We’re just not hungry enough

Christpoint Church

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There’s a contrasting difference in the fat and lean times for us. Life is easy in the fat years, people beg in the lean years. They steal, lie, and starve in the lean times, and people get lazy and spoiled in the fat years.

Let’s jump back to Genesis chapter 41. There’s a story that unfolds in the life of Joseph and the nation of Egypt. Joseph was falsely imprisoned for an attempted rape charge. He interpreted a couple of dreams that came true, and two years later the pharaoh had a dream that no one could explain. Joseph was brought in, he interpreted the dreams, and the pharaoh was so impressed with him that he appointed him second in command over the entire land. The dreams the pharaoh had were 7 fat cows being swallowed up by 7 lean or sickly cows. His second dream was 7 fat or plump stalks consumed by 7 lean and nasty stalks. God spoke through Joseph that 7 years of plenty would come upon the land followed by 7 years of famine that would cause the fat years to be consumed and forgotten.

If you have ever rejoiced in a situation or felt like all was in perfect order, then that is what the fat years can look and feel like. If you have ever grieved, suffered loss or depression, then you can better understand the lean years. The lean years are coming, and the decisions we make in the fat years will determine our fate in those difficult and dangerous times. The problem is, too many of us want a palace experience. We feel like the palace life will exempt us from the lean years. We’re not content to dwell in tents, and we’re not wanting to be discomforted. The question is, are we really ready for the lean years?

Notice that God gave the dream to the king and the interpretation to the slave. In other words, the lean years won’t discriminate. Tough times will come on us all. Joseph instructed the pharaoh to store something - one thing - so they wouldn’t starve to death, and that was grain. Grain is for making bread. Bread represents the presence of God.

Don’t neglect the Holy Spirit presence in these fat years. Store up for yourselves the bread of the word of God. It will carry you through the lean years. It will sustain us during the famine of the word. Notice, in the lean years, people will sell everything for the bread of life, but in the fat years, they won’t even store up for themselves as much as a little.

We must be intentional in the fat years with our salvation or we may just find ourselves starving to death in the lean. The problem with the fat years is, we’re just not hungry enough.

Let’s talk more about the fat years and how to prepare. Visit us this Sunday at Christpoint Church. We’re on Liberty Square, in Sparta, and we’ll meet you at the door at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. We’re real people, living real lives, serving a real God. Welcome home.     

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