Turning Your Cravings Into a Blessing

Dear Friends, if I could encourage you to go out and buy the book Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst than today would be a glorious day!  This book is so powerful!  If you could only see the post it notes that I have strewn throughout the book as I vigorously write notes while I read!  Lately I cannot be seen without my pencil, Post It Notes and my book!

If you recall in this post, I talked about the First Story of Temptation.  How Eve was tempted with food by Satan in the Garden of Eden.  Satan wants to do everything possible to draw us away from the one who love us.  He wants to do everything he can to replace our cravings for God with something else.

Lysa TerKeurst writes:

Satan intentionally chooses his tactics.  He knows where we are weak.  He desires to lure us away from God.  And he knows what works . . . the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has or does.  (1 John 2 vs 15 to 16)

We already know that Eve was tempted in the Bible and the story of Satan tempting Jesus is just as powerful (Matthew 4 vs 1 to 11).  What is important though, is to look at how differently both Eve and Jesus reacted when they were tempted.  You see, Eve was saturated in the object of her desire and Jesus was saturated in God's truth (Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave pg 23).

Can you think back to the last time you had a bag of chips?  Or maybe a chocolate chip cookie or a brownie?  For some of you that will be a long time ago, for others that is just around the corner!  Now here is the bigger question:  were you able to eat just one?  Be honest with yourself.  Chances are you were unable to stop at just one.  You may have wanted to stop at one, but even subconsciously you were still reaching into the bag.

Well here comes the hard truth.  We crave what we eat.  If we allow ourselves to eat unhealthy foods and to make unhealthy choices we will continuously crave unhealthy foods with gusto!  If we allow ourselves to make healthy food choices and to eat more fruits and vegetables, then eventually we will begin to reach for those healthy choices and push aside the desire for pre-packaged convenience foods that are loaded with sugar or salt or fried goodness.  Eve craved what she focused on.  We crave what we think about.  And what we think about can consume us if we are not careful (Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave pg 23).

Look back at the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert.  What is one thing that stands out to you?  Is it just the fact that He was tempted?  Look deeper if necessary.  Pull out your study Bible and delve deep into that passage.  When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus fought back with the power of God's word.  What better way to fight off temptation than with the overwhelming power of Scripture!  You too can fight off temptations using God's word!  Truth is powerful.  The more saturated we are with truth the more powerful we'll be in resisting our temptations.  And the more we'll naturally direct our cravings to where they should be directed -- to the Author of all truth.  (Lysa TerKeursst, Made to Crave pg 24).

Dear friends, as you spend time in prayer and studying God's word, write down passages that you feel will help you come stand before God boldly to fight off and resist the temptations that we face!  Keep these passages with you so that you can fight back with the power of God's word!

We may see our cravings for food as a curse but miraculously we can use our cravings for food as a blessing! We can turn our cravings for food into strong powerful cravings for God and His word and all that He can do for us!  I know that I will now see my cravings in this way.  No longer will I allow myself to be the victim!