SUBJECT - SETTLING FOR LESS THAN GOD'S BEST??!!![4]
When I left off
last month, I introduced these scriptures,
Heb 11:6, Without faith[in Him and His Word/Christ], it is impossible to please Him:for he that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS[WHO HE SAYS HE IS AND CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO], and that HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM, and
Phi 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
These scriptures, along with all the others I have given you, are what determines how God will respond to you!!
The first one tells us, that if we want to please God, then we MUST do it by Faith, in His Word/Christ!!! Without that, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!!
If you can't please Him, then, don't expect Him to bless you above what is common to all living things. You will have some food and clothing, and maybe a roof over your head, but that will be about it.
What all does God have available for us???
The second scripture says
He will provide all our needs, according to all His riches...... by Christ Jesus. This means Jesus Christ, is the key, because He owns everything that is created.
So then, why would a person, that loves God, still accept any thing less than what God offers???
Ignorance of His Word, along with the tests and trials the enemy throws at them.
You see, faith in His Word/Christ, will tell us that we have nothing to fear, and that we are over-comers, because Jesus, by way of the Holy Spirit, is working with us, to see us through.
Well, the enemy, wants to tear our faith in Him down, so that our blessings and victory will be cut off. So, he throws all these tests and trials at us, as a means of accomplishing that end.
And, how do too many of us respond??? By giving up, and saying,
'If God wanted me to have these things, He would stop whatever it is that is keeping them from me.' The most common excuse is that God Himself is holding the blessing up because it is not for them.
Ever hear someone say that God is the one that is testing us??? To what end???
If God knows every thing, then why does He need to test us?? He knows what we are going to do, and what we are able to do.
No my friend, it is the enemy that is testing us, and trying to show us ourselves. He hears us professing how much faith we have in God, so he sets about to show us just how pitiful he thinks we really are.
As long as things are going our way, we are praising God all over the place.
It is 'God is Good', and 'Hallelujah' all day long.
But, let things start to fall apart, and all of a sudden, our whole demeanor has changed. We no longer praise Him, we get silent, or get to complaining about how bad things are. Then we get to figuring out what we can do to straighten things out.
We have gone from faith in God, to faith in ourselves.
When you do that, you have shut the door to your blessings. That is why I say, the fault is not with God, but with you!!
Faith in God, is/or should be a 24/7 thing. The minute you start looking for help/deliverance anywhere else, than Him, the door closes.
Remember what happened to Peter, when he was walking on the water to Christ?? As long as his focus was on Christ, every thing was fine. But, the minute he looked away from Christ, and at the circumstances around him, he began to sink.
Mat. 14:28-32
In the book of Job, the first 3 chapters, you will see a man who had total faith in God, [as what could be available at that time.]
You will see the enemy, coming before God and challenging Him to afflict Job and his family, because if He did, Job, this man that God had been bragging on, would turn and curse Him.
God refused to do it, but allowed the enemy to do it.
This happened twice. And in both situations, despite the urging of his wife and close friends, Job held fast to his faith in God. And in the end, he received an abundance more than what he lost.
Job 42:12-end.
Job went through hell, and still kept his faith. Dare I say that most of you, if you stubbed your toe, that would be it. You would be through with God!!
Somebody looks at you funny, or disrespects you, and it is time to set them in their place.
Need some money??? If God doesn't drop it in your lap by a certain time, then, you will do what you have to do, to get it.
Sound familiar???
Some will ask, why did God allow the Devil to do it???
Why not???
If He never let the enemy do things to us, then, how would we know what we are capable of doing?? If God built you to withstand a hurricane, then why would He not allow a thunderstorm to come at you?? 1Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT.
The thing is, He knows what we can withstand, but, unless we go through something, we don't know. Oh, He can tell you what you can withstand, but, unless you are tested, you will not be able to have the faith, to endure the hardships that life, and especially the enemy, throws at you.
There have probably been, or will be times when it appears that your prayers, and faith are going unanswered.
This is where patience is supposed to kick in. The enemy will try to hold up your blessing as long as he can. That is one of the ways he tries to get you to act on your own, or lose faith in God.
We live in what has been called
'the microwave society', meaning we want every thing right now!!!
