The Believer’s Proof of Plenty

April 8, 2019 by Leave a Comment

faith, provision, dependenceToday I am working off of a very simple but very powerful truth.  That whatever it is that I lack, God can supply it.  Or to turn it around, whatever it is that you lack, God can supply it.

Lately, for whatever reason, God keeps bringing me back to the basic idea of faith and belief in Him and His sovereignty.  And for us to really “get” the idea that God really can supply all of our needs and that He really does love us so much that He is standing, waiting to provide what we need if we would only ask, we need our faith increased.

Our faith needs to be proven and it needs to be exercised and stretched, like a muscle.  And for that to happen we need to be in a position where we don’t have all the answers and we don’t have the resources that we need.  Because once we realize that we don’t have what we need and we can’t manufacturer it or get it anywhere else but God, then we can rely on Him and watch as He miraculously provides above and beyond all that we could ask or imagine.

And then the process needs to be repeated and in that process, our faith in and dependence on God will increase.

There are many ways that this can happen.  For some of us who are very stubborn, we will only realize this truth when we have made almost every mistake that there is to make.  Call it a crisis point or coming to the end of ourselves, but that is what it takes for some of us.  And it is only when we’ve realized how wrong we have been and how far we have strayed and how fruitless our actions have been can we then turn to a holy God and repent and ask Him to turn our lives around for good.

For others, it is a more gradual process of realization as the Holy Spirit draws and the individual begins to listen and prove what God is saying.  Thankfully, the end result is the same.  No matter how we come or when we come, as long as we fully commit our hearts and lives to God and continue to depend on Him for everything, God will use us and bless many through us.

So my question today, for all of us, is this: what do we lack?  Whether it be something obvious and incessant or something subtle and hidden from the view of most.  And once we have realized that need, are we completely dependent on our precious Savior to meet it, waiting for His provision, or are we looking somewhere else?

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The Faith Response

May 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

faith, provision, Romans 8First described by American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon, the fight-or-flight response is an organism’s response to a perceived threat, attack or harmful situation.  When faced with such a threat, the body produces adrenaline and other chemicals that help it move and think more rapidly as well as helping it make the determination to stay and put up a fight or to flee to safety.

The fight-or-flight response occurs almost instantaneously and the underlying physiological processes that take place while it is under way are amazing to behold from a scientific point of view.  The way that God designed our bodies to react and adapt points to his creative and perfect design for mankind that must now live in a fallen and imperfect world due to sin’s influence.

Fight-or-flight may be a physical response but there is another, more important spiritual response that must also be present in the life of the believer in times of trouble.  That response is the faith response and it is the greatest weapon that we have to fight against the enemy and against the effects of sin in our world and in our lives.

The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 8 that we have been set free from the power of sin and death and that is an awesome truth that should be pondered daily by every believer.  But as long as we live and walk in this world we will experience the effects of sin be they pain, tiredness, sickness, heartache, sorrow, temptation (and the list goes on) and how we respond in those times will determine our life’s course and our success or failure as children of God.

We can either respond in the normal, human way (in the flesh) or we can respond in faith and by trusting in God’s power and God’s provision to overcome (in the Spirit) every obstacle.  “Take it to the Lord” should be an everyday, all-day event for we who are redeemed.  And not just for problems but also for praises and in response to every good thing that God allows us to experience.  The more we practice responding in faith to our circumstances the more God can work in and through us and the greater our impact for good will be on those in our circle of influence.

The faith response is not automatic and is not always easy.  We must practice it in the things both large and small and we must learn the futility of responding in our own strength (often times the hard way).  Yielding to the Spirit’s power and influence will cause the fruits of the Spirit to be born while pushing ahead in our own strength will never yield the fruits of the Spirit.

