We continue our meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:8, “Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.” (ISV)
There is power in the word of God, and we must allow God’s word to be actualized in our lives. David said it this way in Psalm 23:5, “My cup overflows.” This should be our experience, and our testimony too. In order to receive it, we must pray for it, and sincerely seek after it.
In this message we will take some time to understand the reasons why there is lack in many areas of our lives. If God is able to do more than we ask or imagine, if He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and has assured us that He will supply all of our needs, why is there want is our lives?
The prodigal son was in want
We read in Luke 15:14, and he having spent all, there came a mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be in want; (YLT)
In Luke 15:11-32 there is recorded the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A father had two sons, and the younger one asked his father to divide his property, and give him the share that was due to him. The father obliges, and the son stays on with his father for a while, and then goes off to a far off country. The young man squanders his share of the wealth in riotous living, and squanders everything he has. At that time the country he lives in is struck with famine, and this young man is penniless, and unable to make ends meet, he takes up a job to tend pigs. His predicament was such that he did not have any food to eat, and he literally longed to feed himself with the pods that were meant for the pigs.
The reason for his lack
1. He left his father’s house
Maybe the younger son did not like some of the rules and regulations that were imposed on him by his father. When the young son began to think that his father’s house was not a place of happiness, and did not understand the love his father had for him, that very moment he began to be in want.
When we don’t stay in the place that God has ordained for us, and our feet are not firmly set in that place, but keeps wandering away from the will of God we will end up with want in our lives. Have you noticed how children will not like being told to wake up on time, to keep their things in order, or to eat their meals on time, and will often misinterpret this as troubles inflicted on them. Many young people think that their homes are like prison, only because they have not experienced what the world outside is like. The moment we walk away from the Heavenly Father and the place He has ordained for us, we will begin to experience this life of want.
2. He lived a sinful life
The next thing the younger son did was to go away to live a life of sinful living. Sadly the young man’s mind was warped, and he could not think straight.
If you want the lack in your life, and in your situations to change, we need to take closely examine ourselves to see how we are in the sight of God.
We read in Luke 15:17, At last he came to his senses and said, 'All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! (GNB)
Only when the younger son came to his senses did he realize that the hired workers who were just daily wage workers in his father’s house, had more food to eat than he had. The luxury that he enjoyed in his father’s house was appreciated only when he sat tending pigs, and could not even eat the pods that the pigs ate.
Sometimes I counsel young people who have fallen in love with someone who is unsuitable or irresponsible. When their emotions are high, their mind is so confused that they will not be able to accept any good counsel because they cannot see what the future holds for them. Their wrong choices will finally cause them much pain, but this will also create much heartache to their parents.
Pray for a clear mind
We really need to pray for a clear mind because the word of God reminds us from 2 Timothy 1:7 ‘God has not given to us a Spirit of fear but of power, of love and a sound mind.’ Many people have looked back when much older, and have regretted the decisions they made in their youth, but sadly there is no way these things can be undone. There is no point is having a clear mind after all the mistakes are done, because unfortunately many of these mistakes cannot be altered. While we are still in the Father’s house we should pray for a clear mind, and not have it after we have messed up, and gone far away from the safety of the Lord’s care.
Once the young man came to his senses his mind was cleared, and his devotion to God also was restored. He immediately realized that he had sinned against God, and against his father. The will of God was that he should live in the safety of his father’s house, but when he rebelled against his father, he was in truth rebelling against God.
The one thing that the young son forgot was that the reason for his bountiful life was his father. Sometimes children will neglect their parents in their old age and then after they die, they will build them a fabulous tombstone. I would think that if we can love our parents, and take care of them while they are alive that is more meaningful than all the nice things we can do in their memory after they are gone.
Everything good comes from God alone
The source of all our blessings is God alone, and we should never ever forget that. You might be in a government job, a private business or a daily laborer. Irrespective of what our jobs are, we must bear in mind that God is the source of all our income. Everything we have, and own was given to us by our father in heaven.
