More Than Enough

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

2 Chronicles 20:17 

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'"

Yesterday as part of my ordinary day, I paid the bills or shall I say I partially paid the bills, they at least all got something. Today I have the opportunity to live in fear and panic mode or to trust that the God that I serve knows my needs and my families needs. That there is no lack in His kingdom or in his ability to supply. We each have to decide if we will trust Him even when we can't see an answer at hand. Will you praise Him in the middle of your storm, be it sickness or finances, or family issues. Are you just a fair weather friend? Will you trust Him to be with you in the storm? Sure he could lift it in an instant and perhaps He will. I can say I have seen the Lord do miracles and provide when I did not know how an answer was even possible. I have seem Him step in to seemingly hopeless places and not just bring hope but supply what was needed. In most cases I have seen Him walk with me on the journey from here to there. He conforts, protects, challenges my thinking, stretches my faith, helps me realize and repent when I've slipped into a pity party. I am confident that He will supply what I need but in the process He will stretch my faith perhaps stretch my willingness to be transparant.

I'm sure that I am not the only one facing the choice today to trust God or to run around trying to solve or fix your problem. I'm not saying that we should be lazy or negligent. What I am saying is when you have done all that you know to do - that is when it is time to stand firm and to see the deliverance of your God.

So what do I do between the need and the answer?

I sing things like this song called More Than Enough by Chris Tomlin-
I'm not singing it to so much fan my faith but more because I believe to be true enough to sing it at my storm. It puts words to the faith that is already in me that says in this moment that I will stand - I will sing - I will watch to see what God does.

"All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me"

That song and others will fill my thoughts and push out the fear and doubt. Its like choosing to turn on the light in a dark house. You flip the switch and the darkness is driven out in an instant. So will you stumble around in the dark or will you flip on the light through trust and praise?

 I will remember the countless times that God has come through for me. Times when I felt his instruction was to pray and to believe, not to run around telling anyone about what I was facing. Again and again in the 30 years that I have followed Him, I have seen him come through. He did not left me stranded on the side of the road on the way to a conference hundreds of miles from home. He sent someone at just the right time, who knew us and recognized our car. We made it to the conference, and He provided for the repair. There have been times where I have been short by half on being able to pay the rent and a unexpected check has come in the mail for the exact amount. Even recently when my job ended, my husbands job went suddenly from part time to full time. So in this momentary trial I am confident that God is working. I'm checking and praying Lord, help me see if I'm missing something - is your answer in front of my nose and I am blind like Hagar to the near by well. Is there some heart change you need to work in me that is blocking your answer. I ask those kinds of questions but I am also confident that it He who works in me to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) I check and pray but I also trust that if there is something I need to attend to He will make sure I know about it.

What I'm not going to do is to presume to tell the Lord how he should solve my need. I could probably think of some ways that might work, and I could run around trying to put my plans into place. I am confident that he will show me if I am to do something. I am actively waiting. I am alert and attentive, I am not wallowing in the muck and mire of self pity. (At least I try not to wallow - we all have our bad days... I'm no different then you.)

I am not sharing this today to try and manipulate anyone reading into doing anything. The donate button is always at the top left of the blog site page. If God tells you to do something - be obedient and do it. I recently was challenged to give to a ministry during a time that money was tight. It made no sense but it un locked something in me. It was a step of faith that I needed to make in that instant. If you are blessed by these devotionals and want to help support this kingdom work. I do believe God will bless you for your faithfulness. I'm not looking to this as the Ta Da answer and I'm not sharing to stir your sympathy or guilt you into being a part of this work. Ordinarily I would say nothing. I write today because much of my motivation to do this blog each day is about being transparant and real. Because I believe it is important for you to know that you are not alone. That others face the same kinds of things and we can encourage each other on the journey day by day. I write to help you to see how I get through the same things that you are facing as a believer. The same things that most people hide and don't talk about.  I believe I am to share with you how the Lord has helped me and how He is helping me presently.  I share because some of you are facing your own storms and short falls, a battle with an illness, or some brokenness.  I write to remind you that you have a choice today, will you trust him?

There are times when I don't know how to pray and I pray in my prayer language allowing the Holy Spirit who knows far better than me to pray through me. Its a gift that I have been given, not a badge of greater spirituality. A gift that I am quite thankful for because there are a lot of times I don't know how to pray. When I, by faith pray in my prayer language the Holy Spirit edifies and builds up my spirit at the same time. 

I will also spend time in the Word and reading other devotionals and things to build myself up and to keep my thoughts centered on God and not on the problem at hand.

Today I have done what I could do (worked at the church, took kids to and from school, made dinner, worked on this post) and I have made a point to look to the Lord and to trust him through out my day. I have worked on this post off and on through out the day. The things I shared are the things I have done not just in the past but today. I have done my best to not let my thoughts run ahead to worry about tomorrow or next week, or next month. In a lot of ways it has been another ordinary day because I have been through this kind of faith test before and I can say that God has never yet abandoned me. He is still the best decision I have ever made.

Prayer: Lord you know the need that each reader is facing. Help them to turn their eyes from the problem and to put them back on you. You are able to help us through the times that seem to be like a mine field of seemingly impending destruction to see us safely through this day and the next and the next. Help each of us to lay aside worry and to bind fear and doubt and to decide that we will trust you. That we will praise you in the middle of the storm. That we will praise you in the desert. That we will praise you on the mountain top and in the valley. That we will praise you when things don't go like we expected and when they do.