There are a few things I just glanced over in the last number of posts that probably deserve some clarification and definition.
God's participation in all this. A lot of people think that asking for financial success, freedom, or abundance is not what God wants. I do not believe that God created us to suffer. That doesn't mean that we don't have dark times along the way, and it doesn't mean that if you are perfect you will be guaranteed happy times. But God does want us to accomplish our goals and fulfill our dreams and that only comes through effort, attitude, thinking clearly and belief in Him.
Do you believe that just because something doesn't come to you instantly that you are not meant to attain it or accomplish that task? If you do believe that, release that thought from your mind right now.
Do you believe that we were set on this Earth to only suffer?....to have to endure all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune without enjoying the fruits of our labors?....to accomplish nothing? Granted we find horrible acts and events around us daily. We have experienced or been close to awful events - young people dying too soon, people suffering horribly, and yes this is a part of the world that we live in, but these events can not make us believe that this is supposed to be "normal". Are we meant to live in this world of doom and gloom all the time? Do you believe that our whole purpose on this world is to "suffer" through horrible events?
People, this just isn't true. God wants to keep everything in perspective. Hoarding your money is not Godly nor has it ever been. But are we to say that the successful and prosperous Kingdom of Israel was evil? It is just as much abnormal for things to go perfectly all the time as it is for things to go horribly all the time? We will always have dark times and they will always lead to times of light.
Granted there is an unfoldment that must take place for us to experience this joy of fulfillment and to have our heart's desire, but to say that He, our Father, does not want to have a fulfilled and prosperous life, is just incorrect....even in the passage following the rich man entering heaven compared to a camel going through a needle, there is a whole paragraph talking about how all things are possible through God.
And as far as hearing what is in our hearts...God does want to fulfill our heart's desires, and tells us so. This is the follow up to the Ask, Seek, Knock passages.
This is so comforting - and all we have to do is believe. That's where these exercises and techniques help us. They certainly aren't cheating, unless you consider turning off the TV & Radio so you can pray and/or meditate better qualifies as "cheating". These are simple techniques that we can learn to use that will give us a step up.
So think of this whole exercise as practice of becoming the person that God wants us to become and that He knows that we can become by believing in Him. Not only is He willing to show us the way, he's also willing to be our main support; he's also going to figure out how it's going to be done and will let us know in His own time. In the meantime, we believe, are patient and have faith.
Here's a very comforting and uplifting parting thought for this post from Matthew 5 (right after the Beatitudes!)
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
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