Poverty and Riches

O God, I beg two favors from You; let me have them before I die. First, help me to never tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and, thus, insult God’s holy name. Proverbs 30:7-9 (NLT)

These verses from Proverbs 30 appear to be an obvious teaching, especially after living as an adult for a while. We realize we tend to forget about God when life is easy. We leave Him. Parties, friends, vacations, and buying new things occupy our minds, as do thoughts of how smart we were to earn that money. Instead, we could praise God for what He gives and tell people of His faithfulness and love. When life is hard, we can grow closer to God because we recognize He gives what we need and because we pray to Him continually. Alternately, we can insult Him by blaming Him for not providing what we need and/or then stealing those items. Once we realize these tendencies, most probably after we have experienced both excess and poverty, we can learn from them.

When we read Proverbs 30:7-9, perhaps we think of tangible things we need, like money, shelter, food, drink, clothes, and medicine. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus addressed people’s need for these things. He spoke of clothing and food and said if the Father clothes the flowers is such fine colors and feeds the birds without them worrying what they will eat, how much more so will He take care of our needs, we whom He made in His image. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came to give us life more abundantly.

As we take this thought a step further, what other needs, non-physical, do we have? Jesus cares about the whole being. Humans have mental, emotional, and spiritual needs, along with physical needs. We need to feel safe and secure, be fed, know truth, experience peace, endure, and trust physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Life is more than just food, clothes, and where we will sleep, Jesus said. It includes every facet of who we are-mind, spirit, heart, and body. God takes care of the whole person throughout his or her life.

Jesus saves us from sin and death, a timeline of now and not yet. Most people consider the salvation He gives as something they will receive in the future after they die, the “not yet” of the timeline. Salvation happens when we believe in Jesus as God’s Son who died for our sins and when we confess and repent of our sins. When we accept the salvation He offers, He cleanses us from our sins, making us pure so we can live eternally with Him in heaven. Still, salvation is more than “not yet” in our lives. Jesus came to save us now and throughout our whole lives, too, the “now” part of the timeline. The saving now is spiritual, bodily, mental, and emotional, a feeling safe from torment, persecution, prejudice, abuse, and a host of other things. This saving “now” includes feeding our minds, spirits, and hearts with good things, too. Paul wrote about what we should think upon to feed us in Philippians 4:8-9 when he gave a list of “whatevers” to consider. We need to feed ourselves with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Jesus became wisdom for us, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:30. His Spirit teaches us God’s wisdom and knowledge and gives us understanding. We need to know truth. Jesus said, in John 14:6, He is the truth, way, and life. Jesus is truth. We can seek and rest secure knowing Jesus always tells and teaches truth while other people tell their “truths.” We can feel safe and secure knowing Jesus as the Truth. We can stand and endure knowing Jesus saved us. Ultimately, no matter what happens while we are alive, we recognize God wins and we will be with Him in heaven.

We, who have accepted the salvation Jesus gives, can know we are secure with God and can ask for His guidance, protection, and provision. Jesus’ saving us includes clothing us. Just as He feeds the birds and feeds us with His truths, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, Jesus, in Matthew 6, promised God would clothe us. Part of the clothing God gives to each of His children is about what Paul taught the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 6:10-20. He told them to put on the armor of faith. Faith in God is what enables each believer in Jesus Christ to “stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” We can stand firm and trust God because of who He is and His attributes - all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, wisdom, grace, mercy, and love. To stand firm, Paul told the Ephesian Christians to put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, and to hold the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. And, while wearing this armor, he told them to pray in the Spirit. Always keep in close communion with God while staying alert, Paul said. Notice all the pieces of armor come from God. God is faithful and gives faith. His strength never fails. Jesus is Truth and makes us righteous, gives us salvation, with His righteousness. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and His gospel, good news, is peace and gives peace. He is the Way to the Father. No one can go to the Father except through Him. Jesus gives His Spirit to each person when they believe in Him for salvation. By the Spirit of Jesus with faith and prayer, we can clothe ourselves with the armor of faith, then stand firm by trusting God. God provides and clothes us with His armor.