Every day and in every situation we have a choice of how we will act and how we will respond.  Challenges and trials will come and no matter who or where we are we can either ask the Spirit for help and strength, praise Him for his power and provision or ignore Him and try to do it all on our own.  My prayer is that every response we have will be a response from faith and from our love and gratitude to Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

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The Almighty in the Greek – Hikanos is Sufficient

May 14, 2018 by Leave a Comment

hikanos, God is able, sufficiencyHere is an awesome and wonderful truth.  God is always sufficient and able!  You may have been told this before and you may have even heard other people talk about how God met a need that they had in a way that was completely perfect.  But until it has been demonstrated to you and until you have experienced it personally then you really don’t have an understanding of hikanos.

Hikanos is a Greek word that is used in several places in the Bible and has meanings of sufficient, fit, able, adequate and worthy.  According to Mr Steve Taylor in his upcoming book “The Thunder Poet”, the Septuagint Bible translators chose to translate The Almighty’s name as hikanos in the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.  The Almighty’s name in that case literally means “the sufficient one” or “the adequate one” as he is adequate and sufficient for every need.

If you remember your Bible then you know that God provided for Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, by providing through Boaz a kinsman- redeemer.  For Ruth and Naomi, God was hikanos just as he is in our lives today.

Lately, the sufficiency of God has been much on my mind.  Life has not been easy or simple and the more difficult things get the more I am mindful of my needs and the ability of God to meet them.  While I do not relish or seek out difficulty it has been amazing over the last few weeks and months to watch God obliterate obstacle after obstacle and provide exactly what I need at exactly the right time.

Just a few days ago I experienced one of the most challenging work days that I have ever been through.  One of our main staff members was out for personal reasons and in a small business that means that everyone else has to do a little bit (or a lot) more.  On top of that, I began the day with a dentist appointment which meant that my normal 8 hours would be more like 6.5 or 7 hours to get more work done that I can usually do in 8.

I knew all of that going in and I earnestly prayed for God to grant me supernatural productivity and energy and to help me use my time wisely.  Although I didn’t know how the day would go, I trusted God to be hikanos for me.

My dentist appointment normally takes an hour and a half counting the travel and waiting time.  On that day I was back in 40 minutes. While I was in the chair but right before I left the dentist said “I am completely on time this morning and I am normally always late!  This is very unusual for me” and I knew that God was in it.

The amount of business we did on that day was nearly triple what we normally do and we accomplished it while down a man.  I still don’t know how, realistically, that I was able to answer all of the phone calls, respond to all of the email, complete all of the paperwork and leave on time but I did.  And it is only because God provided and because God was, once again, showing his sufficiency to me.

I felt his presence close at hand that day and my thought to end the day was, “if I have to go through the most difficult and exhausting days just to feel God’s presence and to know his sufficiency then isn’t it worth it?!”  “Yes, it absolutely is!”

And if I had the time and the opportunity I could tell you of similar days and similar circumstances where I had no chance of having the resources I needed but where God stepped in and provided for me in ways that were both marvelous and miraculous.  Hikanos as a concept is personal to me and my hope is that it is personal to you as well.

Above all, God longs to be personal with each of us and we will never know God as we should until we understand and experience his sufficiency and provision in our lives.

 

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Autographs in the Dust

May 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

trust, Jeremiah 17, provision, temporary versus eternalAt birth or sometime shortly thereafter each of us was given a name.  Our given names are important for a variety of reasons and one of those reasons is that of identity and responsibility.  If we sign or affix our name to a document or a piece of work then we have identified that document or piece of work as at least partially ours and we have taken some or all of the responsibility for it.  For example, if we sign a check then we are telling the bank that we have authorized payment from our account to the payee and that we have taken responsibility for the amount listed on the check.  Likewise, putting our name on a homework assignment tells our teacher or instructor that this work belongs to me, the one who has signed it, and I am responsible for the accuracy or inaccuracy of what is shown.

