"The Price is Right"

"These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season." (Psalms 104:27)
Not that I need to mention this, but again, there is someone who can not only calm the raging sea, but He can also tame the might dragon! This should not only cause us to be dependent upon Him for His great strength, but it should also encourage take us through each and every trial or disappointment. There is where the real difference is revealed, within the trial and in the disappointment. What, you don't ever feel disappointment? You mean that you have never asked for something, nothing came, and you were not disappointed? Sometimes the answer is no, and sometimes the answer is wait; but there is always an answer! This is probably the hardest part of our walk of faith, to wait. Abraham had to deal with it, David had to deal with it; almost every single saint or prophet in the Bible, at one time or another had to wait; and in their waiting, almost all of them were disappointed in one way or another. Even Paul, who preached about being satisfied in the moment, even he at one time in his walk with the Lord, was disappointed. It was when he was in Tarsus, the place where he dwelt for four years, until Barnabas came to encourage him to help minister to the newly converted Gentiles. When I say disappointed, it is not that we are always disappointed with God's response to our situations, it could also be our own disappointment with ourselves. Am I really strong enough? can I really do this? is there really a change that has taken place in my heart? First off, we are never as strong as we think that we are; we will always let ourselves down when we count upon our own strength or think we can overcome something on our own. Secondly, we can absolutely do anything, even the most impossible things, through Christ, who dwells within us; so the answer is no, but it is yes in God! And most importantly, the third thing is a matter of faith: it is not a question of, if there really is a change that has taken place, but of who it is that has changed me. We really need to stop looking at ourselves and start looking at Jesus! We can never be good enough to be saved; if it were possible, then Jesus would not have had to come and die upon the cross. Sadly enough, when we observe our own lives with righteous judgment, we find ourselves lacking what it takes to justify God's love and grace. But isn't that really what this walk is all about? We must believe and accept the fact that the price Jesus paid was enough, no matter our failures and no matter how much we might feel disappointed in ourselves, the price that He paid trumps all of that; nothing can compare to the price that was paid to deliver us from our sins! It was our Creator that hung upon that cross; there is and was and never could be, any greater Sacrifice made; and that Sacrifice was enough, and we have been clothed in His righteousness...
""Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don't worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom."" (Luke 12:27-32) NLT