Learning to do more with less

Courage during the Seaon of Lacking
Learning to do more with Less

It is interesting that when God created the heavens and the earth notice that He filled it
with the fullness as the word says thereof... Be mindful this was before the fall of man
man had an assurance that all his needs were meet and had no need or desire to question the supreme authority and power of God. But then there came the fall. We all know how the story goes how the serpent beguiled Eve into partaking of the apple, and Eve encouraged Adam to partake as well.. At this point God advised man and woman that they were no longer living in the fullness thereof, they would have to work by the sweat of their brows and in other words,there were going to be some hard times ahead.
.Thus beginning the cycle of seasons that many of us have encountered.

I've discovered in my life that when life is good for everyone around me, usually during that time
life is not so good in mine. I see my family and friends prospering while I can barely rub two pennies together but, being in those seasons of lack has taught me some very important things,
1) God is still God and is still in control. I must as Phil 4:11 says, be content. I must remember that it is God who has the power to bless and it is He who chooses whom He will bless. 2) I must trust in the fact that it is His desire that I not perish, not even when things look bleak, it is not meant for me to perish but to put me, and He back in to the proper perspective least I forget that I entered into this world with nothing and with nothing I shall leave and all that I have was given to me from Him or He directed and instructed me how to obtain it.

I believe the fall was ordained by God,to show man to show us just how good our God is.
How else would they and we know how good we all had it unless, we loose it all at our own hands, or actions. Once that reality sets in, now the choice, the desire to seek Him knowing that nothing else could compare to that goodness, should kick into overdrive generating a sincere thirst and hunger after righteousness.

I am reminded of several instances in the Bible, that show how God helped some folk, learn to trust in His uncanny ability to do more with less

2 Kings 4:1-7There was a certain woman and her sons during a time of famine, had decided to just give up,
tell your neighbor, I was almost ready to give up...
but God God sent his prophet Elisha to this woman who cried out
Be mindful of who you cry out to, during your season of lack only God can give you something that lasts
that can be used to bless and not curse
. When asked what did she have in the house, she replied that she only had a pot of oil
(not two not ten, but one) Elisha instructed her to go an borrow empty vessels from her neighbors, when you come back, shut the door upon you and your sons (mind your own business) and pour out into all those vessels and set the full ones aside.And when it came to pass when the vessels were full the woman asked her sons to bring another vessell but they replied they were all full
and the oil stayed. She came and told the man of God who instructed her to go and sell the oil and pay her debt and live off the rest..
I am reminded of Jesus, who told satan that man could not live off bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God but in another instance showed us how he could use bread to sustain a multitude
Jesus instructed the disciples to feed the multitude, no food was available, but the lunch of a young boy, which consisted of two fishes and five loaves of bread (7)
the multitude was fed and there were leftovers
I'am a witness to what leftovers can do. Growing up in a family of six children, surprisingly enough we had leftovers, and my mother made use of them, using them to supply us with a meal for another day. A practice I implemented in my own household of two active girls when I became an adult.
In both instances God not only provided and met the need, but He made provision for the future with what was left over

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.

Malachi 3:10 states Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it
In this reference, the obedience of tithing places one in the way of God's blessing shown in both references.

Notice in both instances in order to meet the need, the instructions came from a man of God
and yes there are instances in which the instruction to meet a need came from a woman, one such instance is the story of Ruth and Naomi and Boaz
Ruth and Naomi needed food and shelter, they were back in town and had needs that needed to be met, there were no husbands for either of them, but Naomi was a woman of God and she instructed Ruth on how to get food that they needed and instructed Ruth how to get her Boaz...
Titus 2:3,4says that the aged women likewise that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness not false accusers not give to much wine teachers of good things that they may teach the younger women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children

The final illustration is how God used what was dearest to Him, His son Jesus' precious blood
He allowed men to convict Him, crucify Him and Kill Him, in order to save these same people. The blood of one man used to save many. Now that is doing more with less.