The
year I was seventeen, I trained a horse in the Spring for a
twenty-five-mile competitive trail ride.
Mostly
I rode the dirt roads alone with my mare, but once a neighbor friend
and I went riding together, putting in some conditioning miles with
her horse, who was also competing in the same event.
She
asked a good question that day, "What do you want to be when you
grow up?"
"I'm
going to be an artist," I responded. I had known this since I
was seven and had begun painting in color with chalk pastels at
eight.
"Then
you're not going to be making a lot of money,"
she told me.
By
age seventeen I had been fatherless for five years, my dad had
basically disappeared, and my family and I had all seen our Father in
heaven provide many times, in response to fervent prayer.
I
already knew what God said in Matthew 6:19-34, how your heart goes
wherever your treasure is, and how God wants us to trust Him
for provision, as we seek first His Kingdom and righteousness.
I
had also read Proverbs
22:4 many
times:
"By
humility and the fear of the LORD
are
riches, honor and life."
I
desired those true riches.
And
I knew my mother wasn't planning on kicking me out when I turned
eighteen.
We
had stepped outside the modern American culture of seeking
"independence" from family authority, choosing rather to
commit to being a family working together in unity, for Christ.
 |
| Stillness, 10x7 watercolor by Elise, 2019 |
Planning
Ahead in Life
Unlike
many young women, I didn't grow up envisioning what my "perfect
house, perfect car, or perfect wedding" would look like...
Perhaps
I had issues looking ahead in life, was too often living in
present-day survival mode, or maybe I was merely content with what
God had
already given me.
The
Bible is a transformational book to read, because it changes your
priorities in life.
I
Timothy 6:8 tells us:
"And
having food
and raiment
let us be therewith content."
Food
and clothing. No shelter is mentioned.
This
reminds me of a great little TEDx talk, Life is Easy, Why Do We Make It So Hard? by Jon Jandai.
Why
doesn't God see shelter as a basic necessity in life?
I
believe it is because disciples of Christ needed then, and still
need to be able to travel
light,
to be flexible enough to go,
perhaps
immediately, where ever He sends us!
Jesus
Christ himself followed this teaching. He had very few earthly
possessions at the time of his death.
I also know from personal experience when you don't have a home of your own, other people extend hospitality - and you are invited into places you would not have otherwise entered.
In being "needy", others with greater resources are tested to give.
Being under someone else's roof, in their "comfort zone", often allows special relationships to be built, as we see in the book of Acts, chapter 10, when Cornelius (a Gentile) asks Peter (a Jew) to "tarry certain days" - see verse 48.
I also know from personal experience when you don't have a home of your own, other people extend hospitality - and you are invited into places you would not have otherwise entered.
In being "needy", others with greater resources are tested to give.
Being under someone else's roof, in their "comfort zone", often allows special relationships to be built, as we see in the book of Acts, chapter 10, when Cornelius (a Gentile) asks Peter (a Jew) to "tarry certain days" - see verse 48.
Creating
art and helping people has always been more important to me than
making money, or having things - even though painting eventually
became the primary way I now work and try to financially support
myself.
True
Riches
In
early January I did a little exercise on paper, prompted by someone
in the personal development podcast space.
I
listed where I invested my time, what my interests were, what my
priorities are, etc, etc.
Then
the coach asked the question, "Is Money in the Top Five on your
list/s?"
He
said if money was not
among my "top five priorities" in life, then I probably
wouldn't ever have much money.
Money
was not
there, in my top five.
Now,
I can change this, yes. Yet there are so many things far more
important to me than making money!
Such
as:
- Fulfilling the Command to Love God and my Neighbor, keeping Covenant with Christ and His Body, the Church
- Being a Living Epistle of God's Promises
- Investing in Loving Family Relationships
- Creating Beauty through Artistry on many levels
- Serving People in Need
I
don't just say these things, I've intentionally laid "my"
life down on many occasions for my country, family members, friends,
and for others I sometimes barely know.
The
book of Proverbs is helpful when I think of money:
A
gracious woman retaineth honour:
and
strong men retain riches.
~
Proverbs 11:16
This
verse seems to put the making and retaining of financial wealth in
the category of a man's role.
Women
have an equally important, yet different role.
Proverbs
31 records the feats a a virtuous woman, who worked very skillfully
from her home, to help her family and others financially, and in many
other ways.
This
was my goal, too, to work from home, while maintaining good character
and seeking holiness.
The
Rich and the Poor
Martin
Luther King Jr said he had a
dream - "that
my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will
not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their
character."