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.  For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.  Jeremiah 17:5 (NKJV)

Now, what does our name have to do with trusting in man and not God?  Jeremiah chapter 17 is all about the difference between those who trust in their own strength (in flesh) versus those who have placed their hope and trust in the Lord.  Let’s look at a few of the differences and in doing so, we will have our answer.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV)

The image here is of two plants, one a bush or shrub and the other a tree.  The shrub is planted in the desert or wilderness and suffers from drought and is stunted because of it.  The tree is planted by the river and has its roots near the water so that when drought comes it stays green and healthy, yielding fruit all the while.  We might be tempted to think that the tree has an unfair advantage because it is planted by the river in the first place but remember, it is God who decides the course of the waters.  God brought that water to the tree (the one who trusts in God) in the first place and if the shrub (the man who trusts in flesh) decided to seek the eternal, living water then God would not hesitate to alter the course of the river so that it too could become green and vibrant.  The difference here is in the choice to trust and seek God or to trust and see only ourselves and the power of man.  Dry and suffering versus abundance and protection, the choice is ours.

O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be ashamed.  “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.”  Jeremiah 17:13

Jeremiah writes here that those who forsake God and depart from him “shall be written in the earth” because they would not come to the fountain of living water.  They would not turn to God for sustenance and so their names have been written in the dust of the ground instead of in the permanence of the Lamb’s book of life.  And what happens to anything that is written on the ground and scratched into the dust of the earth?  At the first disturbance by wind, water or passing creature it is wiped out, obscured and obliterated.

The fact is, no autograph in the dust will last very long and with each choice we make we are effectively signing our names either in the permanence of heaven or the dust of the earth.  Do our choices reflect our trust in God and an eternal hope that rests on him alone or do they instead show only a reliance on self and that which is temporary and fading?  God has promised to provide for us and to sustain us through all of life’s trials and through any drought that comes our way.  All that he asks in return is that we trust him and follow in his ways.  Where is our trust?  Where is our hope?  Where is our strength?  Find it all in God alone.

That which is written in heaven has a hope, a future and will remain.  That which is written in the dust of this place is will soon be gone.

 

 

 

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God’s Provision for a New Year

January 9, 2017 by Leave a Comment

provision, Philippians 4, faithLast year is over.  A new year has begun.  While making New Year’s Resolutions might be the popular thing to do, as God’s people we are assured that we don’t have to wait until a new year in order to turn over a new leaf.  God says “Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2) and God’s help and provision are always present tense and available right now to all who would receive.

Maybe last year wasn’t a good year for us.  Maybe there were circumstances that brought pain and sorrow or perhaps we found ourselves in a place of regret over mistakes that were made.  Maybe we began this new year with a hope for something better but without a concrete plan for positive change.

I’m here to tell you, God has what you need.  In his letter to the church at Philipi, Paul offered encouragement and Godly wisdom which is still applicable to us today and can completely transform our lives if we will put it in to practice.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4-7 (NASB)

Thankfulness in all things and in all circumstances is the first step.  No matter what’s happening and no matter how we feel at the moment, we can express our thanks to God.  Not that all things are good or desirable, but that God Himself is always worthy of our thanks and that His salvation and Spirit sustains us even in the midst of the darkest days.  And with that thankful heart we are then in a perfect position to offer up our prayers and requests to God who is able to provide for all of our needs.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19 (NASB)

Once we have decided to be thankful (and it is a conscious decision that we must make) and offered up our earnest prayers to God, then God Himself will provide an incredible peace which is able to do a miraculous thing for us.  God’s peace will “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”!  This is a wonderful promise because a heart and mind that is guarded by God’s peace is one that is not easily moved or swayed by the evil of this world and can begin to be a light for others.  In other words, this is the foundation for a vital and growing faith that we must exercise and put to daily use.

Ultimately it is God who controls our circumstances and much of what happens around us is outside of our ability to change.  What is possible and expected of us is to become all that God would have us to be by putting His word into practice.  We must trust God with our lives and with our needs and most importantly, with our hearts and minds.  There is no blessing that God will withhold from the one who is completely surrendered to Him and there is no power in this world that can overcome those that are committed to doing His will.

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The First Step Towards God Meeting Your Needs

November 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment

provision, Matthew 6:33I would like to focus on a thought the Holy Spirit shared with me this week and examine it in closer detail.  God is so good and faithful to His children and as I was praying for wisdom and direction for this week’s blog entry, this is what was impressed upon me:  In order for God to fully provide for us, we must fully provide ourselves to Him.

