When Jesus was training His followers He sent them out to the villages, towns and cities, telling them to take no extra clothing, money or food. Go and preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick, demonstrating God’s plan and God’s love (Luke 10:1-9, author’s paraphrase). They obeyed, and discovered that God could be trusted to take care of them. I believe that when we practice His simple “road rules” in our own lives, we will always see His hand of provision!
God has revealed Himself as Jehovah-Shalom, which means the Lord is our Peace. Shalom means nothing broken, nothing missing. It means completeness (in number); safety, soundness (in body), welfare, health, prosperity, peace, quiet, tranquility, and contentment. He wants to be all these things to you! Receive His peace!
The ungodly are those who have no moral code or fear of God. Their only guidance is what pleases them and gives them advantage. They offer you shortcuts that will look good but leave a bitter taste in your mouth, like biting into a shiny apple only to spit out a rotten core. You may prosper but it will be short lived and at the expense of others. It will cost your reputation; and in the long run all you really have is your reputation, so guard it with all your heart!
What do you have that makes you rich? You have been given righteousness, which gives you a new self-image. You have been given eternal life, which gives you perspective and purpose. You also have been given authority, which is the right to exercise power over all sicknesses, all bondages and all demons!
God has more than enough healing, peace, and finances for anyone seeking them. He is NOT limited, and we will certainly NEVER break the bank of heaven!
Jesus believes in us, so we should believe in ourselves. We should not be nervous, worried, or doubtful of His willingness to get to us all that He has already provided!
Oxygen is a good example of God’s principle of abundance. We all enjoy it to our hearts content with one condition: to get more we first have to exhale. We have to release what we have in order to get more. This is the secret of increase!
A lot of people are waiting on God to do something in their finances. They’re waiting on a word. They’re waiting on a sign. They’re waiting on a prophecy or on a special anointing, but God has already provided all things that pertain to life and godliness through His sacrifice (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus became the curse so you would be the blessed (Galatians 3:13)!
Deep in the quiet of the soul, when the sun sets over the last mountain range and the warmth of the day slowly dissipates into cool breezes that chill the sweat from your day’s labor, you hear His voice whisper “I WILL PROVIDE.”
At the end of the day, when the clamor of ideas has quieted and the energy of people’s interaction is spent, you stand alone with only your thoughts and the mission before you. It is in this moment you hear His voice, “I WILL PROVIDE.”
The “how” is in His Hands.
You wake up each morning like a diligent farmer ready to milk the cows, feed the chickens, and plow the fields. You do the natural, and let Him do the “super” so your life has a supernatural flavor to it. Paul’s conviction becomes your conviction when he says, “The Lord shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). You are resting with no evidence, no sign, and no prophetic word. Faith arises in your heart as sure as the sun comes up in the morning. All is well, “I WILL PROVIDE.”
Today you must find your place of rest in Him and in His Word. The days may change. Government may change. The economy may change. But you do not change, knowing that He said, “I WILL PROVIDE.”
Examine your life today. In what areas are you not hearing the Lord say, “I WILL PROVIDE”? Believe, and He will be faithful to His Word.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an answer for every situation that you face? Could it be possible to have a good response to every worry or fear that you might encounter? The truth is that you DO have the answers! The challenge is that those answers are in seed form.
Imagine this: You enter the Superstore of God and walk down the aisles of goods and products, looking at everything you want in life. What would God say when you pulled up to the checkout counter with your cart full of everything you desire? He would say YES and fill your cart with all the seeds that would produce what you said.
The problem is that most people wouldn’t walk out with any seeds, because they would rather have the results immediately. But if you want things immediately, you will have to produce them yourself without the supernatural seeds of God’s supply.
Seeds have wonderful characteristics in that they have creative life within them. They have the ability to multiply and produce more than planted. They have durability so they last for ages.
But seeds require time!
What you put in the soil is not what you will be seeing in 24 hours, but you will see it. Only after the farmer tills his ground, fertilizes it, and waters it does he plant the precious seeds. He heads down to the local coffee shop and talks with the other farmers and relaxes. Why isn’t he walking the fields praying for a harvest? It is because he knows his job is done and the job of the seed is beginning. He knows that seeds always produce. He trust his seeds. Seeds always do their part if they remain planted.
The seeds that Leslie and I planted years ago for a world ministry that will effect positive change in millions of people still are producing. The desire of leaders worldwide to hear and experience the miracle events has not waned over time, but continues to grow.
What seeds are you planting? If you don’t know, check the words you’re speaking, the thoughts you continue to repeat over time, and the strong feelings you have in various areas. Therein lies the seedbed of your future!