Katie and I have recently been discussing the promises of God. Oh how wonderful are His promises! He receives so much glory in His children relying, hanging and counting on His promises. It is the distinct mark of a Christian to believe in the promises of God. All of the apostles and prophets meditated and found much comfort in these promises. They memorized them and gave them to each other for great joy.
But I am finding, that as a culture, we do not speak of them often. Why? B/c we do not believe them. Why don't we believe them? B/c our culture and society has done very well in making us comfortable, fed, wealthy, and satisfied with its trivial pleasures. We don't believe them, b/c we are not in positions to need to believe them - after all, we have everything we need right??? We need not, however, blame the culture. We just need to turn the finger "us-ward".
Our Lord is unlike all other lords and gods. He exalts Himself in bringing something from nothing. Remember? Water from the rock. Issac from Sarah's dead womb. The army of 350 men defeated the army of 350,000. A child born of a virgin. The blind man receives eyes from mud. Life comes from death in Lazarus. The list goes on and on. He is a God that will deplete all human resources so that He can give manna from heaven - therefore getting glory as the ONLY provider. When His children see no way out - He thunders from the Heavens and provides the way. He ALONE is THE WAY! Watson said, "God will go His own way, He will pose and nonplus reason, He will work by improbabilities, He will save in such a way as we think would destroy. Now He acts like Himself, like an infinite wonder-working God." He indeed is God who fortells things contingent, which depend upon no natural causes. (also Watson) Though we may recognize Him as such, do we so depend upon Him?
Consider your prayers. Why do you pray in the Lord's prayer - "give us this day our daily bread" when all of us have enough in our retirement accounts to buy bread for 1000 years? You have bread today at the house - bread in the freezer - bread in the basket with mold all over it - bread everywhere!!! And if you didn't have any - you have the handy ole amex - CHARGE IT!!!! Don't worry i have my own finger pointed at me - my amex bill is HUGE. But what if I didn't have a charge card (like George Muller who refused to go into debt - even when the children in his orphanage were hungry - they had no bread. Everyone was telling him to go to the grocery and open a line of credit. They told him - "its for the kids!!" He replied something like this, "The children need God more than bread. I don't want to give glory to another provider - God will provide." And He always did for Muller and the orphanage.)?
What if I did have to go hungry for a day (God forbid - we, in America could all use a fast every now and again) and saw no way that I could get food? What if? The WORD of God would then come to mind - I hope. And we would pray more earnestly. Emma would see mommy and daddy joining hands in prayer more. She would see daddy crying out to our Lord. She would see the reality of human dependance on God. She would feel hunger in her stomach - reminding her and giving her an example of how we are weak vessels that continuously need provision. Our stomachs are great leaders to God if used rightly. And then she would hear a knock on the door! A member of the church stands there smiling with homemade soup! We embrace them, love them, and give thanks. What a wonderful sight for a small child! She then shouts, "Daddy! Daddy! Look what the Lord has done!!!!
Isn't it funny that we don't see this scenario much! Sad rather. What a wonderful picture of the love of God in the Body of Christ!
As I try to provide for my own family today and for the future - I find myself forgetting God. Sure, I want to be smart and not fanatical. But I do want to depend on Christ. I want Emma to know that the LORD has provided and not daddy. Why are we so negligent to the Scripture. Consider the children of Israel. When did they turn to God? They turned to Him when they were very needy, hungry, poor, and persecuted. When did they forget God? When they had more than enough. They forgot God.
When I think about my family's future, our retirement, Emma's college and so on - I don't worry. Why? B/c Katie has a large trust fund that will supply more than enough. Does this look like a Bible story? I haven't found one. I don't see where He promises a 401K. I don't see where He promises treasures on earth and wealth here. Concerning these things - I see only warnings.
He is a God of the impossible. We must see that He can provide bread before we see that He can and will provide salvation. Matt. 19. Why? B/c salvation is more impossible than bread. I am convicted. I am in a dilemma. Please pray for me.
