In the past 10-15 years Ellen and I have struggled with the material side of blessings from God. Don’t get me wrong we are still materially blessed. But before we get too deeply involved in these questions I posed, let me define what I mean by material. By material I’m perhaps expanding the normal definition to include physical and emotional health as well as the monetary blessing. By Spiritual, for the purpose of this discussion, I’m taking it beyond our salvation but limiting it more to God’s intervention and revelation to us in relation to our understanding of the Holy Spirits teaching us and leading us in Gods wisdom to walk in keeping with His call on our lives.

I realize that there may be some overlap in these definitions, because the mind is of necessity involved in both definitions. So for the purpose of this post I’ll just say that the mind of Christ is the most important ingredient in our discussion of both blessings. And this is why the mind is the battleground between God and Satan.

Now to my reason for asking the questions. For some time I have realized that our family including our Children and Grand Children are under attack. Families have undergone Satan’s attacks on their marriages. My brother and my Sister and a very close cousin have and are battling cancer. Additionally our finances have undergone similar attack. As an example without going into the —woe is me detail, we permanently moved to Florida full time over three years ago, and left a waterfront condo to be sold in Va. We have yet to sell it; although we have had four contracts that have all fallen through.

Needless to say we have prayed much about all of this, but long ago I recognized that all that we have is the Lords. I therefore, even though I do what I can to be a good steward with what God has put on loan to us here, so I never have become overly concerned with these material things. They are His. The physical and satanic attacks on the other hand seem to grate at me mentally.

So usually I can place things with God and rest in Him. But lately it has seemed that hells forces have been unleashed directly at our family, and then even the condo has seemed a big deal, so I was wallowing in self pity.

These things had mounted in pressure on both of us emotionally. I found myself not able to release them. Yet at the the same time Spiritual blessings have been poured out upon us. I have had such insight into the area where God has taught me so much within His prophetic word. Our family though it has taken serious hits; I am finding that each one is still standing strong in the Lord. But because of my attitude from the attacks on the family over which I felt God had in some ways abandoned us; I began to even question my ministry, and my ability to touch heaven with these prayer needs. This to the point that I began to doubt my own commitment to The Lord — wandering has God abandoned me. I had never in my over 45 years of commitment to Him, ever had such thoughts.

Then, God placed the above questions before me that I have brought to you. And when He did I became ashamed. The material things of this life are as Paul stated but dung. It is the salvation of family and friends; the fellowship with Gods people, and the Revelation into His word that gives us our perseverance, our assurance, and our hope, yes a blessed hope for the future when He comes. God is able to handle the prayer requests that I send to Him, and I can abandon them to Him, because He is able to do more than I can ever imagine. The tests that He sends our way are to prepare us for greater service.

May God grant each of us the mind of Christ to enable us for the battles that lay ahead. Our Lord was tempted and attacked by Satan, so who am I to think that I should have no burden; no cross to bear in the world where we are each asked to be overcomers.