Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Give Me Just Enough

I've gotta admit that I was a bit convicted today.  I uploaded my blog to a printing website in hopes of printing the last year and a half of my posts as a memory book for Daisy.  As I was previewing the last year and a half of posts I have written I was convicted about how many more of my posts expressed my deep love for Jesus and what he was teaching me before Daisy was born and I noticed that as the last 15 months with my daughter have quickly rolled by and this season with my hubby has been so tiring that I have withdrawn from sharing what is on my heart or sharing what the Lord has been teaching me.  I have no excuses and in fact I am sure I know the reason for the lull....I am not pressing in to the Lord and His word as much as I could be...not even as much as I want to be.  So, tonight before I did anything else I sought the Lord.  I started reading passages from the New Testament but, kept getting so distracted for some reason.  I hate when my mind does that.  So then I decided to look up Francis Chan (my favorite Pastor to watch online) to watch some clips from his sermons.  Sometimes listening to the word in a lesson format brings it to life for me and helps me to visualize it better.  Not always, but sometimes and this evening that was the case.

The video below and passage of scripture in the picture above are what really stuck with me after my devotional time tonight.  The reason it stood out so much is that my mom had just quoted this passage of scripture to me when she was visiting.  She had been so passionate when she talked about these verses with me and I remember her passion.  I love when God's kids get passionate about His word!

 So here was the first point I had to chew on as I read the passage from Proverbs: I don't want to be a liar or a teller of falsehoods.  I know many people tell lies and falsehoods so regularly that they don't even recognize them as lies anymore.  I could very, very easily fall prey to this as it is a pretty "normal" practice in this day and age....a little tall tale here, a white lie there and before we know it it's just the way we talk.  These falsehoods get us out of things we don't want to have to do or people we just can't be honest with.  In a lot of ways lying is easier than telling the truth on many occasions.  Lies get us off the hook and allow us to escape responsibility.  But, let's face it...don't we all appreciate honesty...loving honesty preferably, in people that we call our friends?  Honest people are so refreshing, real and trustable....(evidently trustable isn't a word but, I'm making it one tonight!) 

I long to be that person to my friends, family, employers, IRS (eekk) and government, etc. I long to stand before the Lord someday in that long judgement line that we will all stand in and to be able to hear him say, "Well done good and faithful servant.  Well done."  I don't want him to have a list of all the times that I lied and told falsehoods.  I would be mortified!  He knows all that I do and He sees all that I do, so I would not be getting away with anything anyways; maybe temporarily but, not indefinitely.  I am accountable to Him.  I will never be perfect here no Earth.  None of us will be perfect here but, I certainly strive to be more like Jesus.  Who better to emulate than the one who was without sin? No other example is stable in this world of daily changing views. 

And the second point to chew on from this passage is the shattering reality that if God were to give me just enough for each day, that would be the best thing for me!!  Wow! That goes against everything we are taught to believe in this world.  We always want more than enough and that is probably because we never think we have enough to begin with.  If I only made a little more I could get out of this debt, buy that boat or go on that vacation but, we all know it is never enough.  If only I had a little more I would give it all away to the poor...ehem,  yah right, and then I would save the last million to live off of and never have another care as long as I lived.  BUT, therein lies the problem...if we have too much we have that mindset of, "I have more than enough money to live and die comfortably, I don't need God because I can take care of myself."  And on the other hand if I have too little and I am starving or living on the streets I might do reckless things like steal or kill to acquire what we need.  Just enough.  God give me just enough for today.  As Francis says in the video I attached...I dare you to pray this...do you realize how true this passage is???  IT is SO true but, not easy to chew on because if we are really honest with ourselves...we don't want to have to rely soley on God daily for all that we need because that requires us to trust him implicitly and not trust in our own resources and that is scary. We must relinquish our control...again, scary!  That means I have to learn how to worry less and trust the Lord to take care of everything.  Wait, isn't that what I am supposed to be doing anyways??  hmmmmm...It all comes around full circle and it was a nice wake up call.  Have you ever read this passage before and really dissected it? What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear....


                                                                        Check it out:
Proverbs 30: 7-9
7 “Two things I ask of you, LORD;
   do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
   give me neither poverty nor riches,
   but give me only my daily bread.
9 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.






Photobucket

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for the blessings....beautiful, beautiful blog as usual.I have a 15 months old baby girl too and I love to read your blogs and to watch your youtube videos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have never really read that passage I don't guess. It is so true. We only need enough. That is all. What a thought. The whole world just wants more, but all we need is enough. Thanks for that!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautifully said Casey- you are always able to move me in enormous ways!

    ReplyDelete
  4. One thing really sticks out at me - he gives us just enough...which to me says he never gives us more than we can handle. I know you've been handling a lot lately but you've done it so well. So glad you're bringing it back to the word, but I would never have noticed that your heart went astray since I see you as such a strong influence in my life.

    I love what you did here - I guess because that's how I really connect with God. ::HUGS::

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Casey. I really needed to read this right now. Hope you keep writing more about what the Lord is stirring in you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love this! it reminder me that I need to connect with God on a daily basis! Thanks! hope you check out my blog! http://bradleykrausracing-simplisticbeauty.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is SO beautifully said!! Thanks for always being so open and honest with your heart! I've never thought about praying like that, but it's SO true. All we need is enough for THIS day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Before I had my babe, I pictured reading scriptures to him while I nursed and then sharing picture books of Bible stories as he grew. I'm embarrassed to say that after 15 months this is just not a regular part of our routine. Sometimes our only spiritual moment of the day is one of the church songs he gets before bed.

    Adjusting to life with children is tough work girlfriend. Thanks for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I read this as I was nursing Everett last night and it really blessed me. As you have read on my blog, I have struggled with feeling like I AM enough, and your second point about God giving us all that we need was so dear to my heart. I have thought about several things lately that if I had or was able to do, how I wouldn't rely on God or seek Him out. He is so smart and knows us better than we know ourselves! Thanks for the great words, and all your encouragement dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The things God uses to draw us back to Him never ceases to amaze me.

    I have only been following a long for a short while, but your desire to serve and know the Lord is so evident Casey. I appreciate that you were honest about your struggling to get in the Word and be consistent, as I feel it is a daily struggle for me, as well.

    These verses were very convicting, as I have been battling my head and my heart the issue of simplicity, the issue of "enough" vs. "too much," the issue of materialism. I can honestly say that I can say with my mouth, "God just give me my daily bread," but that scares my heart, my flesh, and my mind to death. I have held and continue to hold the things of this world too tightly.

    The Holy Spirit used you in my life today to press me further into the truth that less is more and I must let go.

    Thanks dear friend.......have a blessed day! BTW, did you get my email??

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, Casey just amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your heart. I needed to hear this. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Casey, thank you for this. I was just thinking yesterday how I am usually so open and honest when friends talk to me about their troubles. I tell them my honest feelings and thoughts and I often hear, "I like talking to you because you don't sugar-coat things; you tell it like it is." But there is one person in my life that I bite my tongue with. She is so sensitive that I fear my honest reaction will be the end of our friendship. Finally I thought about it yesterday. I decided that I am not doing either one of us any favors by not being honest. I shared an honest reaction I had to something she said yesterday. I was careful to word it just right so I didn't sound accusing. She quickly told me she had to go and hung up. Funny thing was that I didn't feel bad at all by it. I keep saying that I would rather have a relationship go through troubles and maybe even end based on honesty rather than pretend things are different than they really are and have a friendship based on false pretenses.

    Keeping with my honesty is better theme, I wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoy your background music on your blog but it makes it difficult for me to hear the videos. =( I am not sure if there is an answer to that but I just wanted to let you know that the videos you post have to compete with the music.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I don't believe I have read that passage before. It's wonderful! I need some time to marinate in it, I think. I absolutely LOVE it with your pic. Seems to just fit there.

    As moms, we get sucked into our kids or what needs or has to be done on a daily basis and getting into His word falls to the wayside. I think that's Satan's subtle way of pulling us off track. But as long as we get back up after we stumble, it's all good. God has us.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Such a touching and beautiful post. And so true.
    I have also fallen behind on my bible reading more than I would like to admit, but I just need to remember to make THAT my first priority.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and sharing your thoughts.