I
wish this same dream was applied more often to poor folks, too – we
should not hurtfully judge others by their financial quotient, but
rather by their character.
While
it's very true many poor folks have gained monetary limitations and
stayed in financial poverty due to their own imbedded character
flaws, yet those who are poor are not
always there because of their own
bad decisions!
Many
people around the world have lived through tragic family
circumstances, war and unrest, government oppression and/or failing
economic situations which did not enable them the chances others have
been given to focus on gainful work.
Did
Christ treat rich and poor people differently?
While
he did acknowledge they were given different circumstances, I see He
considered each on the same plane, spiritually:
Let
the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But
the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass
he shall pass away.
For
the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the
grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion
of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. ~
James 1:9-11
The
Old Testament says:
The
Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the
cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For
I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from
my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away
his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept
myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me
according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands
in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful;
with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure
thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew
thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt
bring down high looks. ~ Psalm 18:20-27
In
one New Testament parable, Christ said we should help those who are
unable to help us in return, "When
thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy
brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they
also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
But
when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the
blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee:
for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” ~
Luke 14:12-14
I
relate somehow to the parable of poor and sick Lazarus outside the
gate, ignored by the rich men. It is another account where, in the
end, justice is done. Lazarus's heart was seen by God, and after he
dies, he is comforted. But the rich man goes to a fiery and very
uncomfortable end. This shows us that it's not our worldly wealth
that counts to God:
There
was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen,
and fared sumptuously every day:
And
there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate,
full of sores,
And
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's
table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
And
it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels
into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
And
in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And
he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my
tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
But
Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is
comforted, and thou art tormented.
And
beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so
that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they
pass to us, that would come from thence.
Then
he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him
to my father's house:
For
I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also
come into this place of torment.
Abraham
saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
And
he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent.
And
he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. ~ Luke
16:19-31
 |
| Stage One - 20 minutes |
Righteous
Judgement
There
are four Greek words translated "judge" in the English
language in the Biblical New Testament.
Only
one
of these are we told not
to do – we are told in Matthew 7:1 "Judge not that ye be not
judged".
This
word "judge" here means "don't condemn".
It
means we are never to put up a wall and say, "That person will
never change, so I will never speak to them again."
The
Bible says in I Peter 2:22-24 that God the Father "judges
righteously":
For
even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who,
when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but
committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes
ye were healed.
And
we are called to do the same, to discern what is "below the
cover of the book":
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. ~ John 7:24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. ~ John 7:24
Gain
is tied both to joyful generosity, and also to how hard we work and
invest in good things.
Give,
and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to
you again. ~ Luke 6:38
We
are told we reap what we sow – but in a different season than we
sow:
Be
not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For
he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but
he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting.
And
let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not. ~ Galatians
6:7-9
Discerning
Real Value
Many
attach financial brackets to one's level of "success" in
life, yet through Bible study I gained a different set of values in
how I see others and myself.
Honoring
God and running away from sin, as Joseph did, when tempted by his
master's wife, in Genesis 39:9, was my standard, by God's matchless
grace:
There
is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any
thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do
this great wickedness, and sin against God?
The
purity vows I happily made to wait on God for a husband when I was
sixteen mattered to me. This was more than a decade before Joshua
Harris's book on "kissing dating goodbye" went to press.
I
read Don Rauniker's book, Choosing
God's Best
at least three times, and Elisabeth Elliot's Passion
and Purity
and many other similar books, when I was in my twenties.
I
highly recommend the beginning of Don Rauniker's book, which explains
the very short history behind "dating" – a very recent
way to find a life partner, and which has not
helped lead to positive relational results, as our American culture
has shifted drastically against trusting God's Word and the
principles in it.
I
also highly recommend Derek Prince's book, God
is a Matchmaker,
which I first read when I was twenty-two.
Derek
says in this book's forward, "God cares more about who you marry
than you do."
I
felt the peaceful assent of the Holy Spirit over my head when I read
those words, and they have stayed with me all these many years.
By
grace, the Spirit of God had inculcated in me the understanding that
details in my personal life matter greatly to our Father in heaven,
and if I honored Him, He would honor me.
His
wealth, joy, wisdom and eternal purposes often lead to giving away
what everyone tries so hard to keep in this life – their lives,
their fortunes and their earthly reputation.
