With Plenty

From Look Unto Me:

February 10
I know what it is to have plenty. (Philippians 4:12)

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Many people who know "what it is to be in need" (v. 12) have never learned "what it is to have plenty." When they are placed on the mountaintop they get dizzy and are about to fall. In fact, Christians disgrace their profession of faith in Christ much more often during times of prosperity than during adversity. Being prosperous is a dangerous thing and the crucible of adversity is a less severe trial for a Christian than "the refining pot" (Prov. 17:3 NASB) of prosperity.

Oh, what starvation of the soul and the neglecting of spiritual things have been brought about through the very blessings and bounty of God! Yet this is not necessary or inevitable, for the apostle Paul tells us, "I know what it is to have plenty." When he had plenty he knew how to use it, for God's abundant grace enabled him to handle God's abundant prosperity.

When the ship of Paul's life had full sails he had plenty of ballast below deck to stabilize his boat so he could sail safely. It takes more human skill to handle a full cup of unrelenting joy without spilling it, yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry" (Phil. 4:12c). Knowing "the secret of being content" when "well fed" is a divine lesson, for God had once given the Israelites "what they craved. But ... even while it was still in their mouths, God's anger rose against them" (Ps. 78:29-31).

Many people have asked for blessings simply to satisfy the lust of their own hearts. Full stomachs have often led to a thirst for blood and a wanton disregard for godliness. When we have plenty of God's providential blessings we often have little regard for God's grace, which leads to very little gratitude for the blessings we have received. When we are full we forget God. Thus, being satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven.

Rest assured it is harder to know how to be well fed than it is to know how to be hungry due to the intense propensity of our human nature toward pride and forgetfulness of God. So be careful to pray, asking the Lord to teach you how to be "well fed."

Let not the gifts Your love bestows
Estrange our hearts from You.
(Lowell Mason, 1792-1872)

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

All of us love mountaintop experiences but it is a trap to always be expecting and looking forward to those times of exhilaration. And if we are truly honest we will admit we have learned greater lessons from the Lord while in the valleys of life. Of course, our understanding of what God was doing typically comes much later. Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, once wrote, "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

When we compare the mountaintop to the valley we realize that what sustains us--such as water, food, and fellowship--is found in the valley. And, the people who so desperately need our testimony of faith live there!

Lord, may I honor You "in plenty or in want" (Phil. 4:12), and may I live victoriously in the valleys "that the world may know" You (John 17:23 KJV).

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