The Place You Want to Live

Today’s Bible readings are Leviticus 6:1-7:27, Mark 3:7-30, Psalm 37:1-11, & Proverbs 10:3-4

Psalm 37:3-5

³ Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. ⁵ Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust him, and he will help you.

What is it that leads to prospering in our lives? What does it take to have the blessing of God in our lives? What is the source of true peace in life? Those are the questions that nearly all people are trying to find the answers to. People search far & wide in an attempt to find the solution to these questions; the whole time failing to realize that the answer is in the Bible.

Many people think that the answer lies in education. Some believe that the answer lies in hard work. Both of these may play a part but neither has the ability to produce the result that people are searching for. They can help achieve the mark once the source is discovered, but they can never get you to the mark on their own.

True prosperity comes from Jesus Christ. He is the One who can make you whole. That is what prosperity really is, it is being whole-nothing missing, nothing broken, in our lives. This involves:

1.      Spiritual well-being

2.      Financial well-being

3.      Mental well-being

4.      Emotional well-being

5.      Physical well-being

6.      Relational well-being

Being whole involves having every aspect of your life in perfect balance. It is what happens when everything is in alignment. That only happens when we are in the Vine.

John 10:10

¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

True prosperity is when you find that rich & satisfying life, BUT it can only be found in Christ because He is the One who gives it. You will never find it in:

1.      Money

2.      Professions

3.      A new spouse

4.      Sex

5.      Material stuff

6.      Power

7.      Drugs/alcohol

These things only leave you more empty & discouraged than when you started. This is because they promise to give you what is missing but they can’t produce the goods. This leaves us depressed & hopeless. Now we are even more desperate to fill the hurt & emptiness inside. We start to grab after anything that we can get our hands on hoping that this will be the one. It never is. We are only going further done the spiral of hopelessness.

This is a story that far too many people are far too familiar with. This may sound to some like I have been reading your mail. That is not the case at all. The fact of the matter is that I have been down that road myself. I have chased after every empty promise that the world has to offer, BUT then I found Jesus! In Him I found everything that I have ever wanted & all I’ll ever need! He has filled that aching & longing inside of me. He has blessed me & satisfied me in every way. He fills me with His presence each day. He protects me. He speaks His blessing over me giving me confidence, worth, & strength. How did this all come about in my life? By doing the things that are written in this Psalm.

1.      Trust in the Lord & do good.

This may sound like something that you have heard 100 times but when your eyes are open to it, it will change your life. We have to learn to trust Jesus to meet our every need. He can & He will. Then next part is not as easy to notice at first, but the first part doesn’t work without it. We must do good.

I want to take a moment to expand on that. This doesn’t mean that we are earn God’s favor or blessing. It simply means that we obey His Word.

Psalm 119:128

¹²⁸ Each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way.

God’s Word is good. It is perfect. To do good is to walk in His Word. This is what leads us to prosperity & safety. That is why Psalm 91 says these words:

Psalm 91:4

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

 

2.      Delight yourself in the Lord.

I have learned to love God. I never get tired of worshiping Him. I never get bored of spending time with Him. I have learned that He is my true lover. The more I seek Him, the more I find Him. The more I find Him, the more I love Him. That is the wonder of His love. Once you taste it you can’t get enough of it.

As I chase after God the way I use to chase after Kelly when we were teenager, I find so may more reasons to love Him back. Somewhere in the midst of it all He changes my heart. He makes me want Him more. As my desire for Him increases, my desires for other things decrease. This is the most wonderful place to live life. It is where TRUE life & blessing are found.

Have you allowed other things to become the delight of your heart? Has there been a pulling away for the One that you love most? If so, make today the day that you commit to chase after Jesus with all of your heart. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Pastor Richard Schlotter