313. EARTH POOR BUT HEAVEN RICH

(The Single Woman Series – Batch 5)

Feeling a bit sorry for myself, tonight, I wrote:

Some of the reasons why people ignore me are that after many, many years, I have:

  • 1. No husband and no prospect – I can’t seem to attract them or worse yet, they’re not repulsed by me but I just can’t seem to even be seen by them. They don’t even know I am alive, even if I was to pass by them;
  • 2. No children;
  • 3. No real job;
  • 4. No stable, monthly income coming in;
  • 5. No house;
  • 6. No land;
  • 7. No car.

What I have are:

  • 1. Problems;
  • 2. A past;
  • 3. Grey hairs that increase almost every day seemingly;
  • 4. Health issues;
  • 5. Loneliness;
  • 6. Dwindling funds;
  • 7. Attacks, insults and criticisms;
  • 8. Confusion.

Then I found myself writing the following, although I had intended what I was writing to be a pity party for me:

Question: Is it possible to be 41 years of age and to have no husband, no prospect of one, no job, no income coming in, no house, no land and no car (all the average things that people think they must have in order to be happy in life) but STILL be PRAISING God and being JOYFUL and content in HIM?

Is it possible to be 41 years of age and to have problems upon problems, a terrible past, grey hairs that are multiplying, extreme loneliness, dwindling funds with continued expenses, attacks, insults, criticisms and even ridicule, confused as to why your life never seems to graduate from sterility and STILL have heartfelt GRATITUDE to the Lord that has granted you even more than you deserved and shown you a love that is humbling?

Yes it is possible to both of the above. I know this because this is the life that I am now living.

I don’t have all that I would like in this world and of course, the deprivation of some key things hurts but although I don’t have all I would like, I have more than I deserve and this truth keeps things in perspective and makes me continuously THANKFUL to God.

For, although worthy of death, I have life! I am still in the land of the living! And although worthy of hell, Jesus saved me and clothed me with his perfect righteousness. I am therefore now a partaker of an eternal inheritance, even if it seems I have none here on earth.

I am mindful, in my pain and through my tears, that one day, when this life is over, these things that I have not gotten (if it continues this way until the end) will not matter to me, as much as they tend to matter on earth. I will think back on all that has been withholden from me (and perhaps all which I caused to be withholden from myself through my own disobedience) and say, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, all that is within me, bless the Lord! For he doeth all things well. All his judgments are perfect and righteous and so is the counsel of his will.”

I may not understand everything on this side of life and indeed, there is no guarantee that I will when in eternity but God knows what he is doing. He doesn’t make any mistakes and whatever he has purposed in my life is best.

In conclusion, I have realized that adverse circumstances don’t have the power to steal a Christian’s PRAISE, a Christian’s JOY a Christian’s GRATITUDE and THANKFULNESS to the Lord. For, despite all that I don’t have in earthly accomplishments, I STILL have these things!

I can truly say, even as David said to the Lord when he was full of troubles but realized that he still had his praise, “There be many that say, Who will show us any good?…Thou hast put gladness in my heart, MORE than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.” (Psalm 4:6-7)

On a final note, isn’t God amazing? I started typing what I had typed with the intention of having a pity party for one but God didn’t allow it. Instead of wallowing in my issues and feeling sorry for my pathetic self, in the midst of my writing, he turned it around, causing me to focus on the spiritual blessings that I have in Him, despite what I don’t have.

As Ephesians 1:3 states, all I can say is “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

(Written on 20th April, 2022)

ADDENDUM

Shortly after writing the Article above, a verse suddenly came to mind and I remembered what I had read in my devotions that morning, when I had opened the Bible randomly to a page, as I sometimes do.

My Bible had opened on Isaiah 54 and so I had read the entire Chapter.

Somehow, now, I think it is relevant to the Article above, as I sort of feel like it is God’s response to what I wrote above, although I read the scripture this morning and only wrote the above Article tonight.

In the scripture, God spoke through his Prophet Isaiah to the Israelites, who, like Christians were in relationship with him by a covenant. God told them (and to some extent, though this may sound strange, I feel like he is telling me):

  • “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for MORE are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
  • Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
  • Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
  • For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
  • O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
  • And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
  • In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”

(Addendum written on 20th April, 2022)

FURTHER ADDENDUM

Today, 23rd April, 2022, I went in search of an Article I had written in 2015 or thereabout and uploaded to the Website because I wanted to add a version of a song I had just listened to for the first time and found appropriate. The song I heard today is called ‘It Is Well’ and this is the name of the Article I had written as well. When I opened the Article (you can read ‘IT IS WELL’ at Article No. 194), there was a lovely portion of scripture that I had included at the end, which I believe to be very relevant to the Article I wrote on the 20th April, 2022, as well. I have therefore decided to include it here. The scripture states:

  • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
  • Wherein ye GREATLY REJOICE, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto PRAISE and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye REJOICE WITH JOY unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:3-8)

(Further Addendum written on 23rd April, 2022)

Dear Reader, if you found the above Article to be interesting, informative, beneficial or edifying, you may also be interested in reading the following:

  • Note 42 – ‘When That Door Wouldn’t Budge’
  • Note 50 – ‘Making Sense Of The Awful Stillness – The Process Of Metamorphosis’
  • Note 112 – ‘Lessons I Learned From The Lazarus Story’
  • Note 142 – ‘Single Woes – The Battles We Singles Fight Every Day’
  • Note 219 – ‘Dear Wall…’
  • Note 279 – ‘Do You Feel Disappointed By God?’
  • Note 312 – ‘Running Out Of Time But Still Single’

Also, under the ‘BIBLE-BELIEVING Daughters’ page:

  • Note 165 – ‘Peter’s Imprisonment – Points I Gleaned From My Study Of Acts 12:1-19’
  • Note 168 – ‘Some Of My Favorite Charles Spurgeon Sayings’
  • Note 221 – ‘I Shall Not Die But Live!’
  • Note 222 – ‘Frustration In His Silence’
  • Note 225 – ‘Be Strong And Of A Good Courage’

Additionally, under the ‘BROKEN Daughters’ page:

  • Note 32 – ‘Until These Calamities Be Overpast’
  • Note 40 – ‘When Life Throws You Lemons’
  • Note 41 – ‘Do You Feel Broken?’

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