Great quote from a well known historical figure

Monday, December 12th, 2022

by Ken Pullen

A CROOKED PATH

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”

~Winnie the Pooh

No person has anything, not one morsel of food from one meal, not one breath, not one heartbeat, not one article of woven threads comprising an item of clothing to cover them, not one board, brick, stone, or slathering of mud or straw comprising a shelter, not one penny, peso, or pence — no person has ANYTHING without EVERYTHING being provided by God. God our Creator. Jesus Christ. Lord of lords and King of kings.

EVERYTHING is a present. A gift. By God’s love and mercy. Everything.

When an individual comes to discover this, know this, believe this, adopt this and have it enter their heart and mind daily — multiple times during every day they are gifted by God — then and only then can any modicum of insight, wisdom, understanding, real knowledge, real truth be known and utilized in an individual’s life.

If rebelling every day a person is blessed with, foolishly, vainly imaging it is they who are providing their material wealth, their success, their food, clothing, shelter, retirement funds, vehicles, and trips taken — they believe it is they who are in control, in charge and making it all possible and they choose to deny God, ignore God, blaspheme God, mock God, contend they don’t believe in a God yet by the very notion and logic how can anyone deny the existence of something that doesn’t exist? Think about that for a wee bit if you never have. The very act of denial equates to the admittance of existence. I may not believe that Arsenal is going to win the Premier League Championship this season, but in order for me to believe that the Arsenal football club needs to exist. As does the Premier League. And every element in order to play football [soccer in America]. Human beings, funding, a field, the earth, air, water, a ball, the ability to run a lot, the ability to think and keep score — there’s a lot involved in a denial of something isn’t there? Especially when it DOES exist!

I digress.

Pause. Really pause. Not a pretend pause. Really think. What if anything do you REALLY make possible and provide on your very own? What, if anything? Because everything — EVERYTHING — comes from somewhere. If we take the time to think deeply and honestly. Getting out of our way for a while, setting our notions and ingrained malarkey aside and everyone is chock full of accumulated malarky. Especially about self and what they do, what they are. Why how often have you been introduced to someone and if you don’t ask the question of them they ask the question of you first — “So, what do you do?”

To identify, catalog, rate, evaluate, and determine what another human being is.

The question is always under the occupation, profession, career, and job category.

Very first thing anyone asks. Nine times out of ten.

I’ve had people tell me they work their backsides off at their jobs and deserve every bit of monetary reward they have in whatever currency they receive it. No, dear one, no matter how much or hard you work — you still have your backside, I know — and God has provided the job you have, the ability to do it that you have, the talent, the energy, the whatever it may take to complete your daily work, and it is God and God alone that provides the material wealth gained from that work. Not your employer. Not any world government. Not a school or any institution. Not yourself and by your efforts. No, it is God. And God alone that provides it all. EVERYTHING. EVERY DAY. EACH DAY.

That is a gift. From God. So, let’s live in the present with the present given, shall we? Honoring and acknowledging where everything comes from and Who provides everything that we have.

When asked the question above…

Ever reply, “I live daily as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, how I’m measured out by God, thankful in all things?”

Or if not a true child of God, not a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ…“I breathe, I eat, I have my limbs, my eyesight, my hearing, my mind, somewhat, I have someone to love and that loves me, and I’m thankful for that…how about you?”

Didn’t think so…

I am nothing I have nothing that I am or have sans God measuring it out in me or providing it for me. Not the level of my mind, nor a morsel, one bite of food at any given meal, not one stitch of clothing, or any of the shelters I’ve been provided through the years to protect me from the elements and harm. I have nothing — EVER –— I am nothing — EVER –— without God my Father in His mercy, wisdom, love, and grace providing it.

The quest, the idolization of success, fame, material goods, and wealth is vanity and nonsense. King Solomon came to that understanding a while back and he was one of thee richest men in world history. If we brought Solomon’s material wealth to present day standards he would likely make Elon Musk appear as a pauper in comparison.

Each of us needs to put our faith in God. More than we do. Stop living in the past. Stop seeking the future as if the future of people on earth before the Lord returns a Second Time can somehow finally get things right and create this millennia sought after Utopia, this Paradise once given but lost. And why? Due to our sin. Our rebellion. Our refusing to trust and believe God, to obey God. That’s all we had to do in order to achieve eternal life in Paradise. No death, no pain, no tears, no weeds even! Just believe God and not turn to lies, to ourselves thinking we knew as well or even better than God, or that the liar that told us that [Satan the father of all lies]  was or is somehow better than God!

Pause. Truly pause. Not just today for a bit. Every day. Numerous times every day. To truly give thanks. To truly understand within your heart, mind, spirit, soul, and being that no one has one thing, nothing, nothing at all from our next breath, our next heartbeat, our next meal, our jobs, whatever money we have, whatever shelter we have, whatever we have in our closets, whatever — not one person on earth has ANYTHING except it is given them BY GOD! God alone. Not of their doing for what they have and if they even wake up on the morrow. Not of your doing for anything you may have — nothing — including if you awaken on the morrow. NOTHING that I have, not one thing, even the most obscure thing, or if I awaken on the morrow.

All God.

Only God.

When we come to know, believe, realize, and keep this truth in our minds, our hearts, our spirits, and our daily and nightly lives? Well, our lives change. In such grand and wonderful ways!

Try it professed believer. Try it staunch pagan and heathen. Try believing and acknowledging God in ALL THINGS, GIVING THANKS FOR AND IN ALL THINGS! 

Say, think, meditate deeply upon, believe, pray, repeat.