Remember what you read previously from Jesus? "All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."
Do you see the parallels? Abraham's servant is making the son known to Rebekah, the son who can say "all that belongs to the father is mine." Look how the servant is drawing Rebekah! He even gives her gifts, a deposit of things to come (Ephesians 1:14):
"Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother." Genesis 24:53 (NIV)
Let's stop a second and discuss what this means. The servant in this story is a picture of the Holy Spirit who comes to you and tells you all about the Son, what Jesus has done for you, how He died for you, how He rose, and lives for you. And the Spirit woos you, beckons you, draws you, calls you.
Can't you imagine that it would be difficult for Rebekah to leave her home and go to some man she's never met? I mean, her home was her comfort and safety, all that she knew; it was where her family was and where her life was. It would be like a death! She would have to leave all comforts, set out by faith, walking with the servant to the son. But her loss was allayed because the servant was telling of a better life with a wealthy husband-to-be who already loved her from afar.
Similarly, the Spirit is calling you to leave overeating and all fleshly living, turn your back on your old life, lose all worldly labels, die to your past, die to yourself, and die to this world! He is calling you to set out on a walk of faith where you will keep in step with the Spirit. He is leading you home to the Son, and your role is to walk with Him and live by Him, and if you do you will experience freedom: "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
Do you see it? Leave all gluttony behind! Leave your past and begin to walk by the Spirit away from old fleshly comforts. Keep in step with Him, for He is taking you to the Son who has loved you and given Himself for you. This inviting is the work of the Spirit! He helps our hearts to love Jesus even though we have not seen Him face to face. "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" 1 Peter 1:8 NIV.
And now I ask you what Rebekah's family asked her: "will you go with this man?" (Genesis 24:57)? If you're like me, you want to answer "yes, yes, yes, oh yes! Let me run to Jesus and leave overeating and all my self-gratification behind and all comforts of the flesh just to be with Him!" He has loved me, whereas gluttony has only used me.
How much do you want to be with Jesus right now? Will you walk by the Spirit and keep in step with Him to get to the Son? How do you answer?
Question 5. Please share any thoughts you might have about this lesson today:
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Jennifer is experiencing such love from Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, and writes, "I can finally say that I want Jesus more now than any comfort food! He has changed me and will make me be what He wants me to be!"
And Linda has been experiencing Jesus' love, so she writes, "I will do whatever it takes to run to Jesus and far away from gluttony and away from the desires of the flesh. I will embrace the suffering that goes with that so that I can enjoy Jesus."
In the following video, Sarah shares her testimony of the power of the cross in her life. It is so encouraging.
Question 6. What are your thoughts about Sarah's testimony? Please share.
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