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By Freda Reynolds 

Do you ever have cravings? Chocolate, cookies? Ice cream? It seems our world has become a world of cravings. Webster defines craving as a powerful desire for something. For some it is power or money or prestige. Others desire attention, appreciation and love. 

Whatever you crave has power over you. We are seeing a different kind of craving, lust for power, thirst for violence. It has been seen in the last 10 days with the conflict in Israel. 

For all of us, the fleshly desires, cravings, and lust are difficult to control. Without God and His Word guiding us we will not succeed. To be guided we have to follow the instructions. 

There is a story of Israel’s journey in the wilderness that explains how God feels when we allow our cravings, whining and grumbling to offend Him. The story is found in Numbers 11. The people grew tired of the food from heaven and began to grumble. “We want flesh, give us flesh, that we may eat.” Moses cried out to God. God’s answer came in the form of quails on which the people ate for an entire month. But because they rejected God and grumbled, His anger burned against them. A pestilence fell on them and they died.

“Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah which means the Graves of Lust, was given to the place of the sepulcher” Numbers 11:34-35 

Today we see the same cravings and lust. It has deceived and caused many to feel entitled to their strong desires for things. Violence has become a way of life. It is an adrenaline rush to mob, destroy property and kill with any thought of others lives or property. 

May we pray for Israel that they may follow God’ commands and come to realize Jesus is their Messiah. God will protect them. We must pray for the evil in the Muslim world that they also will come to peace through Jesus Christ. 

May our thirst be only for God. We also must be praying for our country. The Lord’s prayer is our model prayer. The second section says “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

“These are the days that try men’s souls.” – Thomas Paine in the American Crisis. 

Be diligent. Don’t let Kibroth Hattaavah be your epitaph, “His way was the grave of his lust.”

God has had a plan throughout the ages. It is being fulfilled in our day. I pray that you know Jesus not just about Him, but know Him personally. He is the way, the truth and the life.