God's Mine

GOD’S MINE
Psalm 50:12
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you for the world is Mine, and all that is in it.”

Julie Ackerman Link describes infant eaglets in a devotion published by RBC Ministries1. Baby eaglets are the perfect illustration of why we shouldn’t be greedy in protecting our own self interests.

Before they’re one week old, baby eaglets fight over food. Neither one is strong enough to even hold up its head for more than a few seconds, but each fight the other over food every time the parents arrived at the nest. The twins looked like fuzzballs with attached bobble heads. The bigger eaglet pecks down his smaller brother, and snatchs up the fish for himself. The smaller eaglet can’t get one bite.

Food isn’t scarce. Their parents repeatedly bring food, so the supply seems endless. The infant eaglets are offered fish that are many times larger than their size. Their food is abundant—way more than what’s needed—plenty enough for them both. But still the larger eaglet is too greedy to allow his sibling one single bite of food.

Does the greedy eaglet remind you of anyone? James 4:1-5 teaches us that it’s foolish to try obtaining for ourselves what belongs to someone else. We often fight over things that we see God giving to another. Whether God’s blessing is for a friend, sister or brother, another relative, neighbor, or class mate, we try snatching it up for ourselves. Do we realize that God has something good for every one of His kids? We really don’t need what He gives to someone else, because there’s more than enough for everyone.

Always hard to do, but have you ever been disappointed when obeying the admonishment, “Wait your turn?” Every time we receive what we wait for, we are learning patience (PAY-shents means tolerance with courage to endure). But patience isn’t learned after just one time of receiving after waiting. Patience often seems to be a bad word, when we’re sorely tempted to want something right now.

Belly’s growl when waiting in line for a hot dog—because you can smell it, see it. Licking your lips in anticipation prepares you for that taste. When will we learn that there’s enough food for everyone waiting in line?

Take Home Nugget

Does the larger eaglet pecking down his brother make you sad? Is it ever permissible to harm someone to get what we need, or want? Our needs can’t exhaust God’s supply. He never comes to us when He’s hungry.

The secret of contentment is to
Let the Lord supply;
Our job is to do our job, and put God first,
So gratitude and thankfulness is our reply.

J.D. Griffith

1 Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 22, 2010.

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