Because of the “armor of faith,” we, Christians, can be secure, feel safe and secure, be nourished spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Believers can rest sure of their ultimate salvation. God will give us His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding if we ask. Jesus reveals His truths to us when we seek Him. God meets our mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Jesus told His followers not to worry about what they would eat, drink, or wear and where they would sleep. With Jesus as our Savior, we realize God cares and provides for our whole being. He feeds and clothes us and gives us shelter. God knows what we need before we even ask, but desires to hear from us and commune with us, so pray continually in the Spirit. Understanding this about God’s provisions, recognize when we have plenty and little, and be content with what He gives. Take note that what we own comes from God, not ourselves. Glorify Him for what He gives. Seek His plan for the gifts. Do not hurl insults at Him for what we do not have. Trust His heart and praise Him. Be faithful to God because He is faithful to us.

Will you deny the Lord when He gives overabundantly to you by walking away from a close communion with Him? Or will you seek Him and His purposes for what He gives you? Will you insult, blame, and curse God with your actions and words when He seems not to listen to your prayers and provide for your needs? Or will you trust in Him and His love for you while praising Him for what He has done and will do? Proverbs 30:7-9 brings us to the point where we must consider choosing faith in God and His purposes and love and being content with what He gives. Without trusting that God loves and cares for us, Satan might lead us astray with his lies, so that we insult God and turn our backs on Him. Trusting God means we will praise Him and be content whether or not He gives overabundantly. Will we seek His will, and trust and praise Him or insult and walk away from Him?

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

In whom do you trust?
Who gives you strength to live in this world?

In poverty and wealth, Jesus is still your Savior and Lord.

Whom will you trust and praise?

 

Fear or Trust

 

The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy. He is the One you are to fear; He is the One you are to dread. Hosea 8:13 (NIV)

Let me be perfectly transparent; deciding to return to South Africa (SA), where we have lived and worked, has been a very hard decision. I would like to say it was not and that my walk with Jesus has grown me so I always decide at once to do God’s will. But, let me tell you, I am human. Like you, I have senior-aged parents, adult children, grandchildren, and friends in America whom I miss terribly and whom I cannot help, especially my mom, stepmom, and stepfather. Life is easier here in America. I generally can find anything my mind can ever think of wanting. (That does not mean I need it!) I am now vaccinated against COVID-19 here. I would not be in SA. The variants in South Africa are more virulent so I do not trust that I am safe from them. Let me say it again; this has been a very prayerful season in America. Each time we go on stateside assignment, we are prayerful. This one was, for me, a wrestling with God to figure out His will exactly and to bring myself in alignment with Him.

God and I have been having deep and long conversations about returning to South Africa (our home) since I arrived here in October for my third child’s wedding. This conversation became more desperate by the end of March when I had not heard from Him definitively if we can stay in America or must go back to SA. Since becoming a Christian, when I professed saving faith in Jesus when I was fourteen years old, I listened to my ministers teaching that unless you hear from God to change what you are doing, keep doing what He last told you. As I asked God if He wants us to go back to SA, I heard nothing from Him in my first months in America. I understood that meant, “Yes.” God wants me to return there. But being human and hoping for a new direction, I asked and kept on asking. I asked prayer-sisters to pray as I battled with God about this. Understand this, God did not battle with me; I battled with Him. My battle was seeking to understand for sure if I must return to SA. It was a battle of my will against God’s, though I already understood what He wanted me to do.

Sunday, I told God, I recognized you want me to return to SA, but please, as I read Isaiah 8-11, show me explicitly. (I hate to admit that because that shows I am still weak. We all are. Hopefully, we are growing to be more like Jesus each day.) God honored my request and showed me His answer explicitly in His word. He taught me as He taught the Israelites, through His prophet, Isaiah. How I wish I were not comparable to the Israelites. Really, we all are like them. Our spiritual graphs go up and down like theirs did. Remember this, I never doubted God wanted us back in South Africa. I wished He wanted us in America. That point is where God met me.

The first thing we must know about Isaiah 8:1-18 is these are the words God spoke to Isaiah telling him what He will do to the Israelites and why. Isaiah’s written words were his response to God’s foretelling His disciplining the Israelites. Isaiah is like each Christian. God calls us to be His messengers and tell the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We each must remember He is Almighty. God is the only one who is Holy. Holy means He has never sinned. Can any of us say this? He is the standard for our lives.

In Isaiah 8:12, God told Isaiah not to fear or dread anything or anyone except Him. This fear is the reverence and awe of God and the fear for my life. Basically, God said, “Do not be afraid of what they may do to you but know I will discipline you, like them, if you do not obey Me.” Since God is holy, we need to fear, revere, and live in awe of Him. Because He is holy, no one is like Him. Paul wrote about this sinful state. He said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” in Romans 3:23 (NIV). We do not need to fear anything or anyone else because God is Almighty. He destroys false Gods and reigns preeminent over all created things. As God’s messengers, those He calls to tell other people about Jesus, we do not have to fear other people or created things. Because God is holy, we should obey Him in fear and awe.

