Be Poor & Needy In Spirit

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 113. When I read it, I thought of the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt. 5:3) My focus is on verses 7-9, but the whole psalm is an awesome praise.

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!”

Isn’t it interesting how, when we’ve burned ourselves out, and all that’s left of what we thought was so wonderful is ashes, that we can find the strength to cry and cry out to God? That’s when we realize that we’re poor and needy. Thank you. Lord, for helping me to learn that I’m no less poor and needy when I’m riding high…because I wouldn’t even have the horse if it weren’t for you. Oh, how much time and joy was lost because I didn’t know that much sooner. The flip side is that you are no less than those who have learned that, and have lived it for however long. You’re brought right in to the table and seated among the princes and princesses! And, yes, God will make you a mama, or a daddy, to countless children (spiritual); because that’s why we are blessed. Our descendants are as numerous as the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. He decreed it when He made His covenant with Abraham.

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It Must Come Out First

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that this walk with Jesus is a lifelong journey. From my own experience, it’s the journey of a lifetime.

The message tells us that we can only proceed upward step by step and stage by stage. “And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18) No journey is taken in one step; but step by step.

When I read this message, I think about Psalm 23:5 -“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Being transformed into God’s image and likeness involves constant intake of His Divine Nature, His Word, His Love for us. However, as we fill up with it, we must make room for more. (Proverbs 25:16) That’s why we must be doers, and not only hearers of the Word. In the hearing, we are being empowered with truth and wisdom. It’s in the doing, however, that our faith and character grow. Our spirits are strengthened, our hope is renewed, and joy rises up within us over our growth in Christ Jesus, and the things of the Kingdom of Heaven. (Romans 2:13)

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Limit Yourself – Limit God

And vice versa. Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we “have not because we ask not; or because we ask amiss.”(James 4:2-3)

There’s a statement in the message (quoting directly): “I desire to give you a gift, and if you are content with the poor, and the mean, and the sordid, then you are insulting Me, the Giver.” When I thought about this, I thought about all the scriptures dealing with money, and about what Jesus said about overly worrying about things like food, clothing, etc. (Matt. 6:30-32) He said that the pagans/gentiles run after all these things, and our heavenly Father already knows that we need them. We are to seek first, the Kingdom of Heaven. All that other stuff comes with it.

I believe the gift(s) God desires to give us are the many knacks, talents, ideas, strengths, and joys of creativity, peace, love, and joy He has put within us. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) How much we cheat ourselves out of when we settle for mere survival. Jesus said, “I’ve come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” That’s the difference between two plates of food and two beverages on the table…and the same meal served on a table bedecked with a tablecloth, and perhaps a little candle light and/or a vase with a rosebud or some other flower(s)…perhaps a little music softly playing in the background to create an ambiance. There’s a glimpse of that creative and romantic spark within.

We limit ourselves when we don’t open ourselves to possibility, because God is possibility. Without Him, it would not be possible for us to be saved, and saved daily from so much. We limit God when we limit ourselves. Jesus said all things are possible with God. (Mark 10:27) Our poor world has such great needs; only a great, great God can meet them. We do Him a great injustice when we limit Him by limiting our vision, and our faith.

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You Cannot Serve Both

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, bids us to ask ourselves whether we are serving God, or serving money/riches. Mammon, it is called in the Bible.

As I read the message, I recalled a conversation I had recently, about someone being refused a meal because they wouldn’t give up their personal information and register. They were told the reason was that if they didn’t register, the church couldn’t get paid for the meal by the government. Jesus tells us, in Matt. 6:24, that we cannot serve both God and money. Either we will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. This is very true. We prove it. I don’t think there’s a Christian that hasn’t experienced this conflict in one way or another. And, the love of money will definitely cause conflict in your life. With it comes debt, deceit, stress, all kinds of stumbling blocks.

