In these days of poor economical times, people often look to the government to get them by.  And of course, the more people who are looking to the government for help means there are less people who are paying into the system.  It’s only a matter of time before that becomes unsustainable.  The problem is, we want and use more than we produce, and that creates debt.  And debt is somewhat like rabbits; they multiply very quickly and just keep on multiplying. What happens then?
   That’s the question many are trying to answer right now.  You see, mankind made the problem, so the natural line of thought would tell us man has the solution.  Sadly, mankind cannot solve the problem they created, they can only legislate and borrow and kick the can down the road a little further hoping someone else will have the answer.  Well, someone HAS the answer, and that is God.  Actually, He’s had the answer all along, only mankind has largely chosen to do things their own way.  What a pity.  We could ALL be living far better than we are, and guess what?  It’s our own fault.  Time and time again, God has told us in His Word how we should live if we want to be blessed and prospered, but we think we have a BETTER way, don’t we?  I’d call it a pride problem.
   Take the Ten Commandments, for example; here are ten simple rules for getting ahead, and mankind has made ten thousands of their own rules to try to accomplish the same thing with absolutely no success.  Does God have a better way?  Absolutely!  So you’d think the entire world would beat a path to God’s door to get started living by His rules.  Then why aren’t they?  Most importantly, why aren’t YOU?  We can make a million excuses, but the bottom line is this; the Lord Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  Have you ever considered that the thief can also be our own prideful ways?  Pride robs us of the ability to submit to God as we should.  Oh, we SAY we are submitted to God, but are we?  REALLY?  Be honest about it.  You may fool me, but you can’t fool God.
   A few weeks ago we sung a hymn in church that spoke to my heart, that we should rewrite the lyrics to reflect the truth of the matter.  They song is called, “I Surrender All”.  It would reflect a more accurate picture if we changed it to say, I Surrender SOME”.  I don’t know anyone, including myself, who can honestly say we have surrendered all to God.  And every problem we face in life can be boiled down to one simple thing; we have NOT totally submitted our wills to God to the point that He has His perfect will with us.
   Jesus said most clearly, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  Are you living the “abundant life”, or are you living on what YOU can provide through borrowing?  You see, the thief, which comes to steal, kill, and destroy is robbing all of us from having God’s best, and the worst part is, we are willingly allowing it!  By our refusal to totally submit ourselves unto God, puts us basically on our own path without the benefit of God’s wisdom, leadership, approval, and blessing.  Now keep in mind that God DOES allow us freedom of choice, and if we had a lick of sense, we would all choose to do things God’s way, but that just isn’t the case.  All we have to do is look around at the laws being created by our elected officials to see an accurate picture of the direction our society has gone.  And indeed, it HAS gone, and unless God does something drastic, it isn’t coming back.
   I’ve been told by some that I am a Revivalist.  Actually, I’ve always considered myself having a healing ministry, but when I consider all points of healing, spiritual, emotional, and physical, it becomes apparent that our entire being only exists on a “life more abundantly” level in the degree we are submitted unto God.  Does God want your spirit to be fulfilled and joyful?  Sure.  Does He want your emotional life to be wonderful?  Absolutely.  Does He want your physical body to be working in all the glory He created it to operate in?  Positively.  What then, is the problem?  It’s US!  Let me say that again, the problem is US, it isn’t God holding out on us.
   We can spend all our time seeking our own pleasure, mapping out OUR plan for our lives, and looking to ourselves to chart our own path, which obviously leads to destruction and ruin.  Or….we can look to God.  By looking to God, I mean getting into God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us in the path God would have us to walk, and then having the determination to actually become obedient to God in every area of our life.  It isn’t enough to KNOW the will of God; it also requires our obedience.
   The ways of the world have led mankind into pride and wars over material things, which has led to the murder of millions of people over the ages.  The disciple James said it well when He said,
Jas 4:1  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jas 4:5  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
Jas 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
    You see, mankind has chosen poorly, we have rejected God’s ways from the very beginning.  Some, A FEW, have chosen to seek God and submit unto Him.  For them, life is becoming more abundant by the day, for when you seek God, it cannot be any other way, for God cannot deny Himself or His Word, which He exalts above all His name.  God has His remnant in every generation who seek after Him with all their heart.  They are generally easy to spot, for the devil opposes all they do, as does the rest of the world, yet they have joy in knowing they are beloved of God, no matter what the circumstances around them.
   If you are seeking to live God’s way, the world’s system will be against you, as Jesus warned, and He also said the time will come that those will arise who think they are actually doing God a service by killing you.  That is how much you will stand out as different from the rest of the world.  Now that’s a steep price to pay for being a follower of God, but we must all consider the cost and weigh the price in the balance.  We may never be asked to die for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but who knows?  We can go along with the world and most assuredly be lost, or we can look to God, submitting our all unto Him, and gain salvation through the blood of Christ Jesus.  Sadly, Jesus said not many will be saved.  Look at what He said in Luke 13:23-30:
Luk 13:23  Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
Luk 13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Luk 13:25  When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Luk 13:26  Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
Luk 13:27  But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
Luk 13:28  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
Luk 13:29  And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
Luk 13:30  And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
   But if you look to God, you will be one who is saved.  Are you worth it?  Jesus surely thinks so, that’s why He went to the cross for you.  What about the others, doesn’t God care about them?  Sure He does, and He is pleading for them RIGHT NOW to come unto Him and be saved.  He gives everyone a choice.  He’s giving YOU a choice, will you look to the world, or will you look to God?  Choose wisely, for it’s the most important choice you will ever make in your life.