Angel’s Food or Devil’s Food

Angel’s Food or Devil’s Food
By Nathele Graham

Are we satisfied with what God provides? The blessings from God fall upon everyone, but too often we take them for granted. Worse yet, we become dissatisfied with what He provides and murmur against Him. When that happens we look for fulfillment in the ways of the world. The first instance of this dissatisfaction with God’s provision happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything they could possibly want, but Satan fed Eve a lie and she ate the fruit which God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat. What was the lie? “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5. God had provided everything, but Satan convinced Eve that she could be like a god. This was an all out lie. She was deceived into going after the lust of the flesh (she wasn’t satisfied with what God had given), and the lust of the eyes (the forbidden fruit looked good), and the pride of life (she could be a god). This was devil’s food. Then she convinced Adam it was a good thing. The choice Adam made to also eat the forbidden fruit brought judgment. Ever since that time, people have rejected angel’s food provided by God and willingly partake of the devil’s food of Satan.

God knew that Adam would sin and had a plan to save mankind. He would shed His own blood for the redemption of humanity. It would take many years for this plan to come together, but God is patient. He chose Abraham to be the father of the Hebrew nation as a first step in the plan. Through his son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob the family grew. Eventually famine came upon the land and they moved to Egypt where they became slaves. Over the centuries the family that had gone into Egypt grew in number and God chose Moses to lead them from captivity. This nation was to travel to the land which God had promised to Abraham many years before, but the Israelites had many complaints. It didn’t take long for them to forget the misery of slavery and complain that God wasn’t doing enough for them. They had seen many miracles leading up to their freedom, but still murmured against God. They weren’t any different than we are today. No matter how much God does for us we expect more. Because of His love for His people, God provided food. He sent manna which was there each morning. Psalm 78 is a maschil of Asaph. A “maschil” is a poem of contemplation and in it Asaph remembers all that God did for the Israelites, including providing angel’s food. “Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.” Psalm 78:25. Food from Heaven should have made them happy and satisfied, but it wasn’t long before they got bored with what God provided. They wanted more. Had they trusted God they would have entered into the Promised Land within a few days and been able to raise cattle and crops for nourishment. As it was they chose to act in fear and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Even as they wandered, God provided manna…angel’s food…for them to eat.

Christians can easily fall into this same trap. God provides all we need, but Satan convinces us it isn’t enough. That’s when we look beyond Scripture and the spiritual nourishment it provides and seek satisfaction in the world. The world is ruled by Satan and he’s always happy to feed your lust. Are you a part of a congregation that stands upon the word of God? Praise the Lord! Many congregations today have allowed sin to enter. Be vigilant because even a little sin can turn the entire congregation away from God’s truth. Jesus warned against this. “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Matthew 13:33. Some interpret this as a good thing, but they are eating devil’s food when they do that. Symbolism in Scripture always equates leaven with sin, so when leaven (sin) puffs up a loaf of bread that’s not good. There was no leaven in the manna God provided, but angel’s food can easily turn to Devil’s food if sin enters. Satan twisted God’s words in the Garden of Eden and sin entered. Don’t twist Scripture to make it say what you want it to say, but stand firmly on God’s words as He breathed them to the writers of Scripture. This will keep corruption from sin out. If a little sin is allowed into a congregation it will acquire a reputation of being “open minded”. The congregation may grow, but it’s no longer a God-honoring group of believers. Everyone sins, but Christian’s are to turn from sin. We will never be perfect while living on this side of Heaven, but we aren’t to wallow in sin. False teachers bring devil’s food into a congregation. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” 2 Peter 2:1-2. Feed upon angel’s food – the Bread of Life – and don’t be fed by Satan’s poison.

Everyone benefits from God’s blessings, but trouble begins when we want more. Christians and non-Christians alike are blessed with food, shelter, and clothing. Too often the ways of the world convince us that God’s provision isn’t enough. That’s when we seek after the Devil’s food. It’s understandable that someone who doesn’t know God can’t be satisfied because they seek after the ways of the world. Lust of the flesh can never satisfy and one sin leads to another. More money, more material gains, and more debauchery will never satisfy. In the end none of the lusts of the flesh bring eternal peace. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2: 15-17. Partaking of Devil’s food will only bring death, but eternal life comes from God.

Where do we find angel’s food? Can we find manna today? Jesus is the Bread of Life…the manna that fed the Israelites as they wandered. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:47-51. The Bread of Life is available to us and, like the manna, must be gathered daily. Scripture feeds us the nourishment we need to live each day for Christ and to stand strong against the ways of the world. If we take our eyes off of Him and look to the sin and wickedness found in the world we will begin to lust after Devil’s food. When that happens and you yield to the temptation, all is not lost. Jesus still loves you. Turn away from the temptation and from the sin. Turn to Jesus and talk to Him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Eat from the Bread of Life and eschew the lust of the flesh.

You have a choice of being eternally nourished by Angel’s food or eternally damned by Devil’s food. “This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” John 6:58. Choose to feed from the Bread of Life that only Jesus offers.

God bless you all,
Nathele Graham

[email protected]
www.straitandnarrowministry.com
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All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.

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