What does Isaiah 8:12 have to do with my situation? Well, God pointed out to me what caused me to ask for clear confirmation of His will for me to return to SA-fear. Fear was my excuse. I checked my heart and mind and determined of what I feared or dreaded (Is. 8:13c). I noted two things: having to leave family and friends and facing the third wave of Covid-19 in South Africa, where most recent cases are the Delta variant. Mentally, I did not want to face that crisis again. (I said I am human, remember.) Physically, I did not want to get the virus. I know doctors there with Covid-19 patients and they were afraid. Of course, other doctors are not afraid. God used Isaiah 8:13 to help me understand what caused my need for confirmation instead of just trusting Him. He reminded me He is holy and Almighty, and I do not need to fear or dread anything. I should fear only God with awe.

God told me one other thing in this speech to Isaiah. He said I should revere and be in awe of Him by being gratefully obedient to His will for my life. That means I need to “cheerfully” prioritize His will over my family and friends. Remember that verse in 2 Corinthians 9:7 where Paul wrote, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (NIV) Being a “cheerful giver” comes from our trusting God. We should give our tithes, our offerings to God, whether of our money, time, family, friends, and life, cheerfully, not reluctantly. We should give Him all we are and have each day because His love never fails. We can trust Him. God’s calling of us to be about His business never stops. He calls each of His children to tell the gospel to all people. God wants each person to know this, just like He did the Israelites. Our telling the gospel is one way to tithe of our time and self. If we truly love the Lord, we will want to give back to Him that which He has given to us for His purposes, our lives in obedience to Him. Does that mean there will not be tears when you say goodbye to friends and family or when you must bury your parents at whose side you could not sit when they died? No, there are tears. God gave us tears to help release the emotions of sorrow and joy. (Aren’t tears wonderfully refreshing?) With this part of the passage in Isaiah 8, I needed to decide if I would dread returning to the people of SA or if I would cheerfully go because they are the people whom God loves and to whom He sends me to witness and minister. Instead of dreading or fearing my return to SA, I can be like Isaiah was when he said in verse seventeen, “I will wait for the LORD. I will put my trust in Him.” We can completely trust God. If you are honest, He has never failed you. And He will not fail you. He loves you and loves the people whom He puts in your path daily.

When we completely trust God and not fear or dread what might come, we can experience the hope God gives each of His children. He gave us this hope when we professed Jesus as the Messiah, God’s Son. Yet, many of us allow fear and dread to overshadow that hope. Nothing ever can overshadow God or anything from Him, even hope. Nothing can hide the Truth and Light. What is this hope? Isaiah tells the Israelites this hope from God in Isaiah 9:2, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a Light has dawned.” (NIV) This hope is for the near future and the distant future. The Israelites had seen a great Light. They saw the fire lighting their way in the darkness when they left Egypt. And they would see this same light again. God was telling them to have hope because He would lead them back to the Promised Land after they became captives to Assyria and Babylon. God is faithful and will keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For the Israelites, the distant future held the hope of the Messiah, who One would come from a virgin and would be “God with us,” Immanuel. This hope God gave to the Israelites through Isaiah’s prophecy is a hope we Christians can hold on to even today. When we completely trust God and allow His hope to shine a Light for us and lead us, we do not dread or fear. We align our hearts with God to be cheerfully obedient, so the entire world will know about Jesus.

What have I relearned from God’s loving compassion and forbearance with me during this stateside assignment time? I can allow dread and fear to keep me from walking in the peace God gives through the hope He gave to me when I became a Christian. I can allow my excuses to keep me from serving God and have no peace about it. Lack of hope affects the heart, mind, soul, and strength and keeps me from loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. God spoke of this through Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 22:37, too. Jesus added one other commandment. It sums up the last six of the Ten Commandments. He called it the second greatest commandment when He said, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” I cannot do either of the two greatest commandments if I allow the fear and dread, which comes from Satan, to keep me from trusting and loving the Lord with my whole being. And do not get me wrong; I love God to the depths of my being. My commitment to Him 44 years ago when I became a believer in Jesus and 21.5 years ago when I first left America to go to South Africa show the depth of my love for Him. I have made this same decision every time I returned there after our stateside assignment times. Does my heart want to stay in America? Yes! But my heart longs even more to follow God. He continues to lead me to South Africa.

