But, I want … more!

Yesterday, while walking in the cemetery where Bev’s body awaits the Resurrection, I was challenged about my contentment in Christ. I find myself wishing, too often, for different circumstances, thinking that somehow I would be better ‘if only.’  Does that happen to you? Do you grow restless or lose hope because you are convinced that you need something else, that some situation in your life has to change before you can be an effective, happy Christian?  As I kept thinking about that, my prayer became a simple one:  “Christ Jesus, be enough in my heart!”   

Chris Tomlin’s song says, "All of You, is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need;  You satisfy me with Your love, and all I have in You, is more than enough!"  Nice poetry, or truth?  Do we believe it or just sing it? Is He really our greatest treasure? Am I nurturing my love for Him in ways that, if everything I cherish were taken from me, I would still have enough in Christ Jesus to be satisfied deeply and fully?  

The Word says that He is ALL we need. Will we accept that? Read this inspired text slowly: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV)   Another way to say it is that He has provided everything we need to be all that He desires us to be.  “Lord, increase my faith,” is my only response.  I am captivated by so many other things, convinced that I need this or that, to be here or there, before I can be a joyful Christian.

•             Do you struggle with some temptation? 
                In Christ, you are empowered to overcome it.  

•             Are you fighting fear of the future? 
                                Christ is bigger than tomorrow and is already preparing you to meet its challenges.

•             Are you dealing with a sense of futility and/or loss? 
                                In Christ, there is meaning and hope! 

He is more than Enough for everything - IF we are willing to radically put our trust and hope in Him.

I face myself and ask, “Are you willing celebrate the sufficiency of Christ?”  The only alternative to receiving from His hand is to join in the sin that eventually destroyed a generation of the people of God who rejected the daily manna in the wilderness. When they kept on whining for the food of Egypt, they cut themselves off from His Presence; faith failed, and they died outside of the Promised Land.  What a sobering lesson!

Two things are demanded of us to know the sufficiency of Christ Jesus - faith and submission.  

James says that in the middle of our trials, we need to ask God for what we need. "You do not have, because you do not ask God." (James 4:2, NIV) We do not have to beg.  We come, open hands and open hearts, and place ourselves before Him, allowing Him to change us from the inside out so that the ‘desires of our heart’ are changed causing us to want what God wants. If we want things of this world, we have no assurance that God will give them to us just because we request them of Him.  

Our submission is one of rest, confidence in His love and care that allows us to lay down. Remember the picture of the 23^rd Psalm?  "God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction." (Psalm 23:1-3, The Message)  Jesus, our Shepherd, is providing for us. He has given Himself for us, to the extent of setting aside all his Divine prerogatives to become our Servant.  The demonstration of this love should cause us to abandon ourselves to Him. Our prayer of submission might well be a wordless laying down in His Presence, there finding rest!

Here is a declaration of His sufficiency.  Read this word from the Word with a sacrifice of praise - regardless of your need right now.  

"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources
he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. 
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,

how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19, NLT)

____________________

Enough

All of You is more than enough for all of me

For ev'ry thirst and ev'ry need

You satisfy me with Your love

And all I have in You is more than enough

You're my supply my breath of life

Still more awesome than I know

You're my reward worth living for

Still more awesome than I know

And

You're my sacrifice of greatest price

Still more awesome than I know

You're my coming King You are ev'rything

Still more awesome than I know

More than all I want more than all I need

You are more than enough for me

More than all I know more than all I can say

You are more than enough

Chris Tomlin | Louie Giglio

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