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Jesus never ever promised any material prosperity for His followers in this world... Indeed He told us we would be Hated and persecuted for His name sake.. He said::
John 16:KJV
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Romans 8: KJV
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Also Ladylynn I quoted the part of your OP that i was responding to.. I was not responding to the entire post..
John 16:KJV
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Romans 8: KJV
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Also Ladylynn I quoted the part of your OP that i was responding to.. I was not responding to the entire post..
What you are saying is true on only the level it is true on as you stay there. There is another place to go and to be. I read and understand Psalm 23 much different than I used to. Many believers look at Psalm 23 from the perspective of when people are dead.
OH dear that is amazing how God meant us to see it as the Lord Jesus Who is our Good Shepherd while HERE on earth as well as forever. And man has taken that VERY Psalm and used it for death. Just like the enemy to make what God meant for life to be turned into death.
Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly. satan is the father of lies who seeks to kill steal and destroy. he will always distort the Word of God. We have to be students of the Bible and know what it says in order to counter the devils attacks and fiery darts.
A Psalm of David.
[SUP]1 [/SUP]The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
[SUP]
2 [/SUP]He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
[SUP]
3 [/SUP]He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
[SUP]
4 [/SUP]Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
[SUP]
5 [/SUP]You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [SUP][a][/SUP]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
[SUP]
6 [/SUP]Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.
Please consider what these verses say. He is our Shepherd Who leads and guides us. We shall not want or lack for anything. Because of Him and His leading and because of His great Love. Not for our earning it but because of His Love.
The valley of the sunless dark shadow of death with accompanying fear and dread; where we need His rod for protection and His staff to guide us is for NOW. It's before we arrive in heaven where we will no longer be fighting the good fight of faith.
He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. We have no more enemies in heaven. We have no more trials or tribulations in heaven. We have these promises of His guidance and protection for our use NOW but so many believers don't know it and even refuse to take it.
They think being poor needy and beggarly is somehow a spiritual thing. Again, the enemy comes and distorts being cared for by our Father as being poor and beggarly. Even we provide for our children better than that.
I see tons of promises. We lack for nothing because of Him. We are hated in the world for sure and yes, we have tribulations but are continually admonished to look to Jesus Who has already overcome the world. We are in Him.
We are more than conquerors. Jesus did the conquering so we didn't even have to fight for it so we are even more than conquerors. We can (by faith) rest in the work Jesus has done on our behalf. When we allow Jesus to be our righteousness and our standing and our conqueror, and our Good Shepherd, and our Advocate we no longer worry but we rest the sweetest kind of rest. No ulcers no fears that debilitate us. satan's lies will not have power over us because we will believe the truth and the truth will set us free.
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