Afternoon Brothers,
