by Carrin Mahmood- MA Theology
The Scripture ~ “And my God will supply every need of yours according to God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
The Spiritual Focus ~ “The earth belongs to humans, however, God provided everything necessary to make it a better place to live and assigned humans to do that.”
~ Dr. Lucas D. Shallua
Breath Prayer ~ Inhale: Gratitude ~ Exhale: Fear ~
The Devotion ~ When I was six I wanted to live in the apartments at the north end of Phalen Lake and be a lady with a briefcase. I had no idea what apartment life was like or what I would carry in the briefcase, but those were my goals. So a lifetime later I must admit I have never owned nor had need of a briefcase and for only a short period lived in an apartment which was miles away from lake living. When my mom was six she wanted to grow up and live in a closet with a chicken. The reality was that as a grown up my mother described “roughing it” as staying at a Hilton instead of a Marriott. ‘Wants’ can be like that, nonsensical, fleeting and without much substance.
I have often pondered the difference between wants and needs. Most of us abide in a place where our basic needs are met and the things we pursue are merely wants. In fact, I admit that in my comfort the lines sometimes blur between what I need and what I want. A few years back “The Prayer of Jabez” was all the rage. There seemed to be this thought that if we want it badly enough, God is longing to give us our every wish. That thinking flies in the face of almost every sermon that Jesus gave, most of which had a theme echoing Matthew 16:24 which says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Our loving God does go on to promise this in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Our job is to prayerfully consider what a need is, what a want is, and faithfully rely on the promise that God has already provided for our needs.
Yoga Pose ~ Praise Pose. Stand up tall with your feet as wide as your hips. As you breathe in, reach your arms up over your head. Turn your palms towards each other and extend up through your fingertips. Gaze up and enjoy five deep breaths.
