Thoughts for another day

February 14, 2007

Today's verse: 2 Cor. 3:5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Last week we were involved in this so-called thing, ‘savings’. Some of us discussed how much we had saved over the years and some also discussed how much their ‘forgotten’ investments had borne fruit. Some even complained about being cheated in their investments to the point of being disgusted with life itself! While all this was going on, I realized one thing blatantly missing from the conversation: The role of God in our provision.

We sing, ‘Jehovah Jireh, my provider, His Grace is sufficient for me…’ but we don’t really practice it in our lives. We love to see huge bank balances. But sadly, none of us know, how much in the bank is sufficient. Once I even heard an elderly man of about 75 yrs of age say, ‘when I had retired, I thought I would die by this age. Now I am having a financial crunch and my family is disowning me.’ Sad. But then would he really be able to save till he were to be say, 80 or 90 or…

The ‘or’ is in the Hands of God. He alone knows the span of our lives and exactly how much we need. And the Good News is, He guarantees provision for that, if you believe He will do it! Alas! We hardly rely on God to be that provider. Worse, we want to keep Him away from our finances, because He says, we need to give. ‘But Lord, I’ve only got this much, how much will be left if I give?’ It happens with the best of us. It is a shame that I depend on my small finances rather than on Him who says, ‘The earth is mine and the fullness thereof.’

I know of a family who in a worldly way, were self-sufficient and having everything. One day, the man of the house suffered a stroke. In a matter of months, their business closed down. The cars were sold and bank balances gone. Now they are completely shattered and broke and funny, the man can hardly stand!!! So much for our sufficiency. My friend, as much as you would like to trust yourself to care for yourself in the future, banish the thought. Rather, put your life into His hands for He is able. Trust Him alone to be your sufficiency. He will prove you right as days roll into months and months roll into years.