Nothing Yet Everything – March 06, 2024 (73/365) – JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter

**Spoiler for the awesome movie Kingdom of Heaven ahead**

Balian (Orlando Bloom) asks Saladin what is the city of Jerusalem worth.

The great Arab general’s response is “Nothing”, as turns around and walks towards his camp.

He then then turns back around to face Balian and says “Everything” with a smile on his face, and then returns to his camp.

**Spoiler ends**

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

– Christ speaks, Luke 11:11-13

When you lose so much, I understand now how we can give in to the tendency to ask for things relative to our circumstances. If we lose money, if we don’t ask for money back, we ask the Lord for opportunities to earn back said money… and so on, and so forth.

However, anyone who prays for us during the time is bound to pray that we realize what we already have, and based on this Scripture and a little of my experience, we can say that these folks have their prayers answered… But it feels as if the Lord, in His eternal wisdom, deems it best that in ANY circumstance, it’s the Holy Spirit that’s best to give to us.

As I’ve experienced it, I could say that Christ guaranteed for all of us to see: That the Holy Spirit is faithful to assist you in making the most of what you have – even if it is to such an extent that you are merely reminded that you do have what you have.

In other words, the Holy Spirit is wise for us by way of guiding us to appreciating and maximizing what we do have, AND reminding us of things we forgot along the way.

Actually, there it is – let all of us in the Body of Christ rejoice, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves into. In nothing or in plenty, we do realize what we have – and we ALL have the Holy Spirit.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

– Christ speaks again in John 16:12-13

I don’t want to sound like I’m making assumptions and creative liberties of my own here, especially when it comes to Scripture… but I’m pretty sure we can all revel in the beauty of the Spirit we have poured out upon us, from what Christ shares here.

And it’s pretty significant, especially in this world, this reality that’s slowly but surely moving towards oblivion by way of being so full of lies, falsehoods, and the like. We don’t know what we’re eating anymore. We don’t know if what we’re reading is true – that’s been established for the longest time, but now we’re not even sure if the pictures and videos we watch are real, or edited/generated.

In all this confusion I say it’s an advantage to be in the body of Christ, complete with the Holy Spirit – this same Spirit that IS the Truth, who is in harmony with our Savior who IS the Way, the Life AND the Truth? Well, as Christ mentions, seemingly discontent to merely being the Truth, He GUIDES us into ALL the Truth.

And did you catch what Christ added as details? This Spirit who dwells in all of us speaks what He hears… and I’m assuming He hears from the Lord, who, through Christ, proclaims us righteous, just as He is sure to convict the world of sin, and the enemy of judgment (see John 16:7-11).

I don’t know, man, I guess all I’m wanting to share – to myself, and to all of us in the body of Christ – is that we never really have nothing. For in the absence of anything, we have the presence of the Lord, just as we are present, and seated in the heavenly places – and this is all in the form of the Holy Spirit, alive in us.

In our moments of nothing, may we remember that Christ became nothing for us to have everything – the Holy Spirit IS everything, preceding everything we once thought as nothing, for it all to mean something from the perspective of eternity.

Yesterday I’ve been hearing stories, and today I’ve reflected on when and where it was said in Scripture, that the love of money is the root of all evil. Indeed, looking beyond the things money can buy, some people love money for the power it gives us; its apparent potential to protect us, and to propel us.

I thought I’d never fall for that, but seeing how progressively depressed I was getting while I was losing more and more of my savings and all that was entrusted to me… well, I may deny I was in love with money to some degree, but my actions and feelings betray me.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:10-12

Obviously it isn’t money itself that’s the problem, but when we love it (i.e. hold it to such regard that we make our entire lives rotate and revolve around it), it brings us to do all sorts of evil things we couldn’t imagine we’d do. Timothy is presented with a solution here – to pursue righteousness, primarily… and wouldn’t you know it, this is the same righteousness that the Holy Spirit convicts us of, accompanied by the fruits it produces – love and gentleness.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

In the absence of money.. in the absence of everything, and when all we have is nothing, praise God – why? Because we will ALWAYS have the Holy Spirit… and that, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, is something worth meditating about.

I’ll say it again, for retention (primarily mine):

The Holy Spirit whom we have, and who has us, He convicts us of the Truth of our right-standing with God, and the fruits He produces in us. He reminds us that, because of the righteousness Christ paid such a great price for us to have, we are assured that He will never leave us nor forsake us – we are assured, through the Holy Spirit, that NOTHING disconnects us from the love of God.

And as I love to see the other side of the coin, I also dare say that by the finished work of Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, EVERYTHING reminds us of the love of God.

So while the rest of the world burns, trying to get and keep power by way of the love of money, let us be still and know the power of the Creator of the Universe, whom we call Father – OUR Father, who loves us.

Jesus, thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your consistent reminder, Your conviction that we are always in You, and You are always in us – Thank You for proving this, in the form of the Holy Spirit, whom You sent to us.

In the lies, we have the Truth. In nothing, we have everything – and it’s all because of the Holy Spirit. We have Him by the grace of God, and He has us by the finished work of Christ.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.

Praise Father, Son AND Holy Ghost.

Amen.

God bless us all.

73110/365000

#HolySpirit #LoveOfMoney #LoveOfGod #Truth #JesusChrist #Grace #BenefitsOfSalvation #PracticalChristianity #2024YearOfTrust #Reflections #Revelations #Contentment #TrueWealth