Give Me Just Enough
“…..Give me
just enough to satisfy my needs! For if
I grow rich, I may become content without God.
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.” (Prov. 30: 8 & 9 TLB)
Have you ever found yourself desperately wanting to
buy something and not having enough money to get it? Most of us have at one time or another. Some say ‘Oh, well’ and get on with life, but
there are those who become majorly depressed and think they can’t live without
it.
Years ago, when catalogues, or ‘wish books’, as they
were called, were the only way to shop, most people spent hours pouring over
them. I, personally, was ‘Queen of the
Catalogues’. I could envision myself
dressed in a marvelous array of clothing, or mentally refurbishing all the
rooms of my house. This was a great
pastime, but there was one problem - I couldn’t afford to buy what I picked
out. It was more than just wanting
something; I longed for it, became obsessed with it and finally depression set
in when I knew there was no way to get the things I wanted.Eventually, I outgrew these obsessions. With a family of my own, I became too busy to dwell on my wants - my needs had first priority.
I remember when the most excitement I had was buying a box of oatmeal, because it had a free dish inside, or a box of detergent with a new towel in it. It was enough. A shopping trip with my mother or sisters meant having a dollar, sometimes two, in my purse. Usually, I bought something for the children (paper dolls were only about a quarter back then and little toy cars a dime). If I went with my mother she would buy my lunch at the lunch counter in the dime store. It was great fun and I had enough.
For years, all my furniture was hand me downs and orange crates became cupboards and end tables. I learned to decorate by painting old furniture. I painted the crates and made bright little curtains for them. I hand painted designs on old flower pots and baby beds. I made colorful pillows for chairs that had worn seats and learned to crochet doilies to cover the ragged arms of our old used sofa.
My sister and I made all our own Christmas decorations out of cardboard, gold and silver spray paint and glitter. The children would make theirs by taking used lids from canning jars, spraying and then covering them with Christmas stickers. Nothing was wasted, but there was always enough to make do.
Out of necessity, I learned to sew on an old treadle sewing machine. Children grow and need more clothes. I bought remnants of material from sale tables. After looking through those great catalogues, I cut out patterns from newspapers and fashioned their clothes to look as close to the pictures as I could. I was so proud when people commented on how well my children were dressed. They had enough.
As for myself, I splurged and bought one pattern for the then popular ‘sheath dresses. I had four or five dresses made after the same pattern, but in different colors. I wore brightly patterned scarves around the neck to change the appearance and lots of jewelry. It was enough to satisfy my needs.
When it came to food, I found ways to stretch the dollars. I baked our own bread, kept the cookie jar full, and made lots of hearty casseroles. When the groceries ran low, I made bean or potato soup with biscuits or cornbread on the side. There was always plenty of milk and eggs and at times we would have a pancake supper just before payday. I don’t remember a time my family ever went hungry. There was always enough food.
Things were pretty tight when it was my eldest daughter’s first birthday. I found I had just enough ingredients to make a half recipe of cake (cake mixes weren’t invented yet). I had potatoes and eggs for soup and flour to make biscuits. Her daddy had one dollar in his wallet and he went to the store and bought a little rubber doll that squeaked. She was delighted when we sang happy birthday to her and lighted one candle on the little cake. She laughed when we blew out the candle, so we lit it again and again just to hear her laughter. I remember that event with fondness and know that even then we had enough. I can truthfully say along with the writer of Psalm 37:25 “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”
There have been times in my life when I have lived in plenty and times I have had very little, but God has always met my need. I wish I could say, as the Apostle Paul did in Phil. 4:12, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” However, I believe the older I grow, the more content I become. I find I’m satisfied with just having my needs meant.
Financial security is something you may never have here on earth, but you can be assured that there will always be enough for you to make it through life. The Word of God says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19) I have found this to be true in my lifetime. There is a security that’s available to you in abundance and it is the security of knowing that you will spend eternity with Christ, if you trust Him as your Savior.
I may not always be content, but I have a thankful heart. Reflecting back over the years, I could write volumes about my needs being met, even when I did not serve God. I am thankful that he didn’t give me worldly riches, for I might have never trusted him. I am thankful that I never really went without food, shelter, or clothing, for I might have turned to crime. I am thankful that I always had just enough and had to often trust him for that because it built my faith.
When I attended grade school, I loved to read and spent every free minute reading the books in our library. There were two that were my favorites and they were stories of children who had miracles happen in their lives. I remember one in particular about a little girl, whose family was very poor. Her mother was sick and her father out looking for work and they had eaten the last bit of food in their house. This family prayed and asked God to supply their need. The mother, raising herself up off her bed, told the little girl to go stand out on the corner, because God was sending help. The little girl ran out to the corner to wait, but as they lived on a back street, hardly anyone ever passed their way. The day grew long and in the late afternoon, the little girl decided to give up and go back in the house. Suddenly, around the corner came a bakery truck and its back door swung open. A whole tray of bread and other baked goods came flying out and landed in the road. The little girl called to the driver that he had lost something, but the truck just went on and disappeared from sight. She picked up the big tray and struggling with it, carried it into the house. She told her mother and father what had happened and they all began to thank God for the miracle. God had supplied their need and it was enough.
In
Let us as mature Christians be thankful to God, who will always give us enough and be content with His provision. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 5:13)
