Why Do We Lack?

I was going to write about patron client privilege but then God whispered this to me as I was driving.

“God is my provider.”

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” Psalm 54:4

We lack.   We hunger.  We thirst.  We fret.  We tire.  We doubt.  We fear.  We are unsettled. We are unsatisfied.  Because we don’t know or remember God is our provider, God is our help, God is the sustainer of our soul.

I know that is easy to say but to know... to know is all another matter entirely.    We all have these unsettling moments in our life but what stops the emotional earthquake?  What stops the walls from closing in?  What stops the landslide from overcoming?   What calms the storm on the rocky seas of life?  When do we suddenly stop walking in the deserts of this life and start walking in God's pastures of goodness?

Is God over our circumstances?  Another brother in Christ and I were talking about this… the conflicts, difficult circumstances, the let downs, betrayals, sideswipes, misunderstandings, the heaviness of life, the temptations, disappointments, loss, are all mended and ramified when we do what?

How does the dark shadows flee and the waters become clear?

The answer is when we turn to God.   He is the light that overcomes the darkness.   It’s in those trying times we become closer to God and dependent upon God.  Is this not true?

Right... we could simply give up but when we turn to God, He enriches us in those circumstances.

Without God we are a just like a bird with a broken wing, hopping around -trying to deal with the situation by our own means.

Do we really believe God’s goodness and unfailing love pursues us all the days of our life? Psalm 23:6

Jesus says “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

Do we show and tell God our need or do we just suck it up, deal with it, suffer in it?

Is God, Jehovah Jireh of our life?

Spiritual famines in our life come when we assume some kind of control or everything is out of control but in reality God is in control and nothing is out of control if we allow him to have control. 

The walls may crumble and fall, the clouds may give no rain, but all things that are inconsistent are not God.   It's easy to say we walk by faith not by sight but often we rely on sight, sight that blinds us to the enrichment God wants to bless our soul with.  Things that often can not be described in words.

We must be careful.  Our perceptions and imaginations fail us.  We see two hundred things to be done, an ailment, a loss of a job, a child needing money for college tuition where we are so overwhelmed and frazzled- we forget to bring God onto the balancing scales of our life. 

We say how come the Israelites couldn't remember God leading them through the vast and dreadful wilderness, the thirsty and waterless land with its venomous snakes and scorpions and bringing a gushing stream of water from the hard rock?  Maybe they too got carry away in the cares of this life. 

Are we as forgetful?  It could be the very root of why we lack.   

Doesn't God say?

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

 
Remember our words have power.  Just as we can speak goodness and life into our life and other people’s lives we can speak things into our life that God doesn’t wish, desire or want for us or others. 

God is our provider and sustainer.   He always has.   The reason we speak foolish things into our and other peoples lives is because we are either uneducated about what God wants for our life or have forgotten who GOD is to be in our life.   Are we to walk this life alone?  Of course not! What kind of encouragement would that be in Christ Jesus. 
 

God will supply what?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

What about evil?

"If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling.  For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.  They will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.  You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue them and honor them.  I will satisfy them with long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:9-16

By His stripes we are what?

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

He gives you what?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Think about Peter and the coin in the fish (Matthew 17:27).  The flowers in the field.  The birds of the air (Matthew 6:25-34). 

As you can see we are not just talking about material and physical needs here but what our soul needs.  Just this morning I woke to the words,

 "Your kingdom come your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". Matthew 6:10

Then as I pondered this God's Spirit gave me another verse.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

I wondered if the word "will" was the same type of "will" in both verses.  I found it was.

God's will is to be our sustainer.  He provides because He cares and loves us.

You know what I find interesting...  Him being our sustainer is us looking to Him.   It makes sense doesn't it?  I mean how can we seek God's hand of provision if we aren't looking to his hand. We lack because we do not look to Him.  We lack because we do not ask Him.

People often mess this up... people look to people, money and things to fulfill what they lack.  In other words we love people, money and things expecting to get a return on our investment and we stumble and hurt when this doesn't happen.   We even occasionally blame God for the failures and letdowns.  God says to love Him with all our heart, all our mind, all our strength and all soul and there we are assured our needs will be met.  We are assured His will be done for us and in us which we find is truly good, acceptable and perfect.  The world thinks this is crazy.  How can one have peace and sanity in hard times but what they don't realize... it's not the circumstances that sustain us but God.  And what is most awesome of all is His will carries on into eternity as we trust Him.
    

Is that not something to smile about?  If not, genuinely ask God to make this a reality in your heart today.

Internalizing Our Faith

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During the Christmas season we often "externalize" our faith with Christian activities and gifts but what needs to come forth as we participate in all these festivities is the light that comes from internalizing our faith.   

Internalizing our faith is the most important thing we can do for others and ourselves. 