Immediately following this thought I recalled a verse of scripture, Matthew 6:33, which says:

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to (provided for) you. (NASB)

By the fact that this scripture immediately followed the thought I knew that it was from God and that I needed to share it.

On a basic level, all of us enjoy the blessings of life, whether we know God and acknowledge Him or not.  But according to our thought for today and the scripture verse that goes along with it, certain things will only be provided once we have begun to seek Him first, over and above all else.  Does that mean that God will withhold certain things from His children when they do not seek Him and do not put him first?  Yes, I believe that is exactly what it means and once again we can go to scripture to look for examples.

“But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
 “Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city
And on another city I would not send rain;
One part would be rained on,
While the part not rained on would dry up.  (Amos 4:6-7) NASB

Notice, God withheld rain and there was a lack of food because His people were in rebellion and would not turn back to Him.  Rain is necessary for water to drink for all living things and without it food becomes scarce.  Rain and the water it brings can be thought of as the most basic and critical necessity for life and God alone is responsible for its abundance or lack thereof.

Our verse in Amos was in the past but what about in the future?  Does the Bible have anything to say that would indicate God could use this type of withholding again?  Yes, it does, in fact.

 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.  And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. (Zechariah 14:16-17)

Zechariah chapter 14 is prophecy.  It speaks about a day that has not yet come to pass and verses 16 and 17 are thought to take place after the 2nd coming of Jesus.  So if God withheld provision in the form of rain and water from His people in the past and will do so in the future then it does not take any stretch of the imagination to believe that He is doing so now.  And if He will do it for an entire nation or body of people then He will certainly do it for us as individuals.  To turn around the thought we started with, if we are withholding ourselves from God and seeking after other things then we can expect God to begin withholding certain things from us and before too much time has passed we will begin to find ourselves in need.

As children of God, we should know that He is generous and desires to give abundantly.  It is never His desire to withhold from us and to see us in lack or in need.  We have a responsibility to stay in the place where God can bless us and He can only do so when we are actively seeking Him.  To find healing and renewal for ourselves, for our families and for our country we must turn our eyes and hearts towards Jesus our savior and cry out to Him.  Only He can provide what we so desperately need.

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Today’s Bread Is Ready, Are You?

June 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Matthew 6:11, provision, faithOur title today comes from Matthew 6:11 which is part of what we refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer”.  Jesus Himself prayed this prayer as an example to us and that makes it especially important for us to learn and understand.  It is to our great benefit to apply His words to our lives and when we fail to do so we miss out on many of the blessings that God has prepared for us.

I find it especially important that Jesus included the phrase “give us this day our daily bread”.  In effect, Jesus is telling us that we need to recognize that our provision comes from God and that it will be sufficient for “today” (meaning now).  Looking at it another way, when we fail to ask God to provide what we need, we are either exercising a lack of faith (we don’t believe God can really provide what we need) or outright denial of God (we ignore His authority completely and count on ourselves or others for provision).  Either way, it is a mistake that we can’t afford to make.

It’s also important here to know what the Bible means when it refers to bread.  In a broad sense, bread is everything that we need to survive and thrive.  It is physical nourishment, it is energy and will, it is fellowship and spiritual renewal and it is most definitely salvation unto eternal life.  All of this comes from God and is available to us if only we will ask and believe.

The problem for us comes when we fail to ask or worse, fail to believe.  For many of God’s children, even though we have may have made a profession of faith at some point, we leave God out of the most fundamental things in life by simply not asking and by not taking our needs directly to Him.  He knows us, He created us and He is standing ready to provide.  He has our daily bread ready and waiting for us before we ever ask.  He loves us that much and I know it hurts His heart when we struggle alone or look to other sources for what He alone can provide.

The good news is that it is still “today”.  There is still time (there is never a bad time) to call upon the Lord and cast all of our cares on Him.  He has prepared what each of us needs to make it through whatever we are facing today.  Have we humbly asked and then, in faith, expected Him to provide?  Or, in the midst of our business and worry, have we forgotten Who created the world and everything in it, and is due all glory and honor forevermore?

 

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