Some of us who have held down two, and sometimes three jobs, just to make ends meet, know what a cruel Lord money can be. Work, work, work; and there’s still nothing left over, and still no chance of getting ahead. Some of us have fallen into the prestige and power trap. We sold ourselves to the “up and coming crowd;” the “Haves.” Some of us got caught up in the money trap because we tried to replace our self respect and/or dignity with stuff, stuff, and more stuff. We have to be very careful with our attitudes about money/mammon, because mammon is a very sneaky adversary. I say that, because the spirit behind it and the world’s ideas of wealth, are at work for the powers, principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness in the heavens. In reality, it is only sidewalk. It’s what the streets in Heaven are paved with.

Solomon said that money answers everything. It does. It pays the rent, puts food on the table, fills the car with gas, etc. But, money is to serve us; not vice versa. Keeping our attitudes about it in line with God’s Word, and practicing good stewardship/management, are the keys to staying free of bondage to it. There’s also that checklist of things like pride, fear, greed, and the like, to reckon with. We can easily fall into the money trap by way of these.

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Feeling Plenty Goes With Gratitude

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we are not paupers in the Kingdom of Heaven. Rather, we are daughters of a King; the King of Kings, to be exact.

We are bid to feel the plenty that we have; to think thoughts of plenty. When I read this message for the first time, it turned me around completely. I realized that, at best, I had been merely accepting of whatever I had. My thinking changed completely; from acceptance, to expectation and gratitude.

That feeling of plenty goes hand in hand with gratitude. The expectation comes in as Jesus told us to do: “Seek and you shall find, ask and it will be given you, knock and it will be opened to you.” I’ve told the story about the roast for four turned into stir fry for ten before. That’s the illustration of expectation. I didn’t see the roast as a roast anymore. Rather, I saw it as a meal for a half dozen more people; a bigger meal. I did ask Jesus to help me feed all those people. The idea for stir fry came to me. I had knocked on opportunity’s door, and it had been opened to me. What a beautiful evening we all shared. Yes, I did thank the Lord.

Making gratitude your attitude frames the day for plenty to manifest. It empowers you to seek positive solutions and possibilities. It will manifest in every area of your life, too. You’ll find a way to streamline that project, and get it done a little earlier. You’ll happen across a lunch special and be able to treat a coworker. You may be able to leave work a little earlier because you saved time on that project, and that gives you the time to set a special table for hubby and yourself, or for the whole family. Are you getting a picture of what I mean?

When we train our minds and mouths to speak plenty instead of lack, positive instead of negative, etc., we begin to sow seeds that will bring us plenty…abundance of life, and abundance in life.

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His Abundant Goodness Toward Us

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us of Psalm 31:19 -“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” (NIV) The KJV says it this way: “Oh, how great is your goodness which you have laid up for those that fear you; which you have wrought for those who trust in you before the sons of men.”

I want to illustrate the difference between an abundance of good things, and the great goodness of God. Goodness is the quality of being morally or virtuous, righteous, ethical, upright, upstanding. Having integrity, principle, dignity, rectitude; and the list goes on. These are qualities that God bestows on us, working them in us, and through us. The good things are the blessings and rewards that manifest as a result of that goodness. They’re the bonuses we get for trusting God and obeying Him. The last part of that verse (Psalm 31:19) can be read two different ways. I believe both are true. First of all, God bestows all of it, the goodness, and the good things, in the sight of the sons of men, or the sight of all. Secondly, though, I think about Jesus’ words: “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father in Heaven.”

Sometimes, the hardest thing in the world you’ll ever have to do, is to trust God in the sight of men. They’ll laugh at you, just like they laughed at Noah. They’ll jeer and mock you, like the did Jesus. But, we know who’s behind all that, don’t we? And we have this promise from the Psalms also: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5) That tells me I am anointed to overcome, and I am more than able! My cup overflows with God’s goodness and power, and God’s blessing on me, on mine, on my life. Praise God!

My song choice for today is Let it Rain. I’m still praying for an end to all cancers, but most especially, childhood cancers. Please pray with me. Thank you, Michael W. Smith for your faithfulness to the Lord, and for sharing that beautiful voice.

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