“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6, 19 NKJV
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”Psalms 23:1 NKJV
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
Ephesians 6:10 NKJV
What wonderful words of encouragement to build our faith foundation upon. Those words never get old. Reading them with bold confidence is refreshing to the weary soul. But only if we put them into practice. Without faith they are just words on a page. But when we believe and apply it- it’s rhema to our situations, they become our advocates. They stand between us and failure, discouragement and disappointment. It’s better than a lifeline, it's an anchor. We’re securely fastened to the One who promised.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want, He supplies all my need (not needs) according to His riches. Need is specific, vital and necessary to our wellbeing and situation at a certain time. Want on the other hand speaks more to desires. It’s not necessary for our day to day survival but it would bring us pleasure or joy if we had it. Want is more frivolous without being wasteful. Like that new pair of shoes even though you have multiple pairs, you just like that one. God doesn’t have a problem with our wants, He finds pleasure in making us happy and takes joy in seeing us enjoying what He’s given us.. Need is necessity. So He supplies our need. That mortgage payment isn’t a want or desire, it’s a need. So now Paul’s words to the Philippians should make sense as well as David’s Psalm.
We tend to be more vocal or bold in the areas of strengths and not our weaknesses. We’re ashamed to admit to struggling, that's why the enemy often uses it to derail or weaken us. We cannot be victorious over what we’re hiding. Admitting brings our Helper alongside us. He teaches us how to build enduring faith. Our faith is only as strong as our owning up to the fact that we’re nothing apart from Him. He supplies the first measure of faith, that’s what helps us believe in a God we’ve never seen, and a crucifixion by a Jesus we never actually witnessed, a resurrection that has sealed our forgiveness that we never sought. And a brand new life we never imagined. All through the measure of faith. We grow that measure through constant use. We develop it by believing and trusting in the Word.
True faith speaks those things into the atmosphere before they become tangible manifestations that we do see. Faith is substantive (substance) you touch it before you see it. It’s Hope brought to life before everyone else can see what you see. It has to be real in you before it can be real to others. God didn’t give me your faith, He gave us all the same amount though. I’m always amazed at blueprints. Architects actually see the building as it will be, in their minds it’s as good as built. That’s faith whether they know it or not. I remember when I went with friends to see the vacant lot that would be their home. They tried to show me where each room would be, but I couldn't see it. It wasn’t their fault that I couldn’t, I wasn’t the one building the house. There would be a problem though if they couldn’t see it. Have I lost you? It doesn’t matter that I can’t see what you’re believing for, my measure is being used for something entirely different. What’s important is that your substance, your hope and your evidence manifest because of your faith.
When I went back to see the framework of the blueprint, it became visible to me. But they saw it when it was just an empty lot. The Bible teaches us to hope for what we do not see. Not from a place of passivity, but from a faith (place) of action and endurance. Meaning, we don’t give up when the contrary winds of doubt assails us. Romans 8:25. God is still faithful even in the areas of our seemingly deepest struggles or lack of evidence that we’re victors. The challenge is to be vulnerable. To speak and live as though you are what you’re believing for. It’s not mind over matter or denial. It’s faith over circumstances. Not allowing Satan to get the last word.
Jesus didn’t need to perform one miracle to prove He was God’s Son. He never once said “what if the miracles don’t work?” He had the affirmation of His Father and that was all He needed. He trusted His Father’s Word. John 5:19; Matthew 3:17. We have greater promises and a better covenant than Israel started out with. We also have the backing of the Greater One living inside us. Our hesitation to believe everything He’s said is our strangulation of greater faith. We squeeze the very life out of our possibilities by focusing more on the situation than on Him. “What if I share what I’m believing for, and nothing happens?” Here's your answer: Nothing will happen. Doubt cancels faith. But what if it does? Faith overcomes and overrides doubt. We get better results the other way. The best time to bolster our faith is not when the problem comes but before. You don’t secure your home during a storm, you secure it before the storm. Faith is always ready. NOW faith is, not later faith will be.
