Blessed.

Blessed.

Just before opening my bible I had a vision of a lamb, laying at the base of the cross.

We’ve so been taught wrong, in certain areas of the bible. I have a natural bias toward a poverty mentality. I’ve tried changing this bias. I’ve tried affirmations. I’ve read books on a prosperity mindset. I spend hardly anything at all, outside what’s absolutely necessary, in the hope of saving more. I recite biblical promises of prosperity, decreeing and declaring God’s promises over my finances almost every single day, two and three times a day, sometimes more. And I’m not doing too bad, as a self-funded retiree, 10 years early.

Still, I have a poverty bias; constantly thinking how expensive things are and I can’t afford this or that and I have wondered at times, if this doesn’t cancel out all my hard efforts. All my life I’ve been told, to him who has more, more will be given. To him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. It’s even been told to me your bed shall be taken from under you, if you continually think lack. This has been put to me my whole life. Lies satan has used, as he works his way into twisting the word (just as he surely did with Eve and the eating of the fruit), only slightly twisted, but working on it none-the-less. A lack of fully understanding, causing great delays in the promises of God.

Money is the least in God’s kingdom, according to what I’ve been told, as Jesus calls it unrighteous mammon. These parables; to him who has, more will be given and even your bed will be taken from you, have nothing to do with a poverty mentality. The bed taken away is in relation to shaking hands on a pledge of which one has no method of repayment. If I default and I can’t pay, even my bed will be taken away (Proverbs 22:27). Nothing to do with a poverty mentality, but to do with pledging money one doesn’t have, which I wouldn’t do.

Mark 4:25; to him who has more, more will be given… This is in relation to the word of God, planted deeply in the heart, not to the poverty mindset. All the while, prosperity thinking or lack of, has nothing to do with these particular verses. What it means is the word of God starts as a small seed and grows in time, as one continues to study that word. If you don’t continue to study, you forget and what little knowledge you’ve gained is taken from you.

All this time I’ve been thinking because of my poverty mindset; that’s the blockage, that’s the area satan enters, but isn’t God greater than that? Is not God more powerful than satan? And so I’ve continued to believe in prosperity, in spite of my poverty mindset - God will honour His promise; that the work of my hands will prosper.

All this time I’ve been told that which we give will be measured back to us – I diligently give a good portion of my dollars and I think to myself; perhaps I’m still not giving enough. Diligent means giving what I should, where and when I should. There’s no need to think I’ve not given enough.

All the while, in my diligent application of reading His word, my knowledge of God has grown. And more and more I spread His word, speaking God’s word to others and telling what God has done for me…that is the measure. It’s not dollars, but in the word of God! The giving of our testimony.

The guilt I’ve carried, due to wanting more free time than work time, has been a burden on my shoulders for many years. I don’t have the latest car or an elaborate house, but I am rich in every area. The guilt I’ve carried, because even if I don’t need money, I’ve been told I should hold down a job and give my money away. For me, this has been a heavy weight.

God has changed my life. Sure, I don’t go on fancy holidays, but I’m blessed with a little caravan and a lot of time to use it. I’m blessed to have money in the bank and a few little investments. I’m blessed to have retired early, even if that’s not someone else’s dream. I’m blessed to be doing what I love; writing and taking photographs as I travel around the countryside. I’m blessed with good relationships, caring, loving children and healthy, gregarious grandchildren. I’m blessed with increased knowledge and a sharp memory. I’m blessed in good health and fitness. And I’m blessed to have a strong faith.

Yes, there is the parable of the talents, but the meaning behind it is the same; the planting and the growth, along with the faith that you have. You can smother your faith by the words you speak, heaping dirt upon your faith until there isn’t a glimmer of light shining. Like the man who buried his talent, due to his fear of the hard task-master.

I wasn’t doing this. I kept my thoughts to myself as I continued to speak the Lord’s promises over my finances. I was doing all I knew to do as I stood and waited for the promises to come to pass. Part of standing is not to speak against God’s word. It’s to stay strong, even if you aren’t seeing results, staying strong until your need is met and your prayer answered.

I am an overcomer. I’ve come a long way from where I started. And I owe it all to my great and wonderful God. That very same God who gave me the vision this morning, of the little lamb and the cross.

A lamb; soft, innocent, pure and representing new starts and new growth. The cross; a powerful symbol of the connection between heaven and earth, of the dying to the old self and resurrection of the new.

To him that uses his gifts shall increase be granted. A calling of attention to the word of Christ, instructing others, lest the knowledge be taken away. Let not Christ have died for nothing, as we stand upon His Word and await His promised return. Let us stand in full faith, until we see our desires manifest before our eyes; whatsoever that desire may be.