They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
- Psalm 106:13-15
Be careful what we wish for!
That seems to be what this verse is saying. What the desert sojourners cried out for was interpreted by God as lust. In this instance, they wanted meat. God gave then quail — meat to eat: but, like a see-saw, there was a transfer on the other side. When one side of a see-saw goes up, the other side must come down. They requested something natural — the natural side went up; but, God removed something spiritual — the spiritual side went down. He brought leanness to their souls because they did not acknowledge God in their suffering. They quickly forgot His many miracles in their lives.
Had they understood that God drew them to the desert pathway for a profoundly spiritual experience, they might have learned something and succeeded in their journey. Likewise, when we follow God, we must discern the path he is taking us on.
We often pray for things that God has no intention of delivering, and, if they are delivered, can do us harm.
Think about leanness for a minute, and what leanness of the soul might represent in your life. We would crave for the Lord, but satisfaction never comes. We hunger for deep spiritual messages and fellowship, but there is nothing there, except our lonely hearts. We are always spiritually famished.
Today’s Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your counsel to me so far. Help me always to acknowledge your great counsel and leadership, and please do not grant me the requests I make that might be self-damaging in the long run.
Comments