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.

OUT OF THE HOLE

I have been speaking to others who have found themselves in a hole in which they have dug themselves. They have tried to claw their way out of this hole and no one has been able or willing to help them out of this hole they have found themselves in.

Their calls for help have been ignored.

They have been enabled by others and professionals such a doctors who write up subscriptions to mask the effects of the root of the problem.

They have been encouraged to stay in their hole in hopes it will all pass in time.

They have been spoon fed this idea that it is everyone elses fault that they are in this hole.

They have been beat back into the hole with remarks that they will never change and/or deserve to be stuck in that hole.

They have been threatened and lied to and fear a life outside the hole.

They have gotten so used to “misery” and “burden” that they have decided to make them their constant living companions.

I can’t get them out of this hole. You can't get them out of this hole. I could throw them a rope and if I some how convinced them to climb the rope, they would probably end up coming to the top of the hole- taking a quick look around and jump back into that hole again.

I have seen one of those holes first hand and you would be surprised what a person can get used to after a while.

Nope… the only way a person will want to come out of that hole is when the hole starts to collapse and it’s life or death threatening and they still won’t be able to get out of that hole themselves.

God’s is the only one who can retrieve a person from a hole they have dug themselves

No way out and no one to turn to… I gave my life to God and he seeing something of value in me, that I could not, pulled me out of that hole and gave me a new life, a new perspective which is maturing and growing everyday under his watchful and loving eye.

If you are in that hole….

Do yourself a favor and give your life to God. He created you. He knows what you need and he will give you a life that you did not even know was possible as long as you trust Him.

From there he will give you to Jesus who will give you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you greater insight of why Jesus is so important in your life and through this growing understanding you will gain greater maturing insight about life, hope, love, joy, and peace.

You will overcome many of the things in your old life and have a "continual" testimony to share with others for many years to come.

You will still have trials and struggles but through the new insight that God gives you, you will overcome all of them with "his" help.

If you aren't in a hole but know some who is, don't give up on them but continue to pray for them and ask God to give you the words and actions for when you do speak to them.

Keep Your Fork (Better Things to Come.)

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her."There's one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.
"This is very important," the young woman continued . "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!' So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them : "Keep your fork, the best is yet to come."
The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would Not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.
So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.
Remember to keep your fork.

Philippians 4:6 "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful then the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 18:4-5 "Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven and anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my half is welcoming me." (Childlike faith)

Psalm 34:7-8 "For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear Him, and rescues them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him! Let the Lord's people show Him reverence, for those who honor Him will have all they need."

Sick Body and Enduring Spirit

Even in sickness the soul can endure a sick body if the Spirit of God is within them. A person who trusts in God and not the condition of their health can conquer adversity.

Proverbs 18:14 "A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?" or "The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed?"

Beware of the Battle Cesspool

I was amazed at the amount of junk being dished at me while I was sick and the more energy I spent battling these thoughts the more sick and dizzy I felt. I prayed and prayed and read and read.

I finally just gave up in a sense…. I still thanked God for the relief, no matter how small but I released any type of "responsibility" from myself. I "surrendered" any type of expectation "I" had on God.

I curled up underneath my blankets and did my best to sleep and stay warm. Sure sweeping negative thoughts still came but I let them go and eventually I did sleep soundly.

I more or less took "Me" was out of the equation. I could do battle all day with God’s word and drown in a cesspool of well-advised words but in the end, isn’t it God’s responsibility to heal me not my responsibility to heal me?

It really doesn’t matter how much belief I have in God just that I have faith that he will get me through this flu bug, in the matter he wants me to get through it.

How much energy are we willing to expel on something more then God? Is the battle really ours or is it God’s battle? If we aren’t careful we can drown ourselves in a battle cesspool of words and thoughts. Remember the dark forces we fight against have battle tactics far superior then our own. We are God’s children but sometimes our wishes to be a super Christians or even our sickly flesh can get in the way of God’s lessons for us.

I can say, I have prayed for my children and myself and we have been healed from the flu instantly but is being healed instantly every time, teaching us about suffering and enduring? Is it teaching us anymore about God? Is our faith being stretched when we are healed instantly?
I will say it has given a stronger faith that God can heal instantly but is there a lesson in being sick at times in our life?

Our bodies are only usable down here. We were given these bodies for what purpose? Why didn’t God give us the bodies He has for us up in heaven? The only reason I can come up with is so we can begin to understand what God wants us to learn from them. They are not just a temporary vessel but are a tool.

Remember "It’s not by might, not by power but by my spirit," says the Lord.

Please read Romans 11:33-36 slowly:

"Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? For everything come from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen."