Seasoned!

Seasoned!

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 KJV

In this age where success is defined in physical and material terms, today's extract cautions me not to be distracted by earthly definitions. Forbes list and the insatiable desire to 'make it' keep men awake at night, and we scheme and plan how we will hit the jackpot. Whilst it is not a crime to seek the good things of life, which in the first place, have been promised by God, I must constantly remind myself to keep in front of me the WHY and the HOW of WHAT I seek. 

The Bible warns against covetousness, not against asking or seeking. In fact, Jesus encourages us to ak until our joy is full, but as we wait for the fullness, we must not fill ourselves with envy, bitterness, rage or hatred against another person's success story. If I am full of envy, how will God fill up my need? If there is no room in my heart to fully appreciate all that God wants to do, do I think He will go ahead and do them? 

So, while I wait, I do so with joy. While I wait, I celebrate your success. I must be careful not to covet your story, but to ask God for that which is His perfect plan. It is easy to seek to walk another person's path, but God always does the unique, special and different for all who seek Him. I wait with patience for the fullness of all He wants to do, and I rest on his promise that no matter what happens while I wait, He is with me. He says: "I will NEVER leave you or forsake you. 

You see, that promise of His presence is the best part as well as the most sobering part of today's extract. I look at the lives of characters in the Bible and one of my own personal conclusions is this: no matter how it ends, God is with me. I may not have it all; life may be tough, but God is with me. The world will have its own opinion, as I am sure it did when Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was stoned to death like a common criminal, or when Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, or when Joseph was thrown into prison for sticking with the truth. We know how each story ended, but there is one undeniable fact: God was with each person. That is all that mattered at the end. 

The message is the same today. Let's not keep our hearts on what we seek, but on who can make all our plans come to pass when they line up with His will. He is the same God of those old men and women, and He is still the same God. Through all the pursuits, greed and selfishness of men, He remains true to His Word. He is there, faithful and true; always watching over all who trust Him, and depend on Him for guidance and sustenance. Are you one? His time of favour is here.