Are you always seeking something more? Is your life not enough? Are you never satisfied? Do the people around you let you down? Are people not there when you want them? How about Fame? Do you crave that 15 minutes of fame? What about your finances, your house, your work or even your family? Do you want something more out of life? Well I have the answer for you!!! God! That’s right G. O. D. God. He has everything you need. He has the answers to all your cravings. If people are not there when you want them to be, I can tell you that God will be. When you need to feel special and loved, God is the answer for you. I repeat, “He has everything you need.”
I could be in advertising! As a Christian that should be my declaration for everyone! God is enough. He is SUFFICIENT! You don’t need anyone else. As a Christian do we actually believe it? Can we agree with King David,
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62 v 5 – 8)
David didn’t have it easy. He certainly had to learn the hard way that God would be his provider, that God was enough. To be truthful with you I find this difficult myself. Whether it was because I was an only child or whether because my parents didn’t invest much time in me or a combination of both, I learned very early on to be self-sufficient. I learnt very early on how to get myself out of difficulties. You have to because when you have little guidance from adults, you find your self in self-created difficulties all the time. That word self-sufficient tells its own tale. My mother used to proudly tell me of my exploits as a young child. Doing things on my own. She used to tell me how at three and a half I would go down to my local school and watch the children play. This apparently showed my eagerness to go to school. It wasn’t till later on that it occurred to me, surely a three and a half year old shouldn’t be allowed to go off on his own, crossing roads without an adult in sight! Anyway, this self-sufficiency has been ingrained in me. “You need to do it yourself, find the answers, solve the problems, fight the battles!” God has been shouting “Stop!” to me for a very long time! Eventually I had to stop. I had nothing left. I found myself in a Psychiatric Unit of a local hospital. Literally nothing left. Friends gone, family gone because they couldn’t cope. Nothing except God.
God literally started from scratch. Before going into hospital I had been systematically reading the book of Psalms, so when I was in hospital I found a Gideon New Testament with the Psalms in the back. (I want us to recognise the work of the Gideons and pray that God continues to provide financial support and open doors for their work.) I was up to Psalm 12 and so I started reading. I got to verse 5 and this is what it said:
““Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”” (Psalm 12 v 5 ESV)
It was God who was going to rise and it was God who was going to place me in safety. It wasn’t going to be me.He was going to do the rescuing and not me. You have to understand that I had been a Christian for many years but still not grasped that God would help. Even though I knew that the statement ‘God helps those who help themselves’ wasn’t from the Bible and I argued with people who thought that it was, somehow I felt that it was up to me to rescue myself from the messes I got myself into. After all it was me who got me into the mess in the first place. I was trying to help myself when all the while it was God who wanted to help. He couldn’t wait to help!!
A few months later I was in a new church with new friends. Part of a group of people who supported and loved me. It is important to find the correct church for you.
Be connected and not isolated! I used to find myself isolated all the time and that is a place our enemy wants us to be. The reason I say that, is that God wanted me to be to be with people who would encourage me and allow Him to do the work necessary. He really did begin to work in me and quickly too. It was if He was making up for lost time. The support I had enabled me to go deeper into God. I was not a lone wolf. I belonged. God began to show me how He provides. Nothing I lacked was not found in Him. One day God showed me that I had been carrying my own cross around with me for years. What a weight it was. He literally lifted it off my shoulders. I think if we are feeling a heaviness in our Christian journey it is more than likely that we are doing this in our own strength.
“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt ch 11 v 30)
We make our life harder. God wants us to rely on Him.
“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55 v 22)
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.“ (1 Pet ch 5 v 7)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.“ (Matt ch 11 v 28)
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah ch 41 v 13)
Do you realise that one of God’s names in the Bible is El-Shaddai which means ‘The All Sufficient One’ or ‘The All Bountiful One’. He abundantly nourishes, satisfies, protects and supplies. He knows what you need even before you ask and He provides.
“…for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.“ (Matt ch 6 v 8)
You have to ask though! Then you have to be ready for the answer! It is not in our strength or we then will have the glory but it is in His. Why do we struggle when the God of all the Universe has all we need and is ready to give it to us. He wants to fight for us but we have to let Him.
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus ch 14 v 14)
One of the most startling things I learnt was that anything we rely on to get us through life other than God is an idol. Anything that sets itself up against God needs to be torn down. What do you rely on to get you through life! It could be friends. Now it is vital to have the right people around you but if you put them before God it is a problem. I had to learn the hard way, but that is not everyone’s journey! I was a slow learner!!!! What is the first thing you run to when you are stressed? Chocolate, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, tea, ice-cream!!! Mine used to be my bed!! If I couldn’t cope I would take to my bed, where I was safe. I had learned this from childhood. Is there something that is your automatic go to place or thing. God wants us to run to Him when we are in difficulty. He wants to be first.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“ (Matt ch 6 v 33)
Do you see this. Say the verse out loud. Declare it for yourself,
“I will seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all that I need will be given to me“
Or be more specific,
“I will seek God first when I am stressed, and He will give me the peace that passes all understanding“ (or whatever the need may be).
You don’t have to go through struggles to learn every lesson from God but you do have to learn it. Remember He has everything you need. I can tell you that if you put anything before God He will eventually tear it down because He wants the best for you. There is no need to use your own resources when God has bountiful stores of them which are better in quality and longer lasting!!! Why would you want to do things in your power when He wants you to use Christ’s power? Come on let it sink in. Jesus’ power in you or your own? There can be no battle surely? I want to finish with this verse. Meditate on it and let the Holy Spirit speak to you through it,
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.“ (2 Cor 12 v 9)
Prayer – Heavenly Father you have everything that I need. Help me look to you when life becomes too hard. Let me see those things which I put before you and help me to tear them down. Please let me rest in you and receive all you want for me. Thank You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen
A Lamp For My Feet 