TITLE: Give me what's mine By james ealey 11/04/09 |
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Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to [his] father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth [to me]. And he divided unto them [his] living.
What gives us the right to demand of God? He is providing all the substance we need and He shares His wealth with the world. Yet, we think it's of our own power we get the things we have.
To have places of refuge, food to eat, clean water to drink, cloths on our backs, and some intelligence to guide us in our everyday lives are gifts from our Father. It's so easy to fall into a selfish and ungrateful pit.
Imagine this for a moment. You've been given everything you have ever needed or desired for as long as you can remember. You’re in your early twenties living in a mansion with servants to command. You want for nothing and have access to an abundance of riches. Your family is very prestigious with a reputation for wealth and wisdom. You need only to make a request and you will have whatever you want.
Would you be grateful? At times I'm sure. Would you help those less fortunate? Perhaps, if it doesn't interfere with your own plans. What people would you commune with? Most likely those that have a lifestyle similar you yours.
This young man has done what many do. He let his own desire and greed rule him. A high minded spirit is a snare that stretches far and wide. Its an ocean you cannot sail around and it's filled with shipwrecks of self-righteousness. It takes the power of God to break this type of spirit.
How many times have you approach our Father, our Creator, our Savior with this same attitude? “Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Give me what's mine”.
This young man bellows to his Father, “You have provided nourishment and strength for me all my life. You have told me how and what to do to in the moments I seemed lost without guidance. You have given me the perfect examples of wisdom and integrity. You have rescued me from certain danger and protected me from enemies seen and hidden. But I no longer need you. I am grown and can take care of myself now. Give me what is mine”.
A good Father knows He cannot make His child of mature age obey Him. As painful as it may be He knows He must let His child make their own decisions and experience life. With tears and sorrow a good Father will release him and provide the needs for his journey. Hoping the child will be safe and apply the knowledge passed down through generations. He hugs the child but arrogance makes the boy push Him away. The child leaves in haste. He doesn't even look back to meet his Fathers eyes one last time.
I am ashamed to say that this was the way I treated God at one point in my life. I was a bigheaded, ungrateful, and prideful brat! Demanding that God would turn me loose from His instruction so that I could find my own way. Mocking His rules and regulations for my life and thinking that I could do better for myself all by myself.
Leaving His santuary catapulted me into the tsunamis of life. Wave after wave crashed into me filling my lungs with despair, disappointment, and failure. I struggled to catch my breath. The harder I swam the greater the storms became. Had it not been for the lifejacket of mercy I would have been snatched to the abyss below.
I'm a new man now. I appreciate my Father's rules. At times His instructions seem difficult to understand, but He's my Father. He knows what's best for His son. Faith not fear encourages be to obey.
Even though His Word tells me I can approach Him boldy, put Him in rememberance of His promises to me, and that He will withhold no good thing from me...I'd rather just ask.
Because He let a hardheaded, ungrateful, spoiled rotten, proud child back into His House!
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