LEARN SELF-CONTROL IN YOUR ENDEAVOURS

 Proverbs 23:1 - 3

“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:”

Verse 2: “And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.”

Verse 3: “Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.”

CATCH THIS:

So we are advised to be courteous against self-indulgence before rulers. You need to consider and be courteous of what is set before thee. Whether food or drink. You have to consider it and make sure you don’t expose yourself as a gluttonous person.

You have to also consider whether it’s something that is approved of by God for you to eat. If you are a child of God, don’t just get excited because you are invited to sit on the table with a ruler.

PONDER ON THIS:

• you need to have self-control

• learn to control your appetite

• don’t be carried away.

That’s why it said; “put a knife to thy throat; if thou be a man given to appetite;

• control yourself!

• don’t expose yourself unnecessarily

And actually, it’s advising us not only not to expose ourselves unnecessarily. He said “do not be desirous of his dainties”.

LISTEN:

So be careful on what is presented before you, for it says: 

“for they are deceitful meat”!

Don’t be carried away! It may be something that is set before you to lure you into sin, or to lure you to open your mouth wide to begin to talk anyhow. You need to have serious self-control. Learn Self-Control In Your Endeavours.

Remember what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew chapter 18 from verse 8: 

It says:

“Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” 

Verse 9: “And if thine eye offends thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than having two eyes  cast into hell fire.”

LISTEN:

The scripture said there:  “don’t be desirous of the delicacies of the ruler for they are deceitful meals;” they may be meals to lure you into sin, or to expose your foolishness. You need to have self-control.

That’s why the scripture says “Put a knife to thy throat; … … .” If it’s possible, cut off your throat. Warn your throat to control itself.  That’s why it says “put a knife to your throat “if thou be a man given to appetite”.

HEAR THIS:

If you are someone who likes to eat, learn to have self-control in all you do before the ruler, — how you open your mouth to talk, what you say, and also, how you eat.

PONDER ON THESE:

• Be cautious

• Be careful

• Be observant

Don’t get carried away because you have been invited to sit at the table of a ruler. No ruler, no king, can be compared to the King of kings. 

For every kingdom is under the King of kings. He’s the King of kings; the Lord of Lords that has given them authority to be in that kingdom, to be in charge of that kingdom.

And if you are a child of God, you have already been brought into the banqueting hall, … the banqueting table of the Lord; and His banner over you is love!

SO:

Don’t get carried away by the deceitful meal. You are sitting and eating before the king of kings, because through His blood; the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, He has brought us into the beloved, and we can sit on the table, having communion with Him.

That’s why when we are also sitting, having communion, in the fellowship;

• We should know how to control ourselves.

• We should have self-control before coming for the communion.

• We should be people that present our bodies as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto the Lord, so that we do not eat unworthily.

Let us be worthy to partake of the Communion Table of the Lord; for the bread that we take, is it not the body of our Lord Jesus Christ?. The blood, the one we take,  is it not the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ? 

So if the scripture is warning us and advising us;

• To be careful

• To have self-control

when we are even coming before an earthly king to eat his meal which is even a deceitful meal, how much more when we come to the bread of life. 

KNOW THIS:

• We should have self-control

• We should be able to control ourselves

• We should present our bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto the lord.

• We should be people that live according to the will of the Lord.

• Learn to have self-control in all you do.

1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 says: 

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” 

Verse 25: “And every man that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we are incorruptible.”

So we need to be temperate, to be moderate in all we do; whether eating or drinking, eat moderately, drink only that which is approved of the Lord, when you come before the king.

So, that’s what Paul is saying there. As he’s speaking to the Corinthians, he’s speaking to every one of us. 

He continued. In 1 Corinthians 9, verse 26 it says:

“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:”

Verse 27: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

So …

• learn to have self-control.

• learn to bring your body under control.

• don’t let your belly be your God.

• do not let what you eat or drink control you or to determine your future adversely.

• learn to eat in moderation, do not be filled.

• do not be filled with alcohol but be filled with the Spirit.

So mind what you eat or drink.

For when thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee; don’t get carried away, consider it; and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite, be not desirous of his dainties, for they are deceitful meals; don’t expose yourself. (REF. PROVERBS 23:1-3).

Proverbs 23 verse 6 says: 

“Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 

Verse 7:  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 

Verse 8: The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

Learn, because when you are eating and drinking, you may expose yourself to begin to talk anyhow, and talk about things you are not supposed to talk about.

That’s why it's telling us here, “be not desirous of his dainties for they are deceitful meals! Their meals are to lure you into opening your mouth wide; for as you open your mouth wide to eat, you are opening your mouth wide to talk, and you lose your self-control.

So: 

• be conscious against self-indulgence before rulers

• learn to control your appetite.

Be like Daniel. It's not all things that are provided before you that you must indulge in. 

Be like Daniel in Daniel chapter 1 verse 8; “But Daniel proposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

• Learn not to defile yourself! through the meat and the drink

• Have self-control

• Be in a position to decide what you will eat and what you will not eat.

• And God will honor you. 

“So, when thou sittest with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee, and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties, for their deceitful meal”!

• Have self-control!

• Don’t jump and get excited because you have been invited, and you open your mouth to eat and to talk, without knowing you are exposing yourself unnecessarily.

Know it! “That heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away”. 

The word of God will not pass away.

And that’s what the scripture is telling us in Luke chapter 21 verse 33:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” 

Verse 44 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

Verse 35 “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” 

Verse 36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

There’s no better feast than to feast with the King of kings; with the Lord of lords.

So don’t allow the feasting of this earth to take you away into hell, but rather remain, serving the lord in spirit and in truth.

So when thou sitteth to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee, control yourself, don’t rush to eat their dainties, for they are deceitful.

That’s why the scripture encourages us in Romans chapter 13 —

Verse 13: “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Verse 14: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

KNOW THIS:

For Christ is coming soon, so prepare yourself always. Have this in your mind; even when you come before the king, … any king!

CATCH THIS : 

• Consider what you eat

• Consider what is set before you

• Control yourself

• Have self-control

• Don’t be self-indulgent.

• Be diligent to avoid all things that need to be avoided, all things that need to be avoided, either eating or drinking, avoid them.

And as you operate in self-control, may you remain blessed, in Jesus name,  Amen.