As we posted last week, deepening our walk with Christ is essential. As noted in Psalm 106, David gives us a history lesson of people’s tendency to wander then rebel, yet met by God’s mercy. David’s lesson is specifically a history of Israel’s wandering. In verses 12-15 we found the 8 steps in wandering:
- Believed His words.
- Sang His praise.
- Forgot His works.
- Did not wait for His counsel.
- Lusted exceedingly.
- Tempted God.
- God gave them what they wanted.
- They wasted away spiritually.
Verse 15 says specifically: “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Leanness (they choked on their desire), which is the word (raw-zone’) literally meaning: ‘scantness’ or ‘wasting’. A disease of the soul is what it says. Wasting of their souls, not a plague to their bodies, but much much worse. Once that person finally gets what they want, especially by complaining about what has already been graciously provided, we tend to withdraw. Once we get what we inordinately desired (lust after) then we tend to lack gratitude, not only of the supply, but the supplier Himself. And that my friends is the point of this lesson.
Let me show you a couple of passages to illustrate this more specifically from the New Testament. One is Paul using this same event; the other is Jesus explaining the same principle with a parable:
In 1 Corinthians 10.5-6 Paul wrote: “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” Here Paul uses another word to describe this same event in their lives: “overthrown”. This Greek word is where we get our English word: ‘catastrophe’. It means to crush to the ground on your face; prostrate; to spread by scattering. Anyone want some of that? The downward spiral of the 8 points is exactly where this is heading. The end of that path is simple… face in the dirt, lives scattered, prostrate unable to get up. This is not what God wants for us.
The second passage is Jesus in giving a parabled principle of the same subject. In Luke 8.7 and 14 Jesus said: “And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” This is not what God wants for you. No fruit to perfection. No souls. Nothing of any real consequence for Heaven; nothing supernatural, just easily explained human power and intellect. Jesus said that the riches and cares of this life are a direct death blow to God doing anything of any depth in us.
Remember that the “soil” is our hearts; the “thorns” are the “cares” and “pleasures” of this temporary life. Thorns inflict pain that no one wants, but everyone deserves for attempting to have it. It’s like reaching your hand into a patch of berries because you really like the taste and your eyes have just got the better of you… you reach and… briars immediately cut you. You got what you wanted, but you got more, what you didn’t account for.
Yes, there is a cost to following Christ, Jesus said there would be. There is an even greater cost to following the way and ways of this world, a cost that does immeasurable damage to your soul. Something as simple as: not seeking Jesus more than you seek this life and it’s stuff. Just living the average everyday normal existence that everyone is right now, can waste away your soul, and you won’t see it coming. The opposite is true also, as in verse 15 from Psalm 106: “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” The opposite is— To be growing and deepening means we say no to: self, desires, this world, even others.
Is there a leanness to your soul, or a deepening closeness with God? For believer, this is the only question that matters today. God is calling you into depths that require trust in Him that you’ve never experienced before. Rejecting this will cause leanness, a wasting away of your soul. Choose to deepen rather than lean your soul.