What does internalizing our faith mean?

Internalizing our faith is what God has been quietly stirring and growing, producing and maturing in us in our daily relationship with Him.

Let Your Light Shine

 ^“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

We often think of good deeds as “deeds” alone but deeds are to be actions and genuine words that result from us looking  to God.

Think about the moon.  It doesn’t produce it’s own light but has light because it faces the sun. We have light because we are inwardly submitting and looking to God- the source of our light.  We aren’t denying God but allowing God shine from within.

John wrote,

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:4-5

LIFE! Life isn’t a life of activity and possessions.   Life is experiencing the presence of God working in our life.

One might say when we internalize our faith in God then everything else will take care of it’s self.

IS THIS AN EASY TASK?

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16

If continually internalizing our faith were an easy task, do you think Jesus would have to go venture out away from the noise, static, clutter, and distraction of world?

Even Satan tries to keep us from internalizing our faith.

Remember when the Holy Spirit took Jesus into the wilderness for forty days? Satan showed up to try to divert Jesus from the Father’s objective to save humanity from their sin and restore their relationship with Him.  If Satan did that to Jesus do you not think he will command his demons to divert our attention away from God as well?

No it’s not easy.  We live in a world of go, go, go.  We go from one activity to another activity and even when we have a chance to sit and be still we become preoccupied on our electrical devices.   If you ask some who have retired, they are busier now then when they had a full time job. 

We need to continually be reminded to take time to be with the Lord.  We have a brother in Christ who set’s reminders on his cell phone to take a few moments to retreat into God.

We can get carried away and overwhelmed in this world.   The mud puddles of world can soak us as we pass by.  The thorns of agitations can take hold.   We can forget what good bread tastes like or there is a sun above the gray clouds.  We get the dust of world to clog our spiritual filter and if we not checked and maintained we can reflect the fallen mindsets and conditions of humanity.

 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Think if Jesus had to get away from the messes of everyday life to pray then we ALSO must do this to find that CENTER- that sweet spot.

That CENTER where GOD enables us to live in “this quiet satisfying resilience” which comes when one internalizes their faith

This CENTER is impossible to have without prayer. 

The word says,  ^“pray without ceasing;” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Prayer is a constant surrendering- a humbling submission that includes a genuine heart of gratitude where the seed of self -dies and we grow and abide in Christ but what happens when the plant or tree isn't watered and the warmth of God isn't allowed to shine on it?  The plant or tree will wilt, it's leaves will fall from it and it's fruit will turn and dry up on it's branches and it will die.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 

What happens when we pray?

I don’t know about you but when I challenge my doldrums and my lowest low in prayer, I am lifted out of those conditions.  I knock on God's door and door opens.  There is an unexplainable spiritual change that takes place inside of me.  What was impossible to reach moments before becomes possible through prayer and even song.  God gives me something to eat to nourish my soul and encourage me on in the day ahead. 

If I don’t seek God, who is the light, I can slip into deeper darkness and I can become ineffective as a vessel of God.

Think how the devil uses this to his advantage because so many do not challenge what comes against them in prayer.  

When we pray we are turning, submitting to God.  When we pray we are challenging everything that comes against us/ everything that tries to put our light out and get our focus off of God.

^“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Let’s take a moment….

Thank You LORD that you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross and he rose from the grave to forgive our sins and empower us with a relationship with you through your Holy Spirit.  Lord, forgive me for offenses. Thank you LORD for your correction.  Thank you for your mercy and grace and unfailing love.  Thank you LORD that you are protecting and touching my family and providing for all their needs this day.  Thank you are protecting our minds and hearts this day.  Thank you LORD you are giving me renewed strength this day.  Thank you LORD for your guidance this day and ability this day. Thank you LORD you are touching “this need” right now.  I thank you LORD for your provision.  I thank you LORD for all the things I take for granted such as clean water, a bed and a pillow, electricity, a vehicle, a heater, a job, warm clothes, food in my refrigerator.  I thank you LORD you know my every need.  Thank you LORD you are giving me the words to speak.  Thank you LORD for ironing and straightening “this” situation and closing the doors that need to be shut. Thanks for the Spiritual bread you have for me to feed my soul this day and spiritual oil to keep my lamp burning bright for you.  Thank you LORD you are healing this person this day.  Thank you LORD you are encouraging this person this day.   Thank you LORD you touching this leader with your Spirit to make the right decisions.  LORD direct my footsteps and enable me to reflect your light to others around me this day.  Help me to stand fast when it is needed and difficult. In Jesus name Amen  

It’s amazing what happens throughout our day when we watch and take note and are made aware of what God does for us everyday.  Thank Him and watch what He does to gladden and enrich your soul.

… And the peace of God, which transcend all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.