James says it this way in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.” (GNB)
Our breath, our body, our health, our family, our finances and every good thing we have is from God above. Only when we realize this we will deal with all that is entrusted to us in an orderly way. We don’t need to worry or fret about any uncertainties that comes our way, because our God who is Jehovah Jireh will be our provider and He will take care of us no matter what. Think about the two years when the pandemic struck, and many of us were stuck at home without jobs. The Lord sustained us, and provided for all of our needs throughout the season. As God’s children we can be sure that those who trust in the Lord will never be put to shame. Let us thank the Lord for everything that He has given to us and He’s the one on whom we trust.
We should also be aware that our ego can be a dangerous thing, and it will surely result in our downfall if we let it have the upper hand in our lives. The young prodigal thought he could do it all on his own, and he ended up with pigs. Lucifer thought he was mightier than God, and was cast into the depths of hell. Adam and Eve thought they could be like God, and lost all that was theirs when they were chased out of the Garden. There are many who think they can do it all with their own strength and wisdom. This is faulty and dangerous thinking. Instead we should say like the Apostle Paul, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Philippians 4:13. We must acknowledge the Lord in everything we do, and consciously endorse that God is the source of every good thing in our lives.
As Moses led the people of Israel he pleaded with God that His presence should go with Him. Every time we pray we are telling God that He is important to us. Every time we read the word we are telling God that His word alone can guide us. If we forget this our lives will begin to be in want.
The young prodigal thought the money was his, and he could live any way he wanted to, and finally ended up in dire straits. We should never think that the job we have, the finances we have is ours, and we have earned it. The moment we begin to think this way we will find that we too will begin to go on a downward spiral like the prodigal son.
Acknowledge that everything comes from God
We also read in Romans 11:36, “Yes, God made all things. And everything continues through him and for him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.” (ERV)
Everything was made by God and everything continues through Him, and for Him only. We must therefore acknowledge that God is the source, and the sustainer of everything that we have. Nothing we have is because us our own skill or effort or wisdom. Only when we do so, our life will be bountiful. We are not the owners of anything in our lives, we are just stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. It’s important for us to realize that we brought nothing into this world and take nothing out of it, so all that is given to us is in the in-between is God’s gracious gifts to us. Since these are given to us we have to use, when we use all that God has entrusted to us well, there will be abundance in our lives.
Notice how some people will use their time well, their finances well, and take good care of their families, and with such there will be bountiful blessings. We must acknowledge that all that we have has been given to us by the Lord, and use it only for His glory.
There was a wealthy man who only attended church on Sunday, and in spite of the Pastor inviting him for many week day meetings, he always gave excuse that he was too busy with his work. Suddenly, there was a dramatic change, and this man became a regular attendee for all the mid-week meetings as well. The Pastor was so happy, and wanted to know what made this change. What the man told the Pastor was really sad. He was struck with a terminal illness and the doctor had told him that he only had a few months to live.
We needn’t wait for those last days of our lives to seek the Lord, but must realize and acknowledge that all that we are, and all that we possess is given to us by the Lord, and we will take nothing out when we go from this world. Only when we remain true in the little things that God has entrusted to us will God be willing to entrust us with more. Be thankful to the Lord for every good thing that He has gifted to us, our family, our children, our finances, our relationships, our church, our jobs and everything that we enjoy.
Never forget these two important things – firstly God is the source of all that we have and secondly we are just stewards of the same. To be a steward means that God will hold us accountable for all that He has given to us including the way we spend our time.
The Prodigal Son had everything he ever needed in his father’s house, but only after he had wasted it all, and was brought to the position of feeding pigs did he realize that the hired men in his father’s house had more food to eat than he did at that point. Note that his predicament was his own making, and the father had nothing to do with it.
Oftentimes, the misery that comes upon us is our own doing, and we should never blame God for all that goes wrong in our lives. God is one who is impartial and bountiful in nature. Let us therefore be trustworthy stewards of all that God has given to us, and we will find that the blessings of God will overflow in our lives, and replace every want that is there with abundance.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
