of your sin that threatens to destroy you. Jesus Christ laid his life down so that you could have not just eternal life with Him in Heaven, but an abundant, fulfilling life serving Him here in this world. Ask Jesus into your heart today, He is faithful to save you through His amazing grace and mercy.
If you are reading this, you are being prayed for.
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