It is that attitude that has held captive the hearts of men and women since satan first enticed Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit in the garden. All of us are born into this life wanting what we feel is coming to us, wanting our fair share, and we live in delusion as to just what that is. We are born with a spirit of entitlement, and it's a spirit that lingers, even after coming to Christ in faith. We believe we're "owed." If you doubt that, then my challenge for you and me both is to ask ourselves how often we have thought, if not said, that what the Lord was doing, giving in our lives was far less than what we were expecting, what we believed we deserved? We may not express it with Sally's open greed, but that grasping spirit is there, wanting what's coming to us, wanting our fair share.
That spirit, that attitude, has visited me more than once in my walk with Him. When that walk takes me through dark places, through times of want, pain, and suffering, it rises, questions, accuses. This is not the way it should be. My life, relationships, ministry, should be so much better than this. I'm not getting my fair share. Where are the blessings, at least as to how I define blessing? I've given Him my all, at least as to how I define "all." There should be a better return. I've got more coming to me than this.....don't I?
I've been walking with Him for some time now, so these times occur less frequently than they once did, but they can still sneak up on me. When they do, the Father brings to me anew His words to the Levites, His priests, in Numbers 18:20. God is dividing up and assigning the portion of land to be give to each tribe of Israel. All but the Levites have been given their share. To them the Father says, "You priests will receive no inheritance of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your inheritance and your share." I've wondered how they received those words. Did they feel cheated, or did they feel blessed? Did they feel they were getting less, or did they know that they were receiving more than all the other tribes combined....Himself?
With the giving of the new covenant in Christ, all who are His become members of the "royal priesthood of believers." We are all priests of the Lord. We are all, as Paul says, inheritors of the all the riches to be found in Christ. All of them, and those riches are not affected in the least by the circumstances, good or bad, of our lives. They are abundantly available to us in all places. Our wealth is not measured in what we are accumulating outwardly, but in the relationship we have with Him in our hearts. By His grace, we don't get what's coming to us, death, but instead, His life....abundant life. Our share in Him is a share that no earthly vessel can contain, and no earthly means can measure or count. This is true blessing, and to know so brings full understanding to Jesus' question as to what it would mean for a person to gain the whole world, and yet lose his soul....if he be found without Him.
I saw a simple question today that asked if the Lord were to remove all blessing from our lives, would we still love Him? A blessing dependent life would not, seeing Him only as means to getting what we want, our fair share. Those to whom He is their portion, are willing to lose all for the joy of having, knowing, and living in Him. We all desire our share and inheritance. Where does your desire lead you, me......to Christ and life...or to death?
Blessings,
Pastor O
That spirit, that attitude, has visited me more than once in my walk with Him. When that walk takes me through dark places, through times of want, pain, and suffering, it rises, questions, accuses. This is not the way it should be. My life, relationships, ministry, should be so much better than this. I'm not getting my fair share. Where are the blessings, at least as to how I define blessing? I've given Him my all, at least as to how I define "all." There should be a better return. I've got more coming to me than this.....don't I?
I've been walking with Him for some time now, so these times occur less frequently than they once did, but they can still sneak up on me. When they do, the Father brings to me anew His words to the Levites, His priests, in Numbers 18:20. God is dividing up and assigning the portion of land to be give to each tribe of Israel. All but the Levites have been given their share. To them the Father says, "You priests will receive no inheritance of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your inheritance and your share." I've wondered how they received those words. Did they feel cheated, or did they feel blessed? Did they feel they were getting less, or did they know that they were receiving more than all the other tribes combined....Himself?
With the giving of the new covenant in Christ, all who are His become members of the "royal priesthood of believers." We are all priests of the Lord. We are all, as Paul says, inheritors of the all the riches to be found in Christ. All of them, and those riches are not affected in the least by the circumstances, good or bad, of our lives. They are abundantly available to us in all places. Our wealth is not measured in what we are accumulating outwardly, but in the relationship we have with Him in our hearts. By His grace, we don't get what's coming to us, death, but instead, His life....abundant life. Our share in Him is a share that no earthly vessel can contain, and no earthly means can measure or count. This is true blessing, and to know so brings full understanding to Jesus' question as to what it would mean for a person to gain the whole world, and yet lose his soul....if he be found without Him.
I saw a simple question today that asked if the Lord were to remove all blessing from our lives, would we still love Him? A blessing dependent life would not, seeing Him only as means to getting what we want, our fair share. Those to whom He is their portion, are willing to lose all for the joy of having, knowing, and living in Him. We all desire our share and inheritance. Where does your desire lead you, me......to Christ and life...or to death?
Blessings,
Pastor O
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