“Everything that is Mine is yours.”
Jesus
Wow! Let me illustrate
Two weeks ago I had come home from Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and continued to be in tremendous pain. For several days I lay curled up on the bed in a fetal position sustaining life with protein drinks and pain killers, just enduring. Amie was at wits ends to know what to do next. Her and Pastor Matt put their heads together, called University of Utah Medical center and decided to drive me down to the Emergency room. Pastor Matt very graciously offered to drive us down. Thirty minutes before Matt showed up at the house to pick us up another friend suddenly drove up into the yard- one we had not seen all summer. We had made very good friends of some folk who have a summer home in Wayan. Several times he would drive down to our ranch in the summer and fish in our stream on the ranch. We have become close friends, but we hadn’t seen each other this entire year. When “Chuck” drove up and found out what was going on he turned to Amie and said, “Our home is a few minutes from the University hospital. Here’s the key- go in and make yourself at home.”
First of all, it was NO ACCIDENT that Chuck just happened to drive up our driveway minutes before we left for an extended stay at the University Hospital. Moreover, it was an unbelievably gracious act for them to open up their home for Amie’s use, one that I am eternally grateful for and one that shows that God’s timing is PERFECT! But more to my point, this little story illustrates to me Jesus’ surpassingly gracious statement: “Everything that is Mine, is Yours.” Chuck kept reassuring us through our apprehensions- “No, What are friends for? Go in and make yourself at home- use the place like it were your own.”
So here’s the take away.
If our heart is in the wrong place- it automatically goes to the wrong things. Does this promise mean God will give me everything I want? Well yes… and no. If you mean: “Will God cater to my flesh and heap rich’s upon me to allow me to live a life of wanton pleasure on the earth pleasing self?” Well, then the answer’s “no”. Satan will oblige you on that point; he’ll fill those kinds of desires for you and turn you away from God into an idolatrous mess happily. But, if on the other hand you mean what Paul meant when He said: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that you having sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work”- then yes- that is exactly what Jesus is getting at. Jesus is not so much talking about “things” as He is His resources.
His rich’s in Christ Jesus that make us live the abundant life and that in turn flows from us by the things of the Spirit to others.
This is not the ultimate get rich scheme- it is the ultimate “I am investing my life in you, so you will invest your life in others” plan.
It is the grace of a Good Father, the rich’s of Jesus Christ, the resources of the Spirit available to His Children simply because the Triune God of eternity loves us in Christ Jesus.
So, today as we kneel together at the foot of the cross, think of what Jesus is saying- Everything that is Mine is yours- have you taken him up on the offer or are you bunking at MOTEL 6?
Because of grace,
Tim
