We learn to walk in the will of God when we learn to see the blessings that God has given us and to be more grateful. ~Heather Bixler
You’re already hurt! How do I know that? Because God said so. he has already hurt us [provided us] with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. When? “Before the foundation of the world!” Before Genesis, before you were created, He had already accumulated all the blessings and benefits that he could provide to his children. He thought to do that, just as He thinks you are the recipient of his amazing goodness. Because God from the beginning thing that you… (2 Thess. 2:13).
How do you understand all the goodness of God? When Moses asked to see the glory of God, God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you.” King David wrote, now, oh Lord God, you are that God, and your words are true, and you have promised this goodness to your servant (2 Samuel 7:28). Later, David confirmed that the town they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done to David, Solomon and their people Israel. (verse 8:66).
God’s goodness represents all that He is and all that He does. That understanding allowed David to write, “Surely good and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” God’s divine goodness embraces every blessing. The earth is full of the goodness of Jehovah (Ps. 33:5).
What are the ‘spiritual blessings’ he gave you? Cure for one. There is no one sick in heaven! Jesus came to earth to demonstrate all the blessings that God provides for his sons and daughters. Repeatedly, the New Testament confirms that Jesus ‘healed them all’. He restored the bodies of lepers to integrity. He restored the body of Lazarus to life. He strengthened the sword, gave sight to the blind, and restored sanity to the insane.
Then there are all those promises of prosperity. And God is able to make all grace abound to you; so that, always having all sufficiency in all things, you may abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). Did you get it? ALL grace, ALWAYS having, ALL sufficiency, ALL things! God is not stingy. He wants you to have it ALL.
His grace is enough.
“So it is by faith, that it may be by grace,” Paul told the Romans. Faith is the currency that brings our ‘all sufficiency’ from spiritual provision to physical fact.
- For by grace are ye saved through faith… ~ Eph. 2:8
- May the God of all grace… perfect, establish, strengthen and establish you ~ 1 Peter 5:10
- Rather, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ~ 2 Peter 3:18
- Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need ~ Heb. 4:16
God wants you to ask him for help, but he also expects you to do your part.
You control the harvest.
If you need a lot of provision, you will need a lot of faith! How do you get more faith? Sow! Do you remember the parable of Jesus? The sower sowed the Word… and received thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
First of all, you must understand that faith comes by hearing. Imagine a burlap sack. Do you want just a few seeds at the bottom, or do you want the seeds to fill up completely and spill over the top? How much seed/faith you have is your choice. If you don’t have enough, get to work!
Sow the Word in your eyes and ears. Let it grow in your spirit. Spend time with God in study, thought, and prayer. Listen to the wisdom of him to quicken in your spirit. Do not be stingy. The more that is available to Him, the more his faith and therefore his harvest will grow.
As a farmer, you would go to the feed store and get the best seed available. You would buy as much as you could, knowing that the more seed you plant, the greater your harvest. The next step, however, is to put that seed in the ground. It’s a lot of work and it takes a lot of time. Farmers are out in the fields from sunrise to sunset, planting for a harvest that won’t come for months.
The word of God is your seed. It has within it the power to accomplish itself, just as a natural seed has within it the ability to make a stalk of corn, a tomato plant, or an apple tree grow.
The more you speak His Word, the more divine power you will release for your harvest. But you must believe that your words, the Word of God that comes out of your mouth, have the power to change your circumstances. That is the essence of faith.
Jesus explained it another way: For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Get off, and throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will be fulfilled, he will have everything he knows. (Mark 11:23).
do not fear
Small problems can be solved with thirty times greater faith. But great things will require a hundred times greater faith. You will have to dig, plant plenty of Word seed, and avoid the weeds that could choke the desired harvest.
The tares are the problems and situations that Satan creates to destroy your harvest. He tries to distract you with fear, unforgiveness, anger, frustration, distraction, confusion, and busyness. He will set a trap for you to get upset. He will plant seeds of doubt and water them liberally with “you don’t deserve it” or “you’re not good enough.” He will remind you that you haven’t been going to church or tithing. He will go to great lengths to dissuade you from your harvest. Don’t let it!
stand firm
The Bible has many instructions on what to do while waiting for your prayers to be fulfilled.
- Cast down imaginations… those thoughts that try to assault your faith
- Cast all your worry on Him…give God your problems and don’t get them back by worrying.
- Take the armor of God to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, continue on your feet!
Faith does not waver, does not tell the time, and does not look for physical evidence. Faith IS the substance and evidence of the things you desire (Hebrews 11:1). God has already given you everything you need to live a victorious life here on earth. If he can find a promise in his Word, you can be sure that he has already provided it for you. It is stored and waiting. You’re already hurt!