4-30-21 THOUGHTS

The children of Israel, God’s Chosen, repeated a cycle over and over.  God would bless them and when things were good, then they began to deny God and do as they wished.  Down they would go and their lives would be pitiful.  They would be sinful and cry to God for relief.  Eventually God would bless them again, and the cycle started one more time.  On a more individual plane, we read the words of Agur in Proverbs 30.  
Prov 30:7-9    Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: 8  Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion [NIV but give me only my daily bread.].   9  That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.
There is recognition in these words that too much is not good and too little is not good.
Ps 62:9  Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath.
Ps 119:37   Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.
Eccl 1:2  "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
The manna lesson in the wilderness wanderings comes to mind.
Ex 16:35 The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan..
Deut 8:3   "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.
They grumbled all the way.  But it was enough, God provided!   Learning was the point!
Matt 6:11  ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
Matt 6:33  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
1Tim 6:6-8   But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  8  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
Heb 13:5 [Make sure that] your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
Php 4:11    Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.

My Prayer:
O Lord, help us to see your spiritual blessings in our lives that we would not be drawn to the physical.  Teach us to be content.  Help us to manage what you give us wisely, and to learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  May we think spiritually and look to heaven. May we ever consider Christ, to have his mind in us!    In the name of Jesus      Amen