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The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
Psalm 37:18-19
New International Version (NIV)
We are in challenging times when many of us are feeling the burden of financial pressure. The jobless numbers reported by the government are probably not even close to the reality of how many are out of work. Many are living day by day and scraping together all available resources to get their bills payed. More than a few have defaulted on their accounts and may be even one step closer to homelessness.
A good number of the people in these positions probably have not given themselves over to a faith in Jesus Christ and doubt the power of God. And some of these may be good Christians who truly believe in what God is capable of doing. One big difference between these two sets of people is that those who have put their trust in God understand something about actual wealth--the riches that go beyond the earthly standards of measurement.
We can't rely solely on our jobs, our wealth, or the promise of being taken care of when we can no longer work. People and governments can and will fail. Prosperity as society typically sees it is a tenuous circumstance that can be taken from us at any second.
Even if believers have to suffer and die along with the unbelievers, we have a joy within that will see us into eternity. There's a good chance that God is going to see that our physical needs are taken care of in this life, but keep in mind that kept in perspective of the bigger picture this life is a blink of an eye.
A full belly and bank account is reassuring, but a soul full of joy and the Lord's assurance is the one thing the true believer in Christ can count on. Think back on the metaphors Jesus often used about bread. Food is not always something we eat with our mouths to fill our stomachs.
A good number of the people in these positions probably have not given themselves over to a faith in Jesus Christ and doubt the power of God. And some of these may be good Christians who truly believe in what God is capable of doing. One big difference between these two sets of people is that those who have put their trust in God understand something about actual wealth--the riches that go beyond the earthly standards of measurement.
We can't rely solely on our jobs, our wealth, or the promise of being taken care of when we can no longer work. People and governments can and will fail. Prosperity as society typically sees it is a tenuous circumstance that can be taken from us at any second.
Even if believers have to suffer and die along with the unbelievers, we have a joy within that will see us into eternity. There's a good chance that God is going to see that our physical needs are taken care of in this life, but keep in mind that kept in perspective of the bigger picture this life is a blink of an eye.
A full belly and bank account is reassuring, but a soul full of joy and the Lord's assurance is the one thing the true believer in Christ can count on. Think back on the metaphors Jesus often used about bread. Food is not always something we eat with our mouths to fill our stomachs.
Acts 14:17
New International Version (NIV)
Well written post Lee, and was great to read.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday.
The difference between inner joy and temporary and circumstantial happiness...give me joy any day! I love Sundays!
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