FINANCIAL - WANTS
Scripture Reading - Philippians 4:10-13 KJV
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
There is so much information on prosperity taught today that we (ihlcc) thought about writing a small lesson on God giving you what you “want” along with meeting your needs. However, when we sat down and started pondering the ideal we found out that the key “thought” to come away with when speaking of the word “wants” is not your desires for more things but rather a curve in your appetite. This means the Lord is more concerned about your spiritual understanding His Holy Word, so that you can apply it to your life, than He is about trying to fill your personal shopping list of natural “wants”. We are not saying that God does not care about giving you extra things to enjoy in life, because He does. What we are saying is that when we stay with the Holy Written Word of God we can be sure we are following (understanding) His Heart as opposed to taking His Word out of context. The first thought for the New Testament Christian is not receiving something that he/she “wants” from God but rather removing all carnal “wants” from our heart. Remember the Psalmist David said in Palms 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want”. This he spoke in order to let the world know (and all saints around him) that his satisfaction is in God, not things. The Apostle Paul echo’s that thought in Philippians 4:11 with the statement, “Not that I speak in respect of want:” The Apostle followed that statement with a truth of God that is prerequisite for satisfaction. The revelation Paul shares with us is, “he has learned”. The learning was not how to pray more effectively or how the dig out the deeper truths of God’s Holy Word. The key ingredient the apostle learned in order to live a fulfilled life is how to be content in all situations. All Christians must purpose to remove “want” from their heart, not try to fulfill all our natural desires. We (ihlcc) know some teach that God will give you what you “want” but that statement should be prefixed upon you “wanting” more of God. Yes, the Lord does delight Himself in you when you likewise delight yourself in Him. We all know that sowing and reaping are spiritual laws of the Kingdom of God that work for every person. So why would we be surprised to find out that “wants” work the same way. Yes, as your appetite for lusting after carnal things diminishes your spiritual capacity to hold unto more of God’s Spirit (His Fruit of Love, etc…) will increase. So don’t think that “wanting” other things is a Godly desire or a test of your faith when the true test comes from you removing the “want” for carnal things by God’s Grace. Remember, you can do all things though Christ Jesus who strengthens you, so don’t be so quick to use this scripture for more strength to fight for things you “want” when actually the Lord is revealing to His holy children it is though his strength that we crucify the flesh by resisting the “want” of all things. All things have their respective place in this world but they should not have a predominate place in our hearts. So be a mature believer in Christ by removing the “want” of things because you really are complete in Christ Jesus alone. In Jesus Christ is our contentment whether rich or poor, full or hungry, white or black. Amen!
In God’s Love and Grace is the place to be,
In Christ Jesus is the perfect place for me.