Have you ever had a conversation with someone and some delicate subjects arose and where you had to pray that the Spirit of the Lord would grant you the wisdom, the courage, and the words to help you get through it?
“And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly,
I say to you, it will be hard for a
Rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go
Through the eye of a needle than for a rich
Man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When
The disciples heard this they were
Greatly astonished, saying,
“Who then can be saved?”
Matthew 19:23-26
“Really, how many people do you now who tithe? I don’t know any?”
“I know quite a few,” I answered.
“Get out of here,” was the reply, “really!”
“Yup!” I replied again, “Look at my life. How long have you know me? You know where I have been and where I have come from. You have known how God has blessed me, through thick and thin.”
“Yeah, but you can afford to give away your money you have plenty not everyone can and besides God doesn’t really want others to be happy…to succeed…to be financially successful?”
Looking at this person in astonishment, I geared myself, knowing I had to brace myself and rely on the Lord. “What are you talking about?”
“God doesn’t want people to succeed or get rich or be healthy,” she replied, “if you look around you, all of the Christians are poor, if they give their money away they complain, then they are sick, nothing seems to go their way.”
”Mentally I was thinking “EieYee!” “Where are you getting this line of thought from?” I asked.
“The bible. It says so in the bible!”
“Okay, now I am going to have to ask you to show me where it says such a thing in the bible,” I told her, “because I read the same bible as you do and I have never read it quite like that before. I think that rich people may have been referred to as having a difficult parting with their money but the bible also states that if we do the will of God that we are promised health, success, prosperity, etc.”
“But seek first his kingdom and his
Righteousness and all these things
Shall be yours as well.
Matthew 7:33
“Well, you know that parable thingy, when Jesus talks about it being easier for that animal, a camel, I think it is, to get through some kind of needle, than for the rich man to get to heaven. Gosh, you know that the bible always talks about rich people having a really tough time getting into heaven.”
“Okay, but you have to realize the background to it. First of all, Jesus was talking to a rich man. Second, he was speaking about the ‘Eye of a Needle’ which is to my understanding, a narrow mountain pass, which the camels have to walk, in high elevations up in the mountains.
Remember the old Popeye cartoons where they showed a cartoon character riding on a camel’s back turning the curved passes…the camel would lift his four legs, and almost walk on his tippy toes, so that it would not drop off the ledge of those really, really, narrow, mountain passes. Now knowing how difficult it would be for that camel to get around that pass and now focus on Jesus trying to explain to some rich man that because he loves his money so much, it would be difficult for him to get to heaven, because of his worldliness and his greed,” I explained.
“Well, I don’t like giving away my money…I like spending,” she ranted on, “the little I have I like to spoil myself. I guess I’ll have to take it up with Jesus, when I have to reckon with Him…I guess He’ll have to understand…or something…I’m really selfish…I can’t help myself…”
Wow, what an interesting conversation, I thought. Not with her but with myself. How I have over the years tried to justified my thoughts and actions for doing or not doing something and or not standing up for my Lord and King Jesus. How many times over the years I have heard “but isn’t this what the bible says?” or “isn’t that what Jesus says?” or “isn’t that what Christians do?” Am I ready to stand firm with the armour of God? To pass the test for my Lord and come out gleaming?
“Therefore take the whole armor of God,
That you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
And having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having
Girded your loins with truth, and having girded your
Loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of
Righteousness and having shod your feet with equipment
Of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of
Faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the
Evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword
Of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:14-17
How many precious tears my Jesus must have shed watching me like a lost sheep, spineless and helpless, lost and alone, needing His strength and His love. Please forgive Lord and help me in my weakness. Grant me forgiveness and help me each day to live each day for the Glory of your Name.
Filed under: Donna's Diary
Wow, this was really good.