Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. –Proverbs 30:7-9
Throughout our married lives together, nearly 28 years, Andrea and I have been what could easily be termed frugal. You probably know that this refers to a tendency towards being thrifty and practical. For example, I will often use only one half a packet of artificial sweetener in my coffee. The remaining half a packet is then carefully placed in a designated spot in the kitchen window sill until my next cup of coffee – sometimes the next day. Andrea and I save birthday candles and we re-use them from year to year; especially the larger number candles. We have on many occasions washed and re-used plastic forks, spoons, and cups for use at the next picnic or family gathering. I don’t feel that I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of a car until I have driven it for at least ten years. As someone has said, I will drive my car “until the wheels fall off.”
I could go on and on, but suffice to say I hate being wasteful and I try and to get as much use as possible out of whatever I purchase. Someone might argue that this is simply being a good steward of what the Lord has provided. Others, however, might say that I am just being cheap. To those on that side I would pose this scenario: If the Lord provides me with a loaf of bread, and we only eat three quarters of it for supper, would it not honor God to save the rest for the next meal? Hopefully, anyone could see the stewardship principle at work here. Being good stewards of what God has given us applies not just to our finances, but to all areas of life: time, talents, resources, spiritual gifts, and possessions.
Solomon said in the book of Proverbs that his desire was that the Lord provide him with what he needed. He wasn’t concerned with being a billionaire, but he didn’t want to be poor either. Instead, he desired to make the best use of the daily provision given to him by God. The Lord then took such a humble attitude and blessed Solomon beyond anything he could have imagined. The Lord still blesses us today when we make the best of the spiritual blessings He has so graciously showered upon us.
As we seek to let the light of the Lord Jesus Christ shine from our lives we are greatly blessed when we see all that we have as blessings from the Lord. When we live in an attitude of gratitude to the Lord, even for the most basic of necessities, the Lord will honor such humility and will bless us ten-fold. The blessings will come, often from the most unexpected places, but remember that the Lord is the one who brings it about.
The troubled soul can trust the Lord and be thankful in any and all circumstances. God will work His will in our lives as we trust in Him, and He will do so to His glory and our benefit. Praise the Lord and thank Him today.
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