When Katniss' dad says in the movie, The Hunger games, “As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve,” what does he mean? He means if she discovers her skills and strengths, she can take care of herself.
The enemy’s great tactic from birth is to devalue us by the way we see ourselves, our parents manage us, and the way others define us. The enemy wants to make sure you don’t ever really know who you are and the value of your birthright. In the light of all the things God has allowed to surface in the life of Shawn Puffy Combs, AKA Diddy and all those connected to this scandal, he was clearly a man that did not submit his appetite and has brought destruction on his soul and his reputation. Let us all take heed to his great fall and find ourselves in the word and live as wisdom calls us higher.
Let’s go examine the life of Esau with God’s ultrasound. He is fighting in the womb with his twin brother. It is such a disturbance in Rebakah’s womb, she had to ask God what was really going on. God gives her a picture of what life will look like with the boys before they are born.
Genesis 25: 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Before Esau and Jacob were even born, God revealed to his mother a key detail regarding the twins. It didn’t matter which one was born first. God already determined the end from the beginning, and he has done the same for us from birth.
Esau came to a place in his life where he had lost focus. He despised his birthright. He found himself in a place of compromise and was starving. He forgot who he was. He hated his requirements attached to his birthright.
We must understand the importance of submitting our appetite.
Let’s see why.
Genesis 25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore, was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point of dying: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus, Esau despised his birthright.
Pastor Dharius Daniels said, You have to be careful with who you are around when you are hungry because some people won’t meet your need, they will exploit it. That’s exactly what Jacob and their mother did to Esau. Sometimes, its those we trust and are the closest to us that we can’t see them doing us wrong. Esau thought he was about to die from hunger and couldn’t live without what he wanted in that moment. What lie has the enemy told you, you can’t live without?
Esau identified more with his surroundings which was Edom than his birthright and who he was as Esau. He became weary in well doing. Have you submitted to your circumstances for a season and forgotten who you are called to be and how valuable you are? What has happened in your life that has brought your soul to the point of desperation like Esau? God is warning us as children not to forfeit portions of our destiny for a moment of pleasure for small portions of our birthright. God has so much for us. The enemy is always out to steal, kill and destroy.
Are you bitter with God for what he has required from you?
He lied to Eve and deceived her and Adam and her were removed from Eden forever. Moses didn’t deal with his anger and ended up never entering the promised land because he hit the rock twice instead of speaking to it. Samson played with Delilah and ended up losing his eyes and dying prematurely. Racheal takes her father’s idols with her and ends up dying prematurely before they return to Bethlehem. David didn’t get to build the temple because of his disobedience. Abraham and Sarah lost hope and created Ishmael while waiting on Isaac out of desperation. In all these men and women’s lives, there was a place in their soul they were starving. They forgot who they were and compromised, costing them a portion of their birthright.
To walk in your calling, we must be willing to submit our appetite to God and this could be naturally, sexually, spiritually, physically, financially, etc. For many people, we have allowed the cares of this life to bring us to places of hunger and some have become faint and compromised in this last season. The enemy wanted to make many believe they would never receive what God promised them. But the devil is a liar.
Some have come under attack in their character and reputation. The word says to abstain from all appearance of evil and when we don’t, we can give the enemy a foothold that the enemy can cause to become a stronghold. Pastor Dharius Daniels said, God is more concerned about restoring our souls in this season than he is in restoring our reputation first. God doesn’t want us to starve but when we don’t understand the value of our birthright and who we are, we will always find ourselves in a place of compromise, like Esau and like Diddy. We must submit our appetite to the Lord.
It’s a new day. God is strengthening our focus. He is turning the page as we fully embrace who God said we are, as he restores our souls, he is also restoring your image in the hearts and minds of those that are also assigned to you and your destiny. God is calling us to come out from among anything that could hinder his plan and purposes.
Proverbs 27:7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.