Ask that same question to yourself? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? If you do, then you will have no problem saying yes to the next question. Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself? Do you love them enough that you will do whatever God asks of you, go where he tells you to go, and live with and minister to the people He loves and has called you to serve? See, that is the rub. We must love God enough that no matter what He asks of us, we will not dread, fear, or offer excuses for not “being able” to go. I am still learning, but I can say God is my everything and my family falls in line right behind Him in my consideration. It does not mean I love my family less. I love them enough to show God means everything to me. It shows them just what everything means and becomes an example to them of love for God.

In the Chronological Life Application Study Bible (page 792), a commentator wrote this statement. “Although God may not always spare us from troubles, He will lead us safely through them if we follow Him wholeheartedly.” That is my God and I trust Him completely.

Will you trust the Lord today with your life, the lives of your loved ones, and your future? 

With God, there is no more fear or dread. 

For unto us a Son was born and given whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And there will be no end to the greatness of His government and peace. With justice and righteousness, He will reign on David’s throne forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty accomplished this. (Isaiah 9:6-7, my interpretation)

God is still in control.

We have security in Him for our rapidly changing world.

Will you trust God?

Forsaken

They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. 2 Chronicles 24:18a (NIV)

Dust on Bibles,

Calluses on knees,

Tear stains on faces,

Confidence with ease.

 

Paint peeling, falling,

Gutters askew,

Litter uncollected,

Dust on the pews.

 

Beggars left pleading,

Cries heard through the night,

Kids’ hungry bellies,

What is their plight?

 

Eyes wander back,

Minds filter with dew,

Hearts recognize,

Spirits remember who-  

*Who left the altar 

*Who walked away 

*Who chose new paths* 

Who said, “Another day.”

 

Tears streak down faces,

Knees callused again;

Hearts fully repenting,

Spirits sway back to Him.

 

Dust blown from Bibles,

Paint fully renewed;

Litter now collected,

People in pews.

 

God recollected.

His love never gone!

People again sought Him,

Voices raised in song! 

**Sing Hallelujahs, 

**Praise to the King! 

**Our Savior, Redeemer. 

**Ring heaven’s bells and sing!

 

Let history remind us,

Let it teach and lead.

Let God be our Master!

Praise I AM, our King!

Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to Him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. 2 Chronicles 24:19 (NIV)

Will you listen to God calling you to return to Him?

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

Reflection

 

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. (1 Kings 19:3 [NIV])

For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12a [NIV]) 

If you are like me, you would never consider saying you are like Elijah. He was the great prophet of God who told the king that God was sending a drought, then it happened. Elijah was the man who challenged the 850 prophets of Israel to burn sacrifices to their god, Baal, so God would show them He is real and almighty. He was the man who promised a widow she would not run out of oil and flour during the drought; God kept His promise. Elijah, along with Moses, stood with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). God took Elijah and Moses to heaven without them first being buried. Both men pleased God and received the reward of their faith in God. Who of us even dares to consider ourselves equal to this great man of God? How can we say we are like Elijah?

We can say we are like Elijah the prophet in several ways, though we would not like to acknowledge them. We would rather say we have his faith, steadfastness, and obedience to the Lord. Yet, when we consider a person to emulate, we should consider that person’s characteristics, actions, and words. Elijah obeyed God. He did each of the above listed things. Still, he had his weaknesses.

Elijah feared Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, would kill him because he had killed her priests, the ones who proclaimed what she wanted. He isolated himself from people who could encourage him as he walked with the Lord, including his servant. No person can work with God in reaching unsaved people without growing weary, needing encouragement, rest, nourishment, and counsel, and needing solitary time with God. For several reasons, each person needs other people who will walk with him or her-to encourage, teach, console, and correct him or her. Elijah became tired and had no one to remind him to rest and eat. God did this for him. He experienced depression because of obeying God while serving God; he chose isolation. God led him toward people.

This prophet of God had his mountain top experiences, literally, with God. In obeying God’s commands, he needed great faith and people to encourage him to go into the valley. Many of us cannot truthfully say we go into the valley when God tells us, but we read in the Bible that Elijah did. We might have a mountain top experience with God, but sometimes we refuse to serve God in the valleys. If we are truthful with ourselves, our commonalities with Elijah are more in his humanness. We fear, tire, isolate ourselves, and get depressed. We challenge God like Elijah did when the widow’s son died after God provided oil and flour to sustain them. We rail at Him asking, “Why”. Our faith in God is shallow. Our humanness is more comfortable to us.

