An worn out old mule is plodding along on a bumpy old dirt road. He is pulling a two wheeled cart made of wood. The wheels click and clack over the ruts. There is a treasure and store of beautiful apples, oh so neatly piled in the cart. They are heaped up to an extremely well rounded pile high above the sides of the cart. They are beautifully red and shimmering in the sun. As the mule and cart progress, the way before them becomes ever more and more rough. The beautiful apples are jostled and justled this way and that and they begin to tumble here a little there a little and to fall one by one along the wayside. As the scene progresses, the pile becomes noticeably depleted. A voice speaks and says, Will you have anything left to sell when you arrive at the market?"

Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages.

Phi 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.

1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. 1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Heb 13:5 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I have been fasting four five days and revelation of a kind is coming my way. Today the Lord pretty much showed me a new concept. I hope I have company in saying I tend to compare my life to that of others, especially when it comes to the advantage they may have in life with finances, health etc....

But today I was urged to consider the truly poor and the truly sick. If I am to make a comparison to those folks,. then I will certainly see how I am right well endowed with gifts from above. For it is in continually comparing myself to those who "have it all" that s a wantoness comes, a restlessness, a loss of peace, a sense of greed, a desire to be elevated to that level....but peace is not in these things....peace is a serenity of being which speaks from the portals of heaven through the scriptures which determine a right dividing of the matters at hand.

Have you traveled that weary, dusty trail of unfulfilled dreams?

The more possessions you have the more they possess you. If you own an eigthy thousand dollar bayliner inboard cruiser you will feel like you have to be on the lake every weekend and on every holiday in order to"justify" the expense of ownership. God does not want us to be bound by great possessions, but to be content with such things as we have. I see the peace in that. It is also a good psychological "way out" for those who cannot afford a fifth wheel RV etc! I'd rather have Jesus than a private Lear jet! God is good, and provides all my needs, and I rather like what I heard in the Spirit one day. "You can possess them with your eyes!" Other men's goods, like a beautiful mansion and the grounds upon which it sits with all the finery and all the greenery can look mighty nice as I possess them with my eyes! I take possession of such a thing as that, and the owner gets to run the rat race of keeping it all together! Lord. I pray this day that you quicken everyone of us to be content wherewith we are provided of you! In Jesus name, amen!

I most certainly agree, Fervent.

I learn to be content with bread when I have had none in a while. The faith is in still believing God is good and that's worth to me more than gold.

I am learning that faith in the Lord in itself is a precious thing. Truely, man cannot live on bread alone.

The burden of faith is on me. The burden of proof is on God,

i have learned that i have been blessed with a sort of nothing...
and i am now being blessed...and i know it is all Him...

if He takes away, then He will restore...for this i am sure...
that nothing is done to destroy, but to build up...in the most Holy Spirit...

i have tasted of the goodwill of others and have offered goodwill to
still others...as it should be...

God has lifted me up in this season...yet, still i walk carefully not
trusting in riches...i am only rich in the things of God for He is my
treasure. Still He knows the things that i need and whom He would
have me bless along the way...and how...it is hidden to me, except
to say it is happening...

my heart is on the highway, yet i am not there, yet. in the way for
almost 20 years...i am blessed with the comfort and presence of
the Lord, and the presents and promises of material blessings...just
starting. i don't know why...seems like i passed through

several weeks ago, i shared about the "will you marry me dream,
and you posted about Hosea, Ishi....

just prior to this dream, He spoke this in a dream...you are crossing
over...to the promised land...

why? because i believe He is speaking of His people...taking them
through...and into...for where your treasure is there your heart will be
also...yes?

don't misunderstand...i have nothing in material things...i have been
emptied...and now it seems that i am going to be blessed...already
being blessed in a material way...

i am still walking it out...

blessings,
signet

I don't know... it seems to me that many of His children go through seasons of "want"- although certainly a relative term- to learn contentment in any circumstance. It is also in these times that we truly learn what dependency means and Who our Provider is.


Isaiah 58
True Fasting
1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.

3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

to me, "want," "need" and "desire" have different meanings. "Want" is the lesser and "desire" is the greater.

Psa 78:20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

Yes He can! But when we get bread we are supposed to give bread...Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Isa 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.

Onward and upward.

The world would say "My way or the highway, but God says, "My way is the highway!"

Jer 31:21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway.....Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

i have posted Jeremiah...that same verse in a couple of other threads
in only the last couple of days...

you blessed me...

signet