Opening the Vault

"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!" - Psalm 68:19 (NKJV)

Ray Stedman once said, "It is amazing the change that comes over us when we simply review our resources and count our blessings. That is where true encouragement is found in an honest accounting of the Father's limitless resources and blessings, made available to us in Christ."

He wrote, "I once read of an old Navajo Indian who became rich when oil was found on his property. a bank. His banker became familiar with the habits of this old gentleman. Every so often, the Indian would show up at the bank and say to the banker, "Grass all gone, sheep all sick, water holes all dry." Without a word, the banker would take the old Indian into the vault, show him several bags of silver dollars, and say, "All this is yours." The old man would spend about an hour stacking up the dollars and counting them. Then he'd return the bags to their places, come out of the vault, and say, "Grass all green, sheep all well, water holes all full." [Ray Stedman, Our Riches in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1998), 33-34.]

Because he understood that no matter what his physical circumstances looked like, those things were temporary. The real riches he possessed were in the bank, secured for him.
I wish that sometimes we could just open the vault of what God has blessed us with. We could walk in and hold some of those bags of silver coins. We could understand how richly blessed we are, so that we can understand the perspective of all that belongs to us as children of God. How can we lose? We are children of the King!

That Native American's circumstances hadn't actually changed. The sheep were still sick, the grass was still brown, and the water was still dried up. But his perspective changed completely when he remembered his actual wealth.

2 Peter 1:3 says, "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness"... This is not just in the life hereafter but in life today. Everything we need for life - not just eternal life, but this life we're living right now - has already been given to us.

The Bible says God "daily loads us with benefits." Notice it says "daily." Every single day, He loads us with benefits. Every morning when you wake up, you're receiving fresh benefits from the Lord.

Reflection Questions: When circumstances look difficult in your life, do you focus on the temporary problems or remember the permanent wealth you possess in Christ? What would help you spend more time "in God's vault" remembering your true riches?

Heavenly Father, when my circumstances aren't great, help me remember to open the vault of Your promises. Remind me of the spiritual wealth I possess in Christ Jesus. Help me shift my perspective from temporary difficulties to permanent blessings. Thank You for daily loading me with Your benefits. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "Blessed Beyond Measure" (Ephesians 1:3): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/mdjxjmb/2-blessed-beyond-measure-eph-1-3