I
have been fortunate enough to read the biographies of Mary Slessor
(Scottish-born missionary to Nigeria, Africa), Glady's Aylward
(British-born missionary to China), Amy Carmichael (Irish-born,
Scottish ancestry missionary to India), and Corrie ten Boom
(Dutch-born watchmaker, hider of Jews during WWII and then a writer,
speaker and missionary to the world).
None
of these women ever married, although some of them desired and prayed
for a husband. Their lives have now reached the world.
God
provided for these unmarried women. They were not "single"
because the Holy Spirit was always with them. I, too, feel this
supernatural protection and provision in my own life.
I
am reminded of I Samuel 2:7-9:
The
Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar
from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them
inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the
Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of
his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by
strength shall no man prevail.
And
Psalm 113:5-9:
Note:
The Hebrew word translated “Princes” here, does not mean the son
of a King, but rather, it means “one who is willing, generous!
נָדִיב
nâdîyb,
naw-deeb'
H5081;
from H5068;
properly, voluntary, i.e. generous; hence, magnanimous; as noun, a
grandee (sometimes a tyrant):—free, liberal (things), noble,
prince, willing (hearted).
- inclined, willing, noble, generous
B. noble, princely (in rank)
C. noble (in mind and character)
 |
| Stage two - twenty minutes more |
Feelings of Failure
I
get that people have a "relationship"
with money. And people have a financial "set-point" which
is similar to the set-point a body has for how much it weighs.
My
current financial set-point means I live a life of faith!
In
February, an entry in my Journal records:
"Dear
Father, why am I in such financial need? Are You saying something to
me through it? Do I need to change my marketing, profession, location
or something else? Please help me, Father. I'd like to be able to buy
groceries, pay for utilities, and travel, without so many monetary
concerns. Of course, You do direct me through
finances. Thank you for teaching me thrift."
Serving
Joyfully as a Volunteer
When
I was in my late twenties, into my mid-thirties, I gladly accepted
and took on some life-changing ministry opportunities.
I
had invested much of my early twenties painting, learning to cook,
studying nutrition and recovering my health, along with a bunch of
other projects.
Then
I began to feel I was somehow "missing the boat" in life.
I
didn't desire to live my entire life in seclusion on our mountain. I
was pretty certain our Father agreed, and had been training me for
His purposes.
Playing
"Cinderella" was getting old, and I figured my mother
probably needed to begin cleaning her own house again.
Divorce
has a way of damaging family roles. Early on, I had become the family
"mother"- cleaning and cooking, organizing chore lists,
shopping for groceries for five people, waiting for endless car
repairs to be done; and my mother had done what a dad might normally
do – attend meetings and manage finances.
A
great deal of prayer went on one summer, as I searched for God's
voice and direction on my face in the woods, literally beating
the ground
and telling Him, "You
have GOT to tell me what to do!"
I
was directed to begin organizing both a public speaking contest, and
then train to teach a Character Coach program in our area schools,
with the enormous assistance of one of my sisters.
I
had been very, very shy growing up. Public speaking really
scared me...but I wanted to face this fear, and overcome it.
I
wanted to learn how to speak in front of an audience, and to help
others do this, too.
By
my own choice, I began adding jobs to my life, to eventually try to
spin eight different hats – seven of which were completely
voluntary,
I made no
money serving in them!:
- Elocution Contest Organization – two-three months of time annually, reaching hundreds of people over seven years.
- Character Coaching in five different locations, reaching 200-250+ people, September-May each year for seven years.
- Choir Organizer at our church fellowship, once a quarter.
- Prelude assigner at church, weekly.
- Painter of 4x8 foot murals for new Sermon Series, every few weeks.
- Planting, weeding, harvesting and processing a Large Organic Vegetable Garden annually, April-October.
- My family – mother and siblings, who needed time and help.
- My part-time illustration job, which brought in very sporadic and meager increase.
No
one had told me there was a limit to how much responsibility I could
or should take on, and I know now I wasn't asking God for direction
when I happily took on some of these roles.
I
didn't know then you should "unload to reload" or that it's
difficult to have more than three or maybe four large roles or
projects going at one time in life.
I
just kept adding to my contact list.
Needed
Change and Rest
After
more than a few years of working non-stop, unpaid, my hair started
falling out, from stress.
One
year I entered five paintings in an art show. I sold one piece, and
made a grand total of $500 for that year, which only paid for my $500
picture-frame bill.
I
called my pastor, whom I respected, on the phone in tears.
He
said to me, "Elise, you never call me, what is wrong?"
