TODAY’S SCRIPTURE 1 Corinthians 9:25
Food is a necessity of life and most of us eat three or more times a day. God is good enough to not only make food necessary, but also pleasing to taste. I am not sure who was the first person to put chocolate on peanut butter or on a biscuit, but if I were to meet them I would thank them. Although food is a necessity for our health and survival, too much of it or too much of the wrong kind leads to all kinds of health problems. One of the challenges is to use self-control when eating the wrong thing or eating too much.
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus fasts for forty days in the wilderness. After forty days of not eating, Satan tempts Jesus with food. Satan knows where Jesus is most vulnerable, and that is where he tempts Him. Satan does the same thing with us. Can you imagine going forty days without eating? How hungry would you be? What if after forty days of fasting you are offered a cheeseburger or a pizza but there is a catch––it will cost you your soul? Would your desire for food overcome your desire for Heaven and pleasing God?
Paul talks to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9:25 about athletes and how they practice self-control in all things so they might win a prize. We are to do the same. Jesus has a place prepared for us, but Satan is doing everything in his power to derail us. Just as Jesus practices self-control by not giving in to Satan’s temptation of food because of His desire to live faithfully and the athlete practices self-control so that he might win the prize, we are to practice self-control and overcome the short-lived temptation for the promise of eternal life.
Today I will…decide that pleasing God and living with Him for an eternity is my goal, and I will practice self-control with any temptation that would cause me to displease God and miss Heaven.
