Friday, August 3, 2012

For richer or poorer for reals?

Proverbs 30:8b-9

...Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.
9 Otherwise, I might have too much
and deny You, saying, “Who is the Lord?”
or I might have nothing and steal,
profaning the name of my God. 

Our tendency is to get comfortable and forget God or get desperately anxious and break His commands.

We work so hard and plan so diligently that when things go well we naturally assume that we must have done something right and in the process nearly break our backs with the myriad congratulatory pats we give ourselves.  It sounds ridiculous to say, "Who is the LORD?" but when we have too much we often end up making this statement in our attitude.  Our hearts generate independence and pride in our accomplishments.  We sow the seed forgetting that God provides the seed, sends the rain, grants the growth, and faithfully provides the sun. We high five ourselves all the way to hell over our success.

If you want to see a person get nasty, take away their comforts.  Watch how fast someone gets unChristian as all get out once they lack sleep, food, money, health, friends, success, etc...  I am the least Christian when I am anxious about unchecked boxes.  I am very strong "J" type personality and as such am actually quite weak in that it does not take much to throw me off balance.  In those moments, I become more of an animal than a Christian.  I get grouchy and react as an organism more than a soul.  I hate that about myself.  I know Jesus had to die because of my crappy attitude. It deserves to be crucified. 

May our prayer today be that God would give us enough to meet our needs, but not so much as to spoil us.  May He guide our hearts to greater and greater charity that His blessings upon us might increase and produce more fruit from our hands - the works prepared by Him beforehand; and that they might be fulfilled in His power and grace.  May we not look over the works of our hands and think we have accomplished too much like Nebuchadnezzar and "his" kingdom

Without the Holy Spirit we either neglect God or curse God.   We are not just having issues with God or mad at Him in those moments.  We hate Him and His ways and think we'd do a better job. 

Is it possible that we have too much? Is your love for God as such that you would ask Him to take away anything extra?  Especially if that anything would lead your heart astray from Him?

Is it that you do not have what you need?  Is your love for God as such that you would honor Him even in seasons of despair?  Do you get greedy the moment you feel in want?

The proverb appeals to God's grace to give us what we need: a desire to love Him no matter circumstances into which we find ourselves today or tomorrow.  Without Him, riches and poverty are occassions for rebellion.  With Him, riches and poverty are occassions for providence.

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