Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Craving Steak on a Mac & Cheese Budget”

“The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.” – Proverbs 10:3 (NIV)

Jimmy Robertson was a man on a mission. After a long day following his job as an auto mechanic all he wanted to do was have a bite to eat then sit down and watch some television before going to bed. He was a single guy living by himself and after two years of being on his own he was feeling somewhat unsatisfied with his life and his position.
After heating up some leftovers for dinner Jimmy sat down to watch some television before going to bed and get ready to start a new day. Already feeling discouraged with his life and current situation the more he watched the more depressed he became. Practically every commercial reminded him of what he “was missing.” After two hours of craving his hunger got the best of him—and we are not talking about food. He wanted more than what his life could afford. All he could think, “I need some cash and I need some now!”
By now it is 9 o’clock at night. He was not a violent man so robbing a fast-food restaurant or convenience store was out of the question. He did not consider himself to be “clever” enough to scam someone—so what should he do? All of sudden his mind came up with three letters…ATM.
In Jimmy’s mind there had to be at least three thousand dollars in one of those machines so if he could crack one open he would be on his way. But how? Breaking open one of those machines would not be an easy or quick thing to do and he did not have the tools necessary for such a job. The only way to break one of those machines open would be by ramming it with a car…no…a truck. A really big truck! “That’s what I’ll do,” he thought. “I’ll steal a truck and then use it to ram an ATM, then grab the cash and run.”
With his plan in place Jimmy left his apartment with the intent of stealing a truck—ramming it into an ATM, steal the money and begin to do something with his life. Choosing to leave his car at home, for the next two hours Jimmy walked all over his neighborhood searching for just the right truck but nothing seemed to fit. Then he spotted it—a black Ford F-250. That was plenty big he thought. ,br /> Now Jimmy may have been a fair mechanic—but that does not mean he knew how to steal a car (or truck in this case). After twenty minutes of trying to break the lock he got frustrated and broke a window. In so doing he cut his hand and then set off the alarm. So much for that truck. He quickly ran from there and then spotted another larger truck about two blocks away. Different truck, different make and model, same results. By now he was exhausted, and to make matters worse he was bleeding badly. At this point he had two options: One, forget his plans, go home and wrap up his wounded hand, or, two, make one more attempt to steal a truck. He chose option two. He chose badly.
He finally got the door open but in so doing he got two of his fingers smashed in the door breaking them. With his right hand bleeding and two broken fingers on the other Jimmy finally abandoned his scheme and made his way home. When he got to his apartment he painfully and gingerly reached into his pocket to retrieve his key only to discover they were not there. He had left his key and his phone locked inside of his apartment. Tired, in pain, all he could do was to sit down in front of his door and contemplate the nights events and how things did not go as he planned. To add insult to injury he would be unable to work for the next three weeks, losing both his job and his apartment. After reading this story I was drawn to this passage from the book of Psalms:

“This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” – Psalm 73:12-17

I think what both the Psalmist and Solomon are saying is that no matter how hard the “evil” plot, and even at times succeed, (unlike Jimmy) God will have the final say.
We all have “cravings.” Desires and wants prompted by the constant barrage of tempting advertisements and commercials. We see those who have succeeded and envy their status and good fortune. But God knows what real hunger is and His promise to us is that He will make sure as believers we are fed physically…and keep us satisfied spiritually!
Pastor J. T. Carnell