The only one who can stop the blessing of God from flowing in my life is ME. Satan doesn’t have the power to do it, people don’t have the power to do it, only I can. And the greatest blocker to divine success is me, myself and I.
So have you invested in unbelief? Let’s find out.
“And because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their unbelief.
Mark 6:5-6 NLT
Note that it doesn’t say wouldn’t, He couldn’t, not wouldn’t, because His hometown had invested in unbelief. Jesus went to the synagogue and on multiple occasions only a couple of people received healing in a synagogue filled with various diseases. The man with the withered hand and the woman bent over with osteoporosis or crippling arthritis. On another occasion friends let a paralytic down through the roof while the room was probably filled with people needing healing who had invested in unbelief. On His way to heal Jairus’s daughter a woman with a twelve year hemorrhage was the only person to receive healing in a pressing crowd.
Most of us make great spectators, while missing out on all the Father has for us because we have invested in unbelief. “That could never happen for me,” we say. “Certain diseases run in my family so I know it’s bound to eventually get to me.” I’ll never forget what a young lady told me when through Jesus Christ she broke the curse of poverty over her life by actually getting employment. She said “everyone in my family has lived on welfare for generations.” I was floored. Generations on public assistance. They had invested in a poverty mentality. Telling themselves that this was the best they could do.
God’s benefit package is limitless, but like the people in His hometown including His family, we fall short of it. We have bought into the lie that we’re doing the best we can. But is it God's best? Jesus said the Father is glorified in the Son when we bear much fruit. What’s the fruit? Prospering in every area of life. Living in the fulfillment and manifestation of every spiritual blessing and gifts available to us. Jesus said ask! So that your joy may be full. The enemy wants us to be ignorant of who we really are. He wants us dying from unbelief. The Lord instructed us in one of our Bible studies that He wants His children out of debt. Debt is one of the ways that unbelief is fully invested. Whenever we choose to run ahead of God and purchase things we cannot afford because we want it now, we end up being trapped in a system that’s designed to make us slaves to debt.
Credit card debt is not a gift from God. We’re investing in unbelief when we choose credit over trusting and waiting on God to supply all our needs. He clearly states in His Word that He teaches us how to profit. That He’s the One who gives us power to get wealth. That He’s our Shepherd and keeps us from lack. He says He’s our Healer so why are we sick? He says He’s our peace, so why are we anxious? He says His joy is our strength. So why are we depressed? Have we invested in unbelief? Believing what we see and feel over what His Word says? But we can change that by choosing faith over circumstances, His Word over negative reports, His Truths over the enemy’s lies, His promises over our ability to do things in our own strength.
Doubt and unbelief is the number one thief of our prosperity in Christ. The Lord wants us to prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper. We may be mighty Christians winning souls for Christ, but living beneath the privileges of God the Father. He is not glorified with halfway victory, He wants wholenesses in every area of our lives. He wants standouts. In a world that’s growing spiritually cold and dark, He wants His children to be full of faith, fruitful, faithful and believing. He doesn’t want us parroting His Word but not having the evidence of it working in our lives. Remember the commercial where’s the beef? Our failure to believe the Word is a turnoff to those seeking answers. They’re asking where’s our God? Our lives look exactly like theirs and it shouldn’t. The Lord has a way out. Ask Him for a strategy.
Our failings aren't a turnoff to Him, our failure to trust Him is. Listen to what Paul wrote:
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”Romans 8:32 NKJV
Did you get that? Another translation makes it even clearer.
“He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?”Romans 8:32 AMPC
Why are we having such a hard time believing His Word? If the Lord could be offended, unbelief would be at the top of the list of what offends Him. It labels Him a liar, puts Him in the same category as the father of lies. We are fast approaching the close of another year. Don’t you want to cross over with the abundant life He has promised? Don’t you want to glorify Him? Choose to invest in a life full of faith. Choose to be like Abraham. This is the outcome of investing in believing faith.
“Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all His descendants–not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.”
Romans 4:16, 20-21 AMPC
If we’re not reaping the promises we are to blame. God is not a respecter of persons. His Word works for all who will choose to believe and act upon it. Let’s finish this year stronger than ever. Christ in us is greater than all we face. His truth endures. Ask Him for a strategy to get out of anything that is preventing you from experiencing His fullness. We’re not children of the dark but children of the Light. He’s hidden nothing from us. Be more agreeable with Him. Do exactly what He’s told you. And watch your unbelief turn to robust faith.
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].”
John 16:13 AMPC
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
December 27, 2021