The Land of Less
It’s so easy to forget that we need to glorify God when things are going well. But let the well run dry for a while; and then be refilled, and suddenly praising God comes easy! When heartaches come it feels like we’re walking through a desert land. Creating a thirst for what once was and what we hope will be again. The land of less is relative to the life you live; for some it’s the land of nothing. A fact I often forget. What I deem as less would be a life of luxury for some in other parts of the world. True story…
We live in the land of the Blessed
When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh because my soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lustest after. ~ Deuteronomy 12:20
Our great and Almighty God enlarges our territory, he expands not only our physical places but our reach. He makes promises that we can hang onto believing it to already be true. But we have to be in a position and a mindset to receive them.
For me I struggle between frustration and guilt so often that I miss the places I’m already blessed. I fully believe that I’m not further along in my life’s work because I’ve failed to appreciate the place I’m in. God expects more from His people than I give Him. I know I’m chosen. I know I should be living like it, but I don’t always do it.
The Land of the Stressed, Depressed and sometimes Oppressed
Sound like America? It does to me. Are we not a Nation that appears to be one step from needing hospitalization? And I’m not speaking of physically. The behavior of our people is crazy. Even the blessed are stressed and depressed, and the oppressed are likely in better condition than the blessed; because they at least know on Whom they can depend.
Even those of us who are spiritually grounded can relate.
Times of separation from what we desire in our life leaves a thirst that only God can fill.
Satan however uses stress to separate us from peace. God is peace.
Satan uses depression to separate us from joy. God is joy.
Satan uses oppression to separate us from the feeling of belonging. God is ours and we are His. Glorrrraaaay!!!!
Psalm 63 1 ~ O God, thou art my God; early will I see thee: my soul thristeth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
That is why
I know the Land of Refreshed
There is a built in desire of the people of God to be in fellowship with likeminded souls.
Psalm 84:2 ~ My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the Living God.
It refreshes my soul to be in the right congregation with the right people. That place is for you to decide, but this is a criteria you should consider.
- First and foremost the Word of God must be your primary focus. A church that fails to stand on the word of God is nothing more than an organization of members. It is not the body of Christ. He has to be center.
- The people should be encouragers, not discouragers. You should feel loved!
- The people (especially leadership) should exhort, not distort. The truth of the Word refresh your soul and you should feel filled!
- There should be affirmation not condemnation from the people. You should feel as though you are a part of that body in Christ and that they too desire to be with you. You should feel accepted, not judged.
I’ve been in enough congregations to know that this is not always the case. It doesn’t mean they don’t have good people or they’re not doctrinally sound. It means that perhaps they need to examine their church the way we have to examine our lives. If we are not what God desires us to be, we know it and it causes us to thirst for what we need. We need to take care of our land. Personally, Physically. Spiritually.