Use What You Have

. . . . That’s the phrase my littlest daughter keeps reminding me of “use what you have, mom”. It’s the very same words that the Lord put on my heart at the beginning of the year that I kept to myself. Currently there has been a lot of talk in our home about trimming down on a lot of things, ways to be creative in earning extra money, and how we can do it as a family. It’s not a secret in our home that we have some financial issues. I hate that I am even telling you this.

BUT this morning in the wee hours when it was just me, Jesus, my Bible, and my coffee I felt the Lord ask me to write about it. “Why lord would I want to share my issues with my readers? Now everyone is going to know this part of my life.” Well it’s all part of the “use what you have” strategy he spoke to me about this morning. I suppose it’s prideful to think I have it all together, but if you know me well enough, I don’t. Today,I was actually riding the hot mess express to Tear town.  It began after my pep talk to with God. I got the news that my van which was in the shop was going to cost me all the dollars that were sitting in my emergency fund. I guess I should be thankful that it was in there? (Sorry Dave Ramsey it looks like I have to start baby step 1 over again).  I had my meltdown,vented to my husband, and refocused on the words that God has been giving me over the past few weeks.

Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepard, I have all that I NEED“(emphasized)

Philippians 4:6-7  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

2 Peter 1:3 “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”

2 Timothy 6:8 “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”

These are just a few words he has given me recently. He is our good shepard in which we can follow with out fear, he supplies all our needs, he has given me all I need to live a life in him, I am fed and clothed. Sweet reminders that our God is sovereign, he has already gone before us and laid out plan for my life. He even knew I was going to try to mess this part all up. It keeps me running after him!

I also keep going back to 2 Kings chapter 4. Here Elisha the prophet is confronted by a widow who has many debts and the creditors are coming to take her son’s as slaves unless she pays up. He asks her what she has in her house, and she responds “nothing but a flask of olive oil”. He told her to get as many jars she could find from herself and her neighbors. So they gathered as many as they could find and they were filled to the brim. He then told her to pay her debts with the oil.  Here we see she used what she had , something she probably thought insignificant to do the job. But she was obedient and God blessed that.He knows our every need and wants to care for us. We just need to follow his lead and trust his plan.

So… as I embark on number 2385 of trying to fix my finances I know that God is here, he knows exactly what I need, even those desires, and has a plan ahead, he even knows that I’ll probably make a few more mistakes along the way. I’m trying really hard to listen to that still small voice, not the one that says “just take out your husbands retirement fund and be done with it”, but the one that says “trust me” and “use what you have”. He is faithful.