We want our food, entertainment, money and every thing else, the minute we have ask for it. We have credit cards to help us catch that sale, or buy that item, the minute we see it.
Consequently, we expect God to jump the minute we holler, and run to our rescue. If He doesn't, then, '
What good is He???'
Listen, God knows what you have need of, and when you need it, but, as I mentioned earlier, the enemy wants to hold things up, to see if he can get you to cut your own blessings off.
He tried that with Daniel, in the old testament. Look at the account the Angel gave him, when he finally arrived.
Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for FROM THE FIRST DAY THAT THOU DIDST SET THINE HEART TO UNDERSTAND, AND TO CHASTEN THYSELF BEFORE THY GOD, THY WORDS WERE HEARD, and I am come for thy words.
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Notice his words '
FROM THE FIRST DAY', not 2 or 3 days later, after bawling, and squawling, and cursing, but, FROM THE FIRST DAY!!
But, here is where the vast majority of you miss it. Right after that he says, '
THAT THOU DIDST SET THINE HEART TO UNDERSTAND, AND TO CHASTEN THYSELF BEFORE THY GOD.'
What he is saying is that Daniel got his [spiritual house in order, through the act of repentance. Seeking God's direction with a humble heart, and recognizing his own flaws, and need to straighten himself out.
Be honest!!!
When you pray to God for something, how pure is your heart and spirit??
If you have any known sin[s] in your life, how hard are you trying to get away from it??? Have you confessed it to Him, and asked Him to forgive you???
No, that doesn't even cross your mind!!!
As far as you are concerned, no one is perfect, and, you see some of the biggest devils on the streets having all the fun, all the money, all the best of what life has to offer, so why should you abandon that person you are living with, that is not your spouse??? Why should you stop gambling, when all your family and friends are doing it, and hitting the jackpot?? You get all stressed out, because you can't find a suitable person to get married to, so you accept what you think is the right person for you, now you find out that things have gotten worse, and now, your faith in God is waning. You play the lottery, and the number you played, comes out the day after you played it. You can't seem to catch a break anywhere.
Guess what!!!!
It's all because you are trying to fix what only God can. And, He is not going to do it until you make a concerted effort to get your life straight.
Another thing, the scripture says
God will supply all your needs, not your wants!!!
You may need a car, but you want a Cadillac, because that is what your neighbor has. You may want a Billy Dee Williams/or Halle Berry, for a spouse, but God has for you, a Ford focus, or a plain average man or woman, who is Godly, and you get to complaining because that is not what you asked for.
So, you go out and try to get exactly what you want, and when you do, things go south, and you end up cursing God because of how things turned out, when you are the one that refused to wait, and jumped in to the ditch.
I have a pastor brother who told the tale about how he needed a van for his large family, and he prayed to God for one. He then went shopping for one and found a nice looking vehicle. When he tried to get it financed, his credit was turned down, I believe, or he would have to make a large down payment on it .
Well, he, being one that preaches faith, went about I believe he said not telling the truth about his income, or something else, on the credit application, to get the van, which he did.
He told me, that that was the worst thing he ever did, because the van caused him nothing but problems, right after he got it.
What kind of mess is your life in because you went about trying to hurry God's promise along?? Remember, it could either be that you are not in the right spiritual condition to receive the blessing, or, the enemy, is trying to delay it so that you will do something spiritually stupid, and stop the blessing all together.
Then, what do you do???
You settle for what your life situation has become, and just remain there and stagnate, convincing yourself that this is as good as it gets, so you might as well accept, and make the best of it.
How do you know what God's Will for your life is???
Study the bible!!!
Read about what God did for all those that were faithful believers in His Word. Then read about what happened to those that defied Him. His Will for your life depends on which of the two categories you are in.
Once again,
read the subject verses, and
Deuteronomy 28, to get the full outline of what to expect, depending on your individual situation. Quit looking at what other people are doing and what they have because you don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse.
Remember this,
Jas 1:17 Every GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. If you receive something from God, it is a blessing. It is good and perfect. If you receive the same thing from the enemy, it comes with all sorts of strings, and traps attached, and is sure to bring misery.
The choice as to which source you are looking to for your happiness, is totally up to you, but remember this, if you choose yourself to trust in, then,
you are settling for less than God's best.