When is enough, enough? And where does it all come from? When can adequate provision be called prosperity? What is the priority for gain?
All these questions I asked myself when considering the idea of enough but not too much! I was thinking of my riches, and indeed they are plenty, and considering how generous the Lord is in His provision, while realising how He measures prosperity. We have been prospered in ways I could not have imagined through my own prayerful requests, and not even recognised in some of the initial provisions. The realisation that A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, Luke 12:15, brought me to an understanding of 4 specific blessings for which I need to acknowledge my indebtedness.
1) LOVE. God is love, and He showers His presence on us with such abundance that sometimes we only see it when it has grown, missing it in its infancy. Love is not some pleasurable emotion that sends shivers down our spine, palpitations to our heart and weakness to our knees. No, Love is hurtful, risky, yet rewarding. Love comes unbidden, and in many forms. Love can swell through the first sight of a new-born baby, through the breaking heart of rebellion, criticisms, accusations, arguments, pain and separation. Love can start with simple attraction, sympathy, empathy, mutual agreement, and progress through disaster, disagreement, differences and disorder. Love grows through persistence, and in spite of, rather than because of, behaviour, reciprocity or similarity. Love cannot be earned; it comes unbidden, and includes hurt, misunderstandings, betrayals, rejections, as well as pleasure, friendship, consideration and comfort. Only when we love, lose, suffer and survive, can we know what real love is.
I may speak in the language of humans and of angels. But if I don’t have love I am a loud gong or clashing cymbal. I may have the gift to speak what God Hs revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don’t have love, I am nothing. I mayeven give away all I have and give up my body to be burned. But if I don’t have love, none of these things will help me. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up … 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (God’s Word.)
Only when we are broken by the love that consumes us can we know the Father heart of God who says, ... Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you ... Hebrews 13:5 – for we cannot forsake the love He has given us from His own heart, to us and for us, as well as to others and for them.
My family is distant, some more than others, in physical distance as well as emotional, some having come and gone, all having made an imprint on my heart that cannot be erased. Some show no return of love or concern, but love cannot be erased, and is a gift of God. How grateful I am for the abundance of love the Father has given. I am richly blessed.
2) FAITH. In difficult situations despair can creep in and weaken our spirit. Sometimes situations seem interminable with solutions out of reach, but the trick involves keeping on in spite of circumstance. Faith is not built under the circumstances, but above the circumstances of our lives. So many times when things have seemed so low that release seemed a barren hope, survival and going forward has proved possible. When ‘Underneath are the everlasting arms’ is the knowledge to be clung to, then faith is confirmed and built upon. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' Deuteronomy 33:27.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39. (NIV) My faith has grown through the chapters in my life so that it is yet a treasure to be tapped to its full potential, but sufficient always for hope to triumph. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and His faithfulness. On Christ the solid rock I stand – all other ground is sinking sand …
3) PEACE. How can life be understood without knowledge of God’s promises, and how can peace be found in the turmoil of life around us? The peace of God that passes all understanding is a promise that can only be understood in the light of our experience of God’s ways and. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars. Don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are only the beginning pains of the end. Matthew 24:6-8. (God’s Word.) Wars and rumours of wars surround us. Unrest, weather anomalies, earthquakes, lawlessness, violence, immorality, lies – all signs of the times of Noah when God said “Enough is enough! No more!” and sent a flood of gigantic proportions, greater than any tsunami of today’s extent. Afterwards, He said, Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As longas the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. Genesis 8:21-22. (NIV.)
4) JOY! In all these things I have abundance of JOY! Prosperity is moot. May I share some wisdom gained through years of prayer in petition, praise, and thanksgiving.
a. Do not inflict me with love for money Psalm 119:36b
b. Don’t give me either poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8,9
c. Honour the Lord with your wealth … Proverbs 3:9
d. When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19.
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