Yes, we are more like Elijah in these ways than the others. We would love to say we are like him in his spiritual faithfulness to God, but honestly, that would not be the truth. The good news is that Elijah was not always close to God. He began his walk with Him like we do, with a step of faith. That step that takes us from promise to assurance, knowing without doubt that Almighty God is our God, and we have a hope and future with Him (Joshua 29:11). To perceive God’s voice, Elijah had to grow in his faith so he would learn how He sounds as a still, quiet voice, a voice like the roar of a storm, and the voice like the crashing and shaking of an earthquake. Elijah’s steps of faith continued. He wanted to follow God’s will for his life. Elijah desired to pursue God’s purposes. Though he faltered in his life’s purpose because of his human weakness, he continued to seek God and to love Him through obedience to Him. Elijah bravely faced 850 prophets and Almighty God showed He is real. When Elijah ran away in fear, God took him to a quiet cave beside a still brook so he could rest and replenish with sleep and the food and drink God sent.

Each time Elijah’s human weaknesses arose, God showed him He provides for the needs of those who follow Him with their whole being-heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-7 & Matthew 22:37). Elijah understood and related to God in the way Paul expressed when he wrote Romans about a thousand years after Elijah’s time. Paul said in Romans 8:26a & 28, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness…And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (NLT) Elijah’s spirit cried out to God in his weaknesses-tiredness, isolation, fear, and depression. Though he mentally and physically felt beaten and his heart fainted at the task, Elijah trusted God and relied on Him.

As humans, we are very much like Elijah. We can have hope, like him, if we take a step of faith. We can do like Elijah did and cry out to God. God can remake us in His image for His purposes. He makes us more than we could ever make our own selves. God made Elijah into the man who was His great prophet. Through Elijah, the Lord did great things to remind the Israelites He is one true God. He did that with each of His prophets and servants. He equipped, trained, and remade them for His purposes, to be people who would seek Him above everything and everyone. Just as Oswald Chambers notes in the title of His devotional book, God remade and remakes people to be the utmost for His highest, so that each person will come to hear about Him, trust in Him, and receive salvation from their sins and death through Him.

Elijah had a mother who delivered him into this world. He was a man. Just like any other person, Elijah had human weaknesses. He learned about Almighty God and believed in Him. Elijah believed God and determined to serve His purposes for his life by being obedient to His plans. God took this life offered wholly to Him for His use and remade it into who He wanted him to be. This enabled Elijah to do His will-telling and reminding the people of Israel about Him. Elijah, because of his love for God, willingly sacrificed his life to God for His purposes. He allowed God to direct His paths.

Are you like Elijah? Consider his life. Elijah was born, raised, heard about God, desired to know Him more, loved and obeyed Him, had human responses of fear, tiredness, isolation, and depression, learned to trust God more each day, and received God’s promise in full when He took him to His kingdom. We are like Elijah in our humanness and can be like Elijah in his faith in Almighty God. Our greater calling is to be as relationally close to God as possible. Through Jesus, His Son, God made that closeness to Him available to each person who believes in Jesus Christ. Consider, you are already partly like Elijah; you are human. Elijah became more than just a man. He had faith in God. Because of Elijah’s growing faith in God over the years, God called and trained him to be His prophet. His growth in faith and obedience to God grew him toward being perfect, toward being like Jesus, though he had not seen Him. Elijah saw Jesus in the glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12) but saw Him clearly, face to face, when God took him on His chariot of fire to heaven (2 Kings 2:11).

We are each like Elijah; we are humans. But God can remake us into His image, like at creation.

How much like Elijah are you?

·       Will you admit your human weaknesses of tiredness, fear, despair, depression, etc.?

·       Will you take the step of faith and move from promise to assurance of salvation?

·       Will you listen to God’s voice and obey Him by taking another step of faith, like Elijah?

·       Will you allow Him to train, encourage, correct, and lead you?

We can be more than like Elijah. We can be like the One he hoped for, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came to earth and now sits on His throne in heaven.

Be more than one who sees his reflection in the mirror.

Begin to see Jesus as you allow God to renew you. 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:11-12 [NIV])