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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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God — Is He Enough?
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When the rich young ruler encountered Jesus, he was looking for affirmation. He had always been a good kid, one of those compliant children parents and teachers enjoy having around. No teenage rebellion. No youthful skepticism. He knew the rules, and he followed them. Now, he was a leader in his community and a model of integrity. Jesus though could see where others could not, and where the young man too had failed to look. It appears that maybe in the ruler’s quiet moments, he had sensed something was missing, and that is what initiated his question to Jesus. Jesus sees and understands the man’s heart, and Jesus exposes his heart. With all the "right" the ruler was careful to do, his heart was set on his possessions. He was extremely rich. He owned much property. He had much that could be given to others to ease the burdens of their lives. But he said, "No." And he walked away saddened by what was still missing in his heart, but he was not sad enough to say, "Yes." To the New Testament Jew, riches were thought to be a sign of God’s blessing. We’ve adjusted our thinking today as evangelical believers. Most of us would enjoy a greater share of financial or material gain, but we do not equate that gain as synonymous with God’s approval. Nonetheless, there are blessings we hold on to – our health, our emotional well-being, the warmth of family, interactions with friends, our jobs, a place to call "home," even the security of the mundane routines of day by day responsibilities. None of us would say that the blessings enjoyed by the rich young ruler, or the blessings that we enjoy, are wrong in and of themselves. Some of them are necessities. What then did Jesus really expose that was in the ruler’s heart? I believe, the ruler found his satisfaction and his security in his possessions. He depended on them – utterly and completely. He was not going to let them go. Sometimes our hearts are exposed before God too. Sometimes life is interrupted, our dreams shattered, or our ideals distorted by someone or something else. What the young man could not see or understand, was that God could be enough for him. God could fully satisfy him. God wanted to be his security. God wanted to be depended on. God wants to be enough for us too. Sometimes it’s good when life is interrupted, because then we see and understand the need of our own heart, and we invite our God to truly be enough. |
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— Bev |
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