My Daddy's a King

Budgeting -- Trusting in God's Goodness 101

I have this budget and it is so hard for me. I feel constrained but that's one of those areas I was mentioning in a post online earlier today -- dying to self -- I was really praying this morning that I wouldn't see the constraint as bad, but would trust and believe in God's goodness and that he has only good things for me. That is so hard! Intellectually, it's easy. "I believe in your goodness Lord! Praise the Lord!" BUT! The choices day by day to live by it is a bit harder.

I have a funny story though! I needed a pumpkin but it is two days after Halloween and pumpkins are almost all gone, nowhere to be found! But I called Albertsons and they had three, and yes, would hold one for me. I was grateful. I had a few things to buy and when I asked the produce manager how much the pumpkin was, he said that if I just bought what I had already picked out, I could come back and take the pumpkin for free. Woo Hoo! Free pumpkin! (He mentioned they had been selling them for 24 cents a pound....)

Well, I love sugar free popsicles. Its an allowed "sweet" on my South Beach Diet and as such within my parameters for food from the Lord. Well, usually they are $4.99 a box of 24. Not cheap. I'm on a budget and usually Albertsons is much cheaper than the other store, so I thought, before I checked out, I'd stop and see how much they were. I was shocked. They were 3 boxes of 24 for $8.88. WOW! What a difference! So I got three. It were these three boxes run up first. 3 boxes for $11.07. What? They're on sale. Oh ok. There you go. Well, you took off 10% but the were still cheaper. They were supposed to be 3 for $8.88. Really? Let me check. You're right, they are!

The checker scratched some math on the sheet of paper. Now she's already removed $1.11 from the balance. Not being able to figure out the math, she said she'd just take off a box and then did so AND took off another $1! Now everything in my order should have been around $14, plus tax. My total bill came to $8.67. The popsicles alone should have been $8.88. THAT was the Lord's goodness shown to me as well as the practical example of how, when I try to be obedient to the Lord, and see that everything he gives me is good, then I get his good in abundance.

Do I consistently believe he is good? That he has only good things for me?

Psalm 34 says "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."

My problem? I don't seek him enough. I don't take refuge in him. I don't fear him enough.

Lord, I need to know what it is to fear you... to know you are holy and obedience to the things you have set forth for me is not optional but a must. I need you! I cannot do this on my own. I long to live in obedience consistently. Give me a heart of submission... there is none like you!

posted by imallforgod @ 5:29 PM