As I
visited homes in an impoverished community, I was impacted by what can’t be
taken away from God’s children. It’s not
easy to see as an American when you can’t imagine daily life without a
microwave, not to mention a simple washing machine or even electricity. It’s
overwhelming to recognize what is missing in these homes. It’s hard to prepare people I bring on trips to
see the lack of basic life needs we expect.
But what is available in abundance from our God is even harder to
recognize.
One
reason is because the abundance doesn’t exist in every home. Most of the homes are full of misery you
would expect. The hardness of life is
evident on their bone-tired faces. They
feel hopeless and trapped. I believe they
see us looking at them and know that they should have something more. Home after home does not have enough food,
hygiene, and basic shelter. Many don’t
even have safety.
But there
were a couple homes, lived in by women of faith, that gave me a far different
feeling than pity; it opened my eyes to what cannot be taken away. I started to think about our basic human
needs, and I realized the importance of what Jesus promised. Hebrews 13:8 says: Keep
your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you
have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” There is one thing that is most needed
to live this life well, and it is available to every human being who will tap
into its rich resource. God will never permit what is most important to have in
this life to be taken from us. Nothing
can damage it, no one can steal it, nothing can prevent His presence in our
lives. That something is prayer made
possible by the Holy Spirit. The women I am referring to have found a way to
connect deeply to His presence in their lives.
Do I have
a better life as I type on my computer in my air-conditioned house? Maybe, and maybe not. Am I aware of God’s presence? Do I have faith in my belongings? Am I wishing for more material possessions in
this life? Or can I see what God has
given to me is just enough? The Hebrew
writer is quoting Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6. The Israelites lived out this same
message from their tent homes with one pair of shoes that never wore out over forty
years and minimal possessions. They had
everything they needed because they had a God who would never leave them or
forsake them. You or I would have given
up on those flawed people, but not God.
God may
not give you everything you want, but He gives you everything you need. Our problem is that we want human
relationships, material comforts, and control over our world. We want to be our own God so much that we
devise ways that we can better control our discomfort in this world, not
realizing that it keeps us from calling on God for our every need.
What if
you had everything you could imagine and more?
What if you knew you would never need to work another day? You had all the health care necessary and
would never lack money to pay the bills for whatever home you wanted. What if you had all of that and yet did not
have the possibility of having a God who would never leave you and never
forsake you. What would you have? You would have hell.
I’m glad
that the ministry I worked with is bringing hope and dreams and education for a
better life to the people who live in such poverty. Their lives can get better with a little
help. However, their lives will not
truly find meaning until they find the faith these neighbors have every
day. Women of faith living in poverty is
a beautiful and humbling sight to witness.
Copyright © 2019 Deborah R Newman
teatimeforyoursoul.com All Rights
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