I
told him what I was feeling. "Pastor,
I have one-hundred-and-sixty books in my room, and NO TIME to read
them! I spend all my time on the phone, reminding people of their
commitments!"
He
kindly tried to encourage me by saying, "Then
you have my problem, I only have one hour a month in which to go
fishing – which is what I really like to do."
I
got off the phone, and thought about it. I didn't feel he understood
my dilemma at all. It was more than just a lack of time, it was a
lack of financial increase.
I
wasn't able to help my mother pay our land taxes, and I sensed this
was not a good situation.
My
pastor had an annual 40K salary, (really not much as he had a wife
and three children to support), yet I was making nearly nothing,
financially,
for
all the time I was investing in other's lives.
It's
hard to live without any finances, although there were very good
lessons I learned during those years.
I
had begun to feel used and burned out, and there was no one to really
blame except myself. I had not learned to say "no".
This
same thing had occurred, earlier in life, but because I hadn't yet
dealt with the root issues, I had slipped back into my old pattern.
I
took on too much work, perhaps with good motives, but without
allowing myself enough rest.
It
took pulling out and going to New Zealand to realize I was basically
a "pleaser" with a workaholic tendency.
I
was unconsciously working hard both because I really like to help
people, and also in some way, working hard was how I felt people's
approval and praise.
I
finally grasped better while in New Zealand that God loved me just as
I am, without my killing myself with lack of sleep and rest.
And
it was Christ
who was the Savior of the world, not me.
 |
| Stage Three - twenty minutes additional |
Meeting
Other's Vital Needs
"Money
comes through service and if you don't have any money, then you're
not serving enough people."
Well,
this belief is just not always true, either.
It's
only true if you're serving people who have
money, that they want or are able, to spend.
Serving
poor people doesn't usually lead to one becoming wealthy, or even
comfortable.
Yet God asks us to serve poor people, those who cannot personally return the assistance. He sees how we invest our time and resources and He becomes our reward:
And
the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and
the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy
gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord
thy
God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
~ Dueteronomy 14:29
Learn
to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the
fatherless,
plead for the widow.
~ Isaiah 1:17
Is
not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go
free, and that ye break every yoke?
Is
it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor
that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou
cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then
shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall
spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee;
the glory of the Lord
shall
be thy reward.
~ Isaiah 58:6-8
For
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which
ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the
saints, and do minister. And
we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the
full assurance of hope unto the end:
That
ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and
patience inherit the promises.
For
when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no
greater, he sware by himself,
Saying,
Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply
thee.
And
so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. ~
Hebrews 6:10-15
We
are to give to those who cannot give in return!
One
large value I did build during those busy years was a whole lot of
trust and lasting relationships with many people.
I
also gained several valuable skills - without paying to go to college
to learn them.
A
Bit on Biblical Poverty and Riches
Choices or uncontrollable
circumstances which can lead to Economic Poverty:
Being in the wrong
location (during a famine, Genesis 45:11)
Too much sleep aka
laziness (Proverbs 6:9-11, 20:13, and 24:33-34)
Withholding more than is
meet (Proverbs 11:24)
Refusing instruction
(Proverbs 13:18)
Too much feasting and
drinking alcohol (Proverbs 23:21)
Following after vain
persons (Proverbs 28:19)
Hasting to be rich
(Proverbs 28:22)
I don't think any of these
applied to my situation back in the day.
Internally, this verse was
oft-quoted, as I put my head down to paint,
“In
all labor there is profit,
but
the talk of the lips
tendeth
only to penury.”
~
Proverbs 14:23
Our
example is Christ, Himself:
For
ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich
G4145,
yet for your sakes he became poor G4433,
that ye through his poverty G4432
might
be rich G4148.
~ II Corinthians 8:9
A.
abounding (rich) in Christian virtues and eternal possessions
Poor G4433: to be a beggar, to beg, to be poor - from G4434
Poverty
G4432:
- beggary
- in the NT poverty
- the condition of one destitute of riches and abundanceΠτωχεία ptōcheía, pto-khi'-ah; from G4433; beggary, i.e. indigence (literally or figuratively):—poverty.
Rich
G4148:
Hunger
Blessed
are
ye
that
hunger G3983
now:
for ye shall be filled. Blessed are
ye
that
weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Luke 6:21
Woe
unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. G3983
Woe
unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
~ Luke 6:25
G3983
πεινάω
peináō,
pi-nah'-o;
from the same as G3993
(through
the idea of pinching toil; "pine"); to famish (absolutely
or comparatively); figuratively, to crave:—be an hungered.
