Carried By His Wings© -- Sexual Purity Recovery

Wings Devotional Recovery ... June 23, 2008

JUST FOR TODAY! – Step Six -- Excesses II

STEP SIX: Is an inner transformation sometimes called repentance.

STEP SIX: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” -- James 4:10

"Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural desires, it isn’t strange that we often let these far exceed their intended purpose.  When they drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions or pleasures than are possible or due us, that is the point at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our character defects."

© 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 65 Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and the Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. Just For Today is neither endorsed by, approved by, associated, nor affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or The AA Grapevine, Inc.

Wings Devotional© Daily Meditation Translation

is property of Wings Of Eagles Recovery©

Just for Today -- A Daily Devotional

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Growing up in the United States it seems that each generation gets more excessive.  Do we really need two or more TVs, DVDs, IPODS, etc.  Things are so easy for us.  When I was young, if you wanted to purchase a toy truck that cost $5.00 and you only had three --- you had to wait until you got the rest of the money to purchase it.  Now, we get ‘credit’ and go ahead and get it anyway.

Excesses --- we have too much --- so we find it harder and harder to be satisfied.  Look at some of the professional athletes.  They get paid large sums of money, buy lots of toys, but are never satisfied.  They get into big trouble with drugs, booze, sexual impurity and bad life choices. 

So too, we in addiction.  Our natural desires need to be filled, and when we let it get out of control and begin to manically search for more fulfillment, we become addicted quickly, because there never seems to be any satisfaction.  We should not desire much, but be satisfied to what God has given us for this day.  A fine example of excessiveness is found in the Bible when God had provided the manna for the Israelites and they tried to gather more than God allowed.  They did not trust God but instead took matters into their own hands.

Changing this mindset is part of STEP SIX -- having God remove this excessive defect and to be still with what He has given us.

Exodus 16

Manna and Quail

1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.

2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt,

7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?"

8 Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD."

9 Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.' "

10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

11 The LORD said to Moses,

12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' "

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

16 This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs.  Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.' "

17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.

18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.  Each one gathered as much as he needed.

19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."

20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.  So Moses was angry with them.

21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person — and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.

23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.  So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' "

24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.

25 "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD.  You will not find any of it on the ground today.

26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."

27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.

28 Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?

29 Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days.  Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out."

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The people of Israel called the bread manna.  It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "

33 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it.  Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come."

34 As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept.

35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

36 (An omer is one tenth of an ephah.)

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

·        greater personal discipline,

·        worldwide persecuted Christians,

·        Hedge of protection to our children

·        Blessings to our spouses

·        Godly men in Government

·        Rest and Peace to our pastors

·        Your activities for the day.

Love One Another

Stand Together

Fight this war, no matter the cost

Pray for our children

Turn our hearts toward heaven

Seek to be one nation under God.

God Bless and Guide You in your Christian Walk Today

“The Lord bless you and keep you,
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
-- Numbers 6:24-27

You can help when no one else can."
  -- c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 89
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