How can we apply Psalm 107:18 to avoid spiritual decline in our community? Setting the scene • Psalm 107 tracks four pictures of distress and deliverance. Verse 18 sits in the third portrait—rebels who suffer sickness because of sin. • “They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.” (Psalm 107:18) • The physical loss of appetite mirrors a spiritual reality: when sin festers, hunger for the things of God evaporates, and death looms. Seeing the warning signs of spiritual malnutrition • Loss of desire for Scripture, worship, or fellowship • Cynicism toward godly counsel (Proverbs 13:1) • Growing comfort with sin (Ephesians 4:17–19) • Isolation from the body of Christ (Hebrews 10:25) Feeding on the Word before hunger fades • Schedule communal Bible intake—daily reading plans, small-group studies, family devotions (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). • Teach members to “receive with meekness the implanted word” (James 1:21). • Encourage memorization; the Spirit uses stored truth to rekindle appetite (Psalm 119:11). • Model expository preaching that presents the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). Restoring appetite through repentance • When indifference appears, call it what it is—sin, not personality (Revelation 2:4-5). • Provide space for honest confession (1 John 1:9). • Celebrate testimonies of restored joy; they spark hope in others (Psalm 51:12-13). Building a community menu that nourishes • Balanced diet: doctrine, doxology, and duty—truth for the mind, praise for the heart, service for the hands (Colossians 3:16-17). • Fellowship meals and hospitality tie physical eating to spiritual conversation (Acts 2:46). • Serve the sacraments regularly; the Lord’s Table renews remembrance and gratitude (1 Corinthians 11:26). Guardrails that keep us from the gates of death • Mutual accountability pairs older believers with younger (Titus 2:3-5). • Early-warning teams follow up when attendance or involvement drops. • Consistent pastoral visitation brings Scripture to the sick or drifting (James 5:14-20). • Corporate fasting heightens longing for God, resetting appetites (Matthew 9:14-15). Celebrating God’s delivering Word • “He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction.” (Psalm 107:20) • Every gathering should recount how Christ, the living Word, rescues from sin-sickness (John 1:14; 1 Peter 2:24). • Thanksgiving services and testimonies “declare His works with shouts of joy” (Psalm 107:22), reinforcing communal health. Sustain a hearty appetite for Scripture, repentance, and worship, and the community stays far from the gates of death hinted at in Psalm 107:18. |
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