Many of God's children are still struggling to have God's Promises bring forth fruit in their lives. We hear others testify about the things God is doing and about all the works He is moving in, secretly wishing that He would do this for us. In order to have what they have, we must spend time in God's Word like they do. We were lost and living in the Law of Sin and Death, before we heard the Word of salvation. When the Seed of salvation was sown, we accepted and received the Seed in our hearts.
Many Christians read their Bibles when they first get saved, but then they stop planting the Seed in their hearts. Many become discouraged believing that, "It doesn't work for me," while others reap the joy of the harvest of salvation in their lives. Others still have reaped the harvest of salvation, but have never allowed the Seed of other Promises of God to be sown. Most of these "Grace and Truth" series, have begun with John 1:16-17 (Amplified) which says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law came through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ." This scripture tells us that "We have all received, all had a part and were all supplied with these things. The Seed only works for those who sow it. We have all received the same Seed package in God's Word, but only the Seed that enters into the soil of the heart, will produce a harvest in our lives.
We stand in awe and wonder, when we hear about those who've been healed or delivered, but we don't take the time to understand the Seed that brought their harvest of Blessing. Proverbs 4:22 (Amplified) says this about God's Words, "They are Life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh." God speaks about Wisdom or His Word in Proverbs 3:8 (Amplified) saying, "It (Wisdom) shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your lives."
This scripture should offer hope and faith in God's Word, to anyone is suffering from disease and understanding the principal of the Seed. Don't wait until wintertime, to sow your seed. Plant it in the spring and time of planting. Don't wait until you're diagnosed with some disease, before you sow Seeds of healing. Plant the Seeds that bring Divine health now. Many of us wait until we're sick and "need it," before we get serious about reading God's Word. This isn't a religious thing to do, but it's a wise thing to do. One doesn't wait until he needs a salad, before planting the tomato.
We must learn to re-seed our own spirit, by staying rooted in God's Word. Memorizing scripture isn't enough. The memory of a steak, won't nourish your body. We must actually eat a steak, in order to receive it's benefits. Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:11 (Amplified), saying, "Give us this day our DAILY BREAD." We must feed on God's Word daily, in order to receive the Spirit and Life into our spirit, that Jesus spoke of in John 6:63 (Amplified), where He said, "It is the Spirit Who gives Life (He is the Life-Giver), the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths), that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life."
Proverbs 7:4 (Amplified) instructs, "Say to skillful and Godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend." Proverbs 8:8-9 (Amplified) says, "All the Words of My Mouth are righteous, upright and in right standing with God; there is nothing contrary to Truth or crooked in them. They are all plain to him who understands and opens his heart, and right to those who find knowledge and live by it."
Reading God's Word with understanding, is the key to walking in His Promises. All of God's Promises are given by Grace and it's only by faith in Him, that we can receive and actually walk in His Grace. Grace is always present and waiting for someone to believe and accept it. God has already supplied every need we can have, by His Grace. Healing was bought and paid for, before we were ever born. It comes by God's Grace and is received by faith in that Grace. Jesus was and still is, the Very Truth of Grace, according to John 1:17. Grace and truth came through Jesus. We have put our faith in His Grace, in order to receive salvation and forgiveness, but this Grace is Truth in all of the other areas of our lives too.
Exodus 14:11-12 (Amplified) says, "And they said to Moses, is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the Wilderness? Why have you treated us this way and brought us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you in Egypt, Let us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the Wilderness."
The Wilderness was where they actually had to trust in God and walk by faith in Him. God had already made the way for them, but it was by faith, they had to trust in His Power and not their own. God had no problem getting His people out of Egypt, but He had a problem getting Egypt out of His people. It seemed easier for them to remain in the bondage of Egypt, rather than to trust in their deliverance. Deliverance was in God's hands and not theirs. The majority of God's people never saw the Promised Land that God had prepared for them, because they wouldn't believe and trust God.
The Word tells us that they "limited the Holy One of Israel and refused to trust Him at His Word." Only Joshua and Caleb dared to trust Him and that entire generation died in the Wilderness, like they declared would happen. God never intended for us to stay in the Upper Room, but to take the Power of His Promise to those who are in captivity. We cannot remain in the Upper Room, but must put faith in the Truth of God's Promises and set at liberty, those who are still bound.
The miracle that occurred in the Upper Room, was displayed in the streets by the signs and wonders of God's Presence. It's easier for us to stay in the Upper Room, because it's without conflict, but we must bring God's Presence into the streets. We can't lead others to salvation, without teaching them to trust in God's Power and keep the rest of His Promises. That's like having Egypt remaining in the people, after they were brought out. We were born-again by trusting in God's ability to deliver His Promise of salvation.