II.
metaph. to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire
Blessed
are
they
which do hunger G3983
and
thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
~ Matthew 5:6
For
I was an hungred, G3983
and
ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in:
~ Matthew 25:35
And
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
shall never hunger; G3983
and
he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
~ John 6:35
Even
unto this present hour we G3983
➔
both
hunger, G3983and
thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain
dwellingplace;
~ I Corinthians 4:11
I
know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and
in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, G3983
both
to abound and to suffer need.
~ Philippians 4:12
They
shall hunger G3983
no
more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat.
~ Revelation 7:16
Riches
G4147:
πλουτέω
ploutéō,
ploo-teh'-o; from G4148;
to be (or become) wealthy (literally or figuratively):—be increased
with goods, (be made, wax) rich.
A. of outward possessions
But
they that will be rich G4147
fall
into temptation and a snare, and into
many
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and
perdition.
~ I Timothy 6:9
That
they do good, that they be rich G4147
in
good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
~ I Timothy 6:18
Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, G4147
and
have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; G4147
and
white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that
the
shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
~ Revelation 3:17-18
For
all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,
and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and
the merchants of the earth are waxed rich G4147
through
the abundance of her delicacies.
~ Revelation 18:3
The
merchants of these things, which were made rich G4147
by
her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and
wailing,
~ Revelation 18:15
And
they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing,
saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich G4147
all
that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one
hour is she made desolate.
~ Revelation 18:19
Poor
The
KJV translates Strong's G4434 in the following manner: poor
(30x),
beggar
(2x),
poor
man
(1x),
beggarly
(1x).
- reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms
- destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour
B.
helpless, powerless to accomplish an end
C.
poor, needy
i.
destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the
schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up
to Christ's teaching and proved them selves fitted to lay hold of
the heavenly treasure)
πτωχός
ptōchós, pto-khos';
from πτώσσω ptṓssō (to crouch); akin to G4422
and
the alternate of G4098);
a beggar (as cringing), i.e. pauper (strictly denoting absolute or
public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative
sense; whereas G3993
properly
means only straitened circumstances in private), literally (often as
noun) or figuratively (distressed):—beggar(-ly), poor.
Thayer's
Greek Lexicon
STRONGS
NT 4434: πτωχός
πτωχός,
πτωχή,
πτωχόν
(πτώσσω,
to be thoroughly frightened, to cower down or hide oneself for fear;
hence, πτωχός
properly, one who slinks and crouches), often involving the idea of
roving about in wretchedness (see πένης,
at the end; "but it always had a bad sense till it was ennobled
in the Gospels; see Matthew
5:3;
Luke
6:20,
cf. 2
Corinthians 8:9"
(Liddell and Scott, under I.)); hence,
1. in classical Greek from Homer down, reduced to beggary, begging, mendicant, asking alms: Luke 14:13, 21; Luke 16:20, 22.
2. poor, needy (opposed to πλούσιος): Matthew 19:21; Matthew 26:9, 11; Mark 10:21; 12:42, 43; Mark 14:5, 7; Luke 18:22; Luke 19:8; Luke 21:3;
1. in classical Greek from Homer down, reduced to beggary, begging, mendicant, asking alms: Luke 14:13, 21; Luke 16:20, 22.
2. poor, needy (opposed to πλούσιος): Matthew 19:21; Matthew 26:9, 11; Mark 10:21; 12:42, 43; Mark 14:5, 7; Luke 18:22; Luke 19:8; Luke 21:3;
For
it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain
contribution for the poor
saints
which are at Jerusalem.
G4434 ~ Romans 15:26
As
sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor
G4434,
yet making many rich G4148; as having nothing, and yet
possessing
all things.
~ II Corinthians 6:10
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| Stage Four - another twenty minutes, after the model rested for 10 minutes |
Learning
to Pray for Finances
“I
could never live like you do, I admire you” ~
one of my friends, who does not know the LORD.
“Why
don't you ask God why He is not giving you more money?”
~ another of my friends, who is also a seeker.
Well,
I'll admit I do live rather strangely. People who live on prayer and
faith do seem to live outside the normal “bell-curve” of society.
Meanwhile,
an anonymous envelope arrived in the mail three days ago. It
contained $200 I needed to pay for something important, and it had
arrived just in time to meet the need.
I
shared this with my second friend, above, and all she could say was,
with shock, “Wow”.
God's
provision is never late, but rarely early. Wait for it.