That’s why studying the Word is so important. Hiding it’s truth in our hearts prepares us for the unknowns of life. We won’t always have time to grab our Bibles or google scriptures. We must have an arsenal of the Word always for every situation. You don’t need to know where to find it, but you must know what it says. Accurately. You always want to say exactly what the Word says. You may paraphrase it, use whatever translation you want, but it must stay true to the original intent. We don’t make it up, and say something it doesn’t. God watches over His Word to perform it. Jeremiah 1:12 When the wind of adversity is howling, find the Word that applies and refuse to budge. When Jacob was wrestling with the Angel he said these timeless words. “I will not let go until you bless me!” That’s tenacious faith. We give up, and in, way too soon. Then the devil tells us our faith didn’t work, or that God doesn’t care. Victory seldom comes at the onset of a battle. Faith/patience must have its complete work, then victory comes. James 1:3-4.
So what area or areas have you avoided speaking about or facing because you view it as a failure on your part? Telling yourself no one will benefit from your story? Who doesn’t like a storybook ending to our faith journey? We all enjoy happy endings. But life with its twists and turns takes some of us longer to get there. The woman sharing the testimony of her sixth miscarriage doesn’t fit the religious mould of a great testimony. But being vulnerable may have helped another woman who thought she was alone or must’ve ticked God off for some mysterious reason that she can’t explain. But this woman shared the sustaining faithfulness of the Lord in all this. Even though each loss was painful, she still had joy. The inexplicable joy of Jesus. I believe she will have that seventh child, one that she will hold in her arms because she refuses to lose her faith in God. That’s a testimony worth sharing. And to top it off she shared it at a Thanksgiving service-The night of giving thanks. That’s great faith.
“Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMPC
Never shy away from sharing what some call failures. Sometimes the greatest testimony is found in not having the cookie cutter results. But having the faith and courage to stand despite not having the outcome you’d like. Worshipping like Job after hearing the most devastating news. You may not be at a place where finances aren't a problem. But you still have the right to stand up and declare as a child of God the verses we started with as well as Deuteronomy 8:18. If it’s a physical struggle, declare Isaiah 53:5 and Psalm 103:3. If it’s stinking thinking, bad attitude, you still have the right to confess that you have a renewed mind, that you have put off the old man with his deeds, that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus. That the Word is hidden in your heart and that you will adhere to it. Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Psalm 119:9,11. What are you doing here? Applying the Word in areas of struggle and weaknesses, bringing your heart and mind in alignment with His will for you.
Never buy into the lie that you can’t testify unless everything is perfect. The Bible says God’s Word is alive, quick, sharp and powerful. If you keep believing, speaking and acting on it, you will eventually have total victory. In the eyes of Jesus we are already complete in His finished work. We confess who we are before we are who we are. Amen! When we get in our cars or the airplane, we have already planned our entire trip. We aren’t there yet but we may as well be. We’ve already lived every moment. All accomplished in our minds before we get to our destination. Why not take that same approach to our faith journey? Why not see ourselves already blessed? That word blessed means empowered to prosper in every area of life- Spiritually, physically and economically. Why not see yourself enjoying every benefit promised in Psalm 103? Because we have more faith in our doubts than the Word of God.
He has given us all the same measure of faith. We are all wired with His Spirit to accomplish great things through faith in Him. Our weaknesses have been infused with His strength. We have the same Spirit Jesus had when He walked the earth. Weaknesses are opportunities for growth. I had a friend recently voice to me that they couldn’t teach what the Holy Spirit told them to because they had a struggle in that area. My advice: That’s why you need to teach it. That it was God’s way of letting them be vulnerable and face up to it to gain victory over it. Satan thrives on hidden struggles, but he’s defeated when we face them. God told Israel in Isaiah 66 “Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.”
Isaiah 66:9 NKJV
He doesn’t bring us to the time of birth to stop the delivery process. He finishes everything He starts. Speak Bible truths over the weak areas or strongholds in your life, until you see total victory. God’s will will not put you where His presence cannot sustain you. Whatever you’re going through or wherever you are as His child if He’s permitting it, trust Him. If you’re living in disobedience then it may be a consequence of poor choices. But even in a wayward place He chastens because He loves us. He wants us trusting and believing that He hears us whether we have the proof or not, all we need is what He calls great faith. The faith that doesn’t see yet believe.
You’ll find Him at the finish line cheering for you as you cross over victorious. Finish strong! You are more than a conqueror through Christ. Not through your self efforts, through Him! He saw you victorious before you thought you weren’t. BELIEVE HIM!
“I am drawn to your weakness, my beloved, like a river is drawn to the lowest places in the valley.” From I Hear His Whisper.
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
December 7, 2021