Want and Reality

Think of this, people want many things but not everything they want is good for them.  Some people may benefit from the things they want, others may not, in fact, in all reality some things may end up being a stumbling block and a hindrance in the end.  For instance, some people buy large new

houses and fancy new vehicles because that is what they want and that is ok if they can afford them, but what about the other people who want them but can’t afford them but still buy them, ending up living miserable lives just trying to make ends meet; that is truly not practical and not in the realm of reality either.

This makes me think of hoarders that I have seen on TV.  They seem to want everything and have a real struggle letting go of anything.  They have so much piled up in the rooms of their houses that they have little paths to walk on and in some cases they have put so much in the rooms they have to walk on the stuff that is in there.  There is nothing wrong with having things, but when the things have you, that is all together a different story.  How can you tell when you have crossed the line?  I would say when you have a real struggle getting rid of anything you own that you don’t need or use, then the things you have, have you.  

The reason I am typing about this is that I have had this problem, but not near the extent of some others.  My big problem has been mainly garage sales or the occasional flea market.  To me these sales seem like a treasure hunt and it seems that sometimes I do find a treasure; but then there are also many times that people sell items so cheap it is hard for me to pass them up, whether I need them or not I always figure that someone will want them, but many of the things just hang around until I give them away or sell them.  

Like l said, it isn’t wrong to have things, but when those things have a hold on you is when they become problematic; they can even become idols in your life, so be very careful.  We need to be careful of what we want or what we ask for, what we ask for and want is one thing, and reality is another.  Think of this, every person that I have heard of that has won big on the lottery, it has basically ruined their lives, which just goes to show you that what you ask for and what you want are not always the best things for you.

Please read what it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

One of the problems with humans is that many of us think we know what is best for us, but many times we don’t.  If we knew everything that was good for us we wouldn’t need the Lord which would be real problematic because He is the only one that does know what is best for us.  Think of this, all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to His purpose.  I am pretty sure that some people struggle with this verse at times and wonder how the circumstances or situations or both that they are in, in their estimation is good for them, but what does the Word say? 

Think of Joseph, he was thrown in a pit, then ended up in a caravan, then sold to a man named Potiphar in Egypt.  Things didn’t look good for him on the outside looking in.  Then he was lied about which caused him to end up in prison and if you don’t know the rest of the story you might be scratching your head wondering where is the good in this story.  In the end, when all was said and done, Joseph came out smelling like a rose, so to speak.  If you would like to read the whole story it starts in Geneses chapter 37 and goes through chapter 50.

There are many other examples such as Moses in Egypt, Daniel and the Lions’ den, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the furnace, and then there is Job and then read about Saul before he became Paul after his name was changed. There are more examples and in all of these examples none of the men knew if things were going to work out to the good but in the end, they did, and I am sure they were all faith boosters.

Let me add one more; this one was a lady named Esther, she put her life on the line for her people, the Jews, not knowing for sure if she would live.  She was truly chosen for that particular time and through her courage and the good Lord’s intervention, she was used in a mighty way and that turned out very good.  If you find yourself in a situation or a circumstance, as a believer called by God, and you don’t see how it could turn out for the good, maybe these examples will encourage you to believe that God can turn anything around for good if you trust Him to work it out that way.

This Tidbit has been an encouragement to me as I find myself in a situation where I cannot see it working out to the good.  I need to give it over to the good Lord and trust that in the end it will work out for good and be a blessing to me and to God!!  I think I have said enough about this and I think you got the message.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may all of you have a super day!!