Remember 7-11
Sometimes it might be tempting for us to think that.. God gives us affliction to help us learn spiritual lessons. After falling sick, there were a few times I was tempted to think in this way. Especially when my body is afflicted, I can't think properly... I was disillusioned and in confusion. But thank God for godly reminder. I remember that when I was first diagnosed, a dear sister came to remind me, that God is a good Father, and He will never use sickness to punish us, to help us learn something in life.
Where in the bible can we find assurance in this?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11 NKJV)
Thus that explains why the title of this post is
remember 7-11! Hope this can help you to remember the Lord's goodness when you are afflicted.
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (Matthew 7:9, 10 NKJV)
Recently I read a bible commentary on Colossians by Warren Wiersbe, one of my favourite authors. He said this, "wrong doctrine always leads to wrong living." We ought to carefully examine what we believe in, in order not to marr the beauty of God.
So what is the right way to think when you are afflicted. Sickness is from the devil. But God in His goodness will redeem and greatly redeem us, in our afflictions by giving us treasures of darkness. He will turn the situation around for good. He will restore the damage that the locust has caused. He will give new promises. He will give us more than life. As I was telling someone, I think God is not just restoring the quantity of my life, I believe He is even restoring the quality of my life! How amazing when we have hope. Though it is not an easy path, eyes of faith tells me, God prevails.
Remember 7-11!
Giving out of lack
Recently I saw a facebook post on my friend's wall about toothpaste. It talks about how 90% content of toothpaste is enough for a few days and 10% of the content is enough for 4 months. A little exaggerated but there is some truth in it right? I'm sure all of us have somehow experienced it in our lives before.
It is meant to be a joke, but I wish to draw some spiritual lesson from this joke. Whenever things are in abundance, we don't seem to pay much attention to how we live or how we spend, but when things started to get a little tough, i.e. very little is left, we somehow could depend on God for grace for the little we have.
So the issue is never how much we have, am I right? It is how much we allow God to stretch our resources. How much we allow Him to give out of our lack. It is not something that is impossible. It is a matter of choice, faith and supernatural grace.
If you read the bible, you will realise God works in supernatural ways that challenges our human logic or understanding. Sometimes He does it in these ways just to remind us that it is His hands that's working, it is not natural, but supernatural. For example, He chooses to feed Elijah with ravens, one of the most selfish among animals that will not share their food. He chooses to bless the widow in lack at Zareepat, by making her meet Elijah's need for food. It was a test of her faith.
Do you have a situation in your life when God wants to use you in your lack? It may be the best time to give. Allow God to use you and see how your faith is stretched. Of course I'm not saying that we ought to give when we are in lack so that we will receive it back from God. We ought to be sensitive to God's Spirit. You will know it well in your spirit, when the Lord speaks.
Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink. And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. So she said, As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said to her, Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth. So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:9-16 NKJV)
