The Mess on the Floor

Psalm 16:5-6 “You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.  How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are!”

Every year, I sit and stare in disbelief at the Christmas-aftermath strewn all over the floor. Taking visual inventory of our loot, I prolong the inevitable and sip my much-needed cup of coffee, doubting my energy to clean it up. Certainly, we will never want for more. . . until this afternoon, that is. Within a few hours of ripping off wrapping paper, thoughts will turn from what we just received to what we did not receive.

Statistics show that by Christmas afternoon, approximately one third of our nation is immersed in online shopping. Oh, how fleeting is contentment! Without a doubt, all our needs have been met but our copious desires we still seek.

So, I ask myself, “How much stuff do we really need?”

Consider the following physical necessities: 1) oxygen, 2) water, 3) food, 4) shelter, and 5) sleep. Emotionally we require: 1) love and 2) acceptance.  In reality, God created us with relatively few basic needs for existence on earth.

Look at these seven. It is estimated humans can survive mere minutes without air, a few days without water, less than two weeks without sleep, and approximately one month without food, all the while relying on shelter from the harsh elements and the security and peace that come from the love we give and receive from others.

Ponder for a moment how these physical needs parallel the gifts provided by our Heavenly Father.

It is God, who with the very air from His own lungs, breathed life into us and into His Word. It is our Heavenly Father who provides us with living water and the bread of life (food), quenching our hunger and thirst for truth and righteousness.  It is God who spiritually shelters us from the elements of the storms of life and from the heat of our battles. It is The Great I Am who promises us spiritual rest and renewal from the heavy loads of life. And He does this, why? Because of the incredible love He has for us, his children. Wow!  Every spiritual need, just like every physical and emotional one, is lovingly provided by our Father.

So, finish your cup of caffeine and clear away the blessed mess from the Christmas floor. Claim Psalm 16:5-6 as your reminder of the numerous provisions from our Heavenly Father. Then, before “googling” for the next greatest-thing, praise Him for the gifts He has already bountifully extended.

Father God, help me find contentment in a world filled with wants and desires.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane