#31 When Sin Lets Us Alone

When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all. - John Owen

#30 Where It Comes From

"The nature of the Christian life is not believe once and then thats it forever, but leaning on Jesus's promise every day."

I constantly feel the need to remind myself of that. The bank statements say the money is mine, the cheque says my salary comes from the boss. The trust funds say the profit comes from the economy. It's so easy to forget that everything that we did, do and ever will acquire on this earth comes from God.

Almost on a monthly basis, I find myself staring at bank statements, bills and expenses for which everything in my bank account won't seem to be able to cover. I grow desperate and weary. Money woes never seem to end no matter how much you earn. And yet somehow, somehow, it has always been enough. We always tide through.

Its God's way of teaching us on how to live on his grace. The people of Israel lived in the desert for 40 years, relying on manna they collected on a daily basis. Any excess mana uneaten for the day would rot by night. No stocking was possible. God was teaching his people to trust Him with their lives and their needs daily. When Elijah stayed with the widow during the 3 year draught, the promise was that the jar of flour and jug of oil will not go empty, not that it would overflow with abundance. After all, it is in Man's tendency to forget God when blessings are abundant.

We live in a world glorifying the self made millionnaires, the people who overcame overwhelming odds out of sheer will and determination. We respect and idolize people who fly high, who make things happen, who leads and inspire others. And yet the first lesson of the Sermon on the Mount was "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The way we measure people isnt the way God measures people.

In my own life, I often forget that though God did promise us abundance and comfort when following him, abundance and comfort isn't really.the main thing at all. God gives when giving glorifies Him. Those blessed abundantly are supposed to pay it forward - bless others in His name so that Gods name is glorified. But God takes away when taking away glorifies Him. So that people can be amazed at Christians who go through hell on earth and still sing It Is Well With My Soul, that the most broken people still find comfort in their God and sing praises to his name.

The thing is, though we may all agree that both giving and taking away is Gods way of bringing glory to Him, nobody wants the latter. Nobody prays "Oh God, impoverish me and make my life hard..... " Even Jesus himself at Gethsemane prayed for for the cup to pass him, if possible. We all dread pain. God himself, manifested as man through Christ understood this well enough. And yet, the last line "yet not as I will, but as You will." makes all the difference.

Regardless of how we feel, we are always to pray for God's will to be done, not ours. And if God's will means he takes things away from us, it is something we must train our heart to obey.

See, unlike the world that wants and celebrates champions in their own right, God wants and celebrates the meek and downtrodden who learn how to live on His grace, Jehovah Jireh.

God will provide.