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| This is a from-life 10x7 watercolor portrait Stillness I recently painted of my beautiful older sister, whose life God graciously spared after a health-crisis in 2011-12. I am so glad to still have her in my life! |
Things Which Are Free
When
you live without steady cash flow, are leaning on Y'Shua and seeing
Him meet all your needs, you realize you have already been
given all
you really ever need.
And
then you start to accept the ebb and flow, and really rejoice and be
glad, enjoying everything our Father in heaven freely gives as well
as what He withholds!
These
are some of the many Free Gifts God the Father gives us:
These are some of the many Free Gifts God the Father gives us:
- Life itself - however pain-filled - is a gift FOR us
- Love from God
- Love from others
- Breath
- Oxygen
- Spring Water – which used to be free, but is now not so free in many arid places
- Spiritual Salvation through the blood of Y'Shua, Christ the LORD
- Sunshine
- Sand at the Beach
- Grassy Lawns and Meadows
- Wildflowers
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Thinking
- Being
- Silence
- Listening
- The Ability to Ask
- Singing
- Making Music when you have an instrument
- Receiving Grace and Faith
- Reading – free books abound today!
- Walking
- Biking
- Swimming in Lakes, Streams and the Ocean
- Other forms of exercise, outside of a gym
- Nature's Immense Beauty
- Wild Animal sightings, which usually make me smile
- Parks and other Public Places
- Libraries and sometimes Museums
- Fellowship with the Body of Christ
- Bible Study, personal and corporate
- Communion with the King of Kings
- Communication – writing, body language, tone of voice
- The Internet (for the moment)
- Writing this Blog
- Conversation
- Relationships - with People of all Ages
- Giving Thanks, showing Gratitude
- Giving our Time - Serving and Volunteering
- Rejoicing and Being Glad!
- Having Desires, Meaning and Purpose in Life
- A Smile
- An Eternal Home
- Our Inheritance in Christ
I
hope this lengthy tome will encourage my artist friends around the
world, many of whom may live and work in poor conditions.
Remember
that Rembrandt himself died in poverty, forgotten. His artworks are
now acknowledged to be some of the greatest of all time.
I
am, your artist-friend,
who
lives in great riches because of the Living Christ,
Elise
The
Value of a Smile
It
costs nothing,
but
creates much.
It
enriches those who receive,
without
impoverishing those who give.
It
happens in a flash
and
the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None
are so rich they can get along without it,
and
none so poor but are richer for its benefits.
It
creates happiness in the home,
fosters
good will in a business,
and
is the countersign of friends.
It
is rest to the weary,
daylight
to the discouraged,
sunshine
to the sad,
and
Nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet
it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen,
for
it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given
away.
And
if in the last-minute rush of the business-day,
some
of our colleagues should be too tired to give a smile,
may
we ask you to leave one of yours?
For
nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!
~ Anonymous
~ Anonymous
Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal:
But
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The
light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy
whole body shall be full of light.
But
if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that
darkness!
No
man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye
cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore
I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or
what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is
not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold
the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not
much better than they?
Which
of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And
why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say
unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which
to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much
more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore
take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?
or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things.
But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.
Take
therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.
~ Matthew 6:19-34
God
always gives His best
to
those who leave the choice with him.
~
Jim Elliot
Much
food is in the tillage of the poor:
but
there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.
~
Proverbs 13:23
It
is not sufficient merely to be
a
great master in painting
and
very wise,
but
I think that it is necessary
for
the painter
to
be very moral
in
his mode of life,
or
even, if...possible, a saint,
so
the Holy Spirit may inspire his intellect."
~
Michaelangelo
The
rich and the poor meet together:
the
LORD is the maker of them all.
~
Proverbs 22:31
~
Epictetus
Better
is the poor that walketh in his uprightness,
than
he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
~
Proverbs 28:6
I am a poor man and of little worth,
who is laboring in that art that God has given me
in order to extend my life as long as possible.
~ Michaelangelo
But
godliness with contentment is great gain. For
we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out. And
having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But
they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and
into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition. For the love of money is the
root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred
from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee
these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses. I
give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and
before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good
confession; That thou keep this commandment
without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ: Which in his times he shall
shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and
Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man
hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.
Amen. Charge them that are rich in
this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to
enjoy; That they do good, that they be
rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for
themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may
lay hold on eternal life.
~
I Timothy 6:6-19
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.
~ Jim Elliot
A
little that a righteous man hath
is
better than the riches of many wicked.
~
Psalm 37:16
