Choosing a Table

“When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.” - Proverbs 23:1-3

One of the biggest mistakes humans make is not believing or realizing the spiritual side of life. The devil has worked hard to make us not believe in spirits so we take everything literally or worldly. God is a spirit. He speaks to us in spirit. He doesn’t have to pull up to your house to tell you that you are doing right or wrong. You either feel good about it, not good about it, peaceful, or not peaceful. The devil is also a spirit. He can come to you and talk with you as well. We have choices to accept which comes to us. Spirits need a vessel willing to accept them in. Then they control that vessel. Jesus came to show us how to have a vessel controlled by God. He came to show us the spiritual side of this world so we could be better at making choices. All choices lead to accepting a spirit in your vessel.

When we read scripture we must see it as spiritual guideline to what we accept in our hearts. If you read the scripture above and take this in as it talking about being a glutton for actual food, then you are missing a massive point that we are all falling victim to.  If we start with how the Bible uses food to describe the spiritual side, Jeremiah 3:15 speaks to food as being knowledge. Genesis 2:17 states that eating from a certain tree opens up a knowledge of good and evil. Proverbs 15:14 speaks of hunger being the act of seeking knowledge. If we look at what a ruler represents spiritually in the Bible we can see that in Ephesians 6:12 the real battle is not against flesh but of rulers signifying spirits that fight humans. 1 Corinthians 2:6-7 speaks on the rulers of this age, being those who are doomed and will pass away. A glutton is someone without self-control. He will go all in and fill up on whatever he wants without thinking. Gluttony of food is someone who eats and eats and eats and doesn’t slow down to realize that they are full until it’s too late and now they are miserable. If we take this spiritually, this would be someone that is enjoying the ways of the world so much that they don’t stop and discern if it’s right or wrong. But like this scripture says, if someone held a knife to your throat, you would pause! You would stop and think. You would have to, now it’s life or death. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Demolish arguments. Take our thoughts captive to only listen to what Jesus teaches.

The ruler can dine with you in your own head. And he does often. Those conversations in your head, you are dining with either Jesus or the devil. And that’s it. If your thoughts aren’t bringing peace, then you have got to know you are dining with the devil himself and he knows exactly what to say to get you to listen to him. He’s knowledge and advice is deceptive. He just wants to control your heart. Do you feel someone has wronged you? Jesus tells us to forgive and love and not even look at the wrongdoings of others. He tells you to focus on yourself and that he will handle judgment. He tells us just to stay peaceful and do good. The devil needs you to judge others. That is the insurance he needs that you will be judged the same way (Matthew 7:1). He needs you to not forgive because he knows you can’t be forgiven (Matthew 6:15). Anything can bring that person to your mind. And now you have a choice. Hold that thought captive with the Word of God. This will help you make the right choice on which table you are going to join.

Sitting at the table with Jesus will not naturally be the easiest choice. But it will bring so much peace once you sit down with Him. Running to a table where the devil is sitting with all his enticing delicacies will be so easy. It takes zero strength to hang out with the devil. It is very easy. But you will feel miserable after you sit down and take in all he is wanting to give you. The devil loves someone that sees themselves as a victim. He knows just what to say because he is not wanting you to see yourself at all. He wants you to focus on others, so right up to the end, you are judging others instead of judging yourself. And when your judgment comes, you will see what he has been doing. What he has been trying to keep you from changing or focusing on. And it will be too late.

1 Corinthians 11:31 says, “If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged.” The devil is a liar that knows the Word of God. He is using our very weapon of defense, that Jesus gave us, to destroy us. And he can only do that to those that don’t know, the Word of God, or those that choose to change the words of God to fit their own way. Those that change the bible instead of letting the Bible change them.

It is so important to only “eat” or take in the words and ways of our Savior, Jesus. That way, when this world brings anything to us, we are ready to sit at the right table. Your invitation to a table doesn’t just come to your own mind. Others around you are bringing you choices also. The news is bringing you a choice. Social media is bringing you a choice. A careless driver is bringing you a choice. Your spouse can bring you a choice. And that’s what I love about Jesus! Your spouse can come to you with anger and you can make a choice to bring peace or join in. If you dine with Jesus instead, your spouse that is sitting at the devils table at that moment, can walk over and join you with Jesus. Jesus doesn’t say they can’t join his table just because they were sitting at the wrong table. He is waving them over. If you join the devils table with your spouse, who is going to help you guys change tables? Choose strength and dine with love and peace. Don’t be weak and sit at a table of destruction and death.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER!!! Like at any table you sit and literally dine at, the kids will be following you. They don’t have a choice. They are going to be sitting right there with you. Your thoughts and choices become their thoughts and choices. PLEASE READ THIS PART OVER AND OVER UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND: imagine if you are using anger or sadness or judgment against a child for sitting at a table you chose for them. Choose the right table. And join Jesus in waving others over to Him. Salvation is present at that table only!!