Like those in the Wilderness, we too, have limited the Holy One, by not believing the Promises God made to us through Jesus. We've seen the mighty things God has done, like those He delivered out of Egypt did, but we hold back from trusting that He will finished what He started. We are out of Egypt, but we still have most of our faith there. We've allowed Egypt to tell us that "we can't be free from the plagues of the world," and then we murmur against God, like those in the Wilderness. Jesus' disciples accused Him of "not caring if they died," when they entered a storm in the Sea of Galilee. We forget that our faith in Him, is what moves His Grace towards us and does what Grace has Promised. It was easy for the Israelites to watch God part the Red Sea and do many works on their behalf, because it didn't require anything from them. It took faith on their part, to trust and believe God was able and would fulfill His Promises.
The same Grace that brought them out of Egypt, was the same Grace that would have taken them into the Promised Land. The deliverance came by Grace, but they had to put faith in that Grace, in order to follow God. The cross was all by Grace and it was all by Him. The same Grace that delivered us, is the same Grace we must now put our faith in, to take us through. We didn't have to trust Him at the cross, He did this all by Grace before we were born. We only had to trust in that Grace, to bring us out. Now that we're "out of Egypt", we must place our faith in that same Grace, to take us into the Promised Land.
We must trust in God's Grace while we're still in this Wilderness of our earthly walk. The Grace that we trusted in for salvation, is the very same Grace that Promised healing, peace, righteousness, Truth, the Power of His Name, the deliverance from evil, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Blessing of Abraham, and the redemption from the Curse of the Law. Psalm 107:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good; for His mercy and loving kindness endures forever. Let he redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary."
We've been quick to "say so," but not so quick to believe what we say. We go through the same things that the enemy puts on those who are still under the Curse and just like those in the Wilderness, we blame our Deliverer for them. I've heard so many of God's children say, "God is putting this hardship upon me, in order to teach me something or to test me." I've heard too many Christians say, "These things must be God's will for me." This is wisdom with no understanding. We're wise enough to read God's Word, but we're still carnal enough that we don't understanding what He said in it.
The people God brought out of Egypt weren't born-again and could only think carnally, but we don't have that excuse. We choose to remain carnally minded. Paul writes in Romans 5:1-5 (Amplified), "Therefore, Since we are justified, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God THROUGH FAITH, let us grasp the fact that we have the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy, peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) through Him we also have our access (entrance, introduction) BY FAITH into this GRACE (state of God's favor) in which we firmly and safely stand, and let us rejoice and exalt in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the Glory of God. Moreover, let us also be full of joy now! let us exalt and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produces patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character, approved faith and tried integrity. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's Love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given us."
Our faith doesn't grumble, when we see "there's no bread to eat," like those in the Wilderness did. Our faith rejoices when we don't "see" it and trust God to deliver us, even when we can't see that deliverance. When we can see everything, then we don't need faith. When we fully trust in God's Grace to provide bread when we need it, our faith is truly in Him. Paul says in the above scripture, that this kind of faith will "develop maturity of character, approved faith and tried integrity."
It's easy to believe, when things are going good, but when adversity arises, do we still trust in God or do we accept the adversity and believe "it's God will for us?" Do we still "say so," as the redeemed of the Lord or do we accept the adversary's pressures as being "God's will for us?" This is a dilemma in our belief system, which tries to make us accept the trials of the adversary as being "God's testing our faith." Paul writes in Galatians 2:20-21 (Amplified), "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion); it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in (adherence to and reliance on and complete trust) in the Son of God, Who Loved me and gave Himself up for me. Therefore, I do not treat God's Gracious Gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose, I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the Grace (unmerited favor of God)."
Paul was simply saying that, "Although things came up against him and troubles arose due to God's calling on him, he put his faith in the Grace God gave him, in order to deliver him from it." Paul says, "Since it's actually Christ living through him, then why would God Himself try to oppose Him?" Paul says, "It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." If you're living through Jesus Himself, then why would God need to test the very faith He has given you, in order to walk with Him? It is after all, the "God kind of faith." He knows what His faith will do and so does your adversary, the devil. "Standing strong in faith against the one who tries you," Paul says in Romans 5:4, "develops maturity of character and approved faith and tried integrity."
Don't worry about the waters of the storm, because our Rock is Jesus and He will lead us beside still waters.
No comments:
Post a Comment