Today when I was jogging on the treadmill God really impressed something very powerful in me. When I’m on the treadmill one of my favorite things to do is to keep my note cards with scripture verses in front of me so I can flip through them while I’m running. This always encourages me and reminds me of the truth of God’s word…even when I’m struggling through and can’t breathe!
While I was flipping through the verses, so many of them stood out to me, reminding me that what I do, and the measure in which I do it is very important in the results I see in my life. This seems quite obvious, but it really stood out to me today. For example, Luke 6:38 “give and it will be given to you…for with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Also, in the gospels Jesus says many times, “it will be done according to your faith.” Jesus says, talking to the woman with the issue of blood, “your faith has healed you.” In another instance he is speaking with a blind man and asks him “do you believe that I am able to do this?” and he replies “yes” so Jesus says to him “then be healed.” One of my very favorite scriptures, Ephesians 3:20, says this “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory…” God can do more than we ask…according to the power at work within us. It will be given to you, but we must give first. You are healed, but it was your FAITH that healed you….your faith in God that he actually does keep his promises. We live life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows (John 10:10 amp), but we won’t live anywhere close to that if we don’t believe that this is the truth of God’s word. If we don't believe that it's God's desire to abundantly bless us in EVERY area of our life, then we won't see it. It will be done according to your faith. Sometimes I feel like I simply can’t believe these things that God says so clearly in the Bible. I mean, look around us! So much pain and sickness, so much debt, so many hardships…how in the world am I going to live life in abundance with all this debt that we have? Is it true that God wants us to be well, when all I see around me is sickness? Yes, He does! His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. There's no sickness or even poverty there! God said it, and it’s the truth. Look to Him and what He says, not to circumstances. It’s so important to get these truths way down deep in our hearts and minds. The devil comes immediately to steal away any forward progress we might make towards God’s very best for us. He doesn’t want us to believe that God does what He promises. Anytime I move forward and start believing that what God says is true and making headway, the devil is right there to say “no, don’t you remember when…?” Or he’ll say to me “just look around you. You’re in debt and you’ll never get out. You really don’t have what it takes to fulfill that dream of yours. Not you…” That’s when I have a choice. I can resist the devil and believe God, who gave me these dreams, or I can start dwelling on what I’m hearing from past failures, etc. It’s my choice. Will I move in the faith that moves mountains, like Jesus said, or will I shrink back and be defeated by the enemy? What God says is absolutely true. His promises never fail. With this in mind, I will give to be a blessing, knowing that He will bless me in return because that is His promise. I will believe, knowing that it shall be done according to my faith…and I will read the Word of God so it gets down deep in my inmost being and my faith grows (Ro 10:17), so I can believe even more in the greatness of my amazing God.
God’s favor surrounds me everywhere that I go. His favor is a promise in the word (Ps.5:12) and I receive it! I’m blessed wherever I go and whatever I do, as long as I’m following and obeying Him. I’m never, ever alone. God is always there for me. He will never leave or forsake me. He is all I could ever need or want, and he loves to pour out his abundance on his children…it’s just a fact, and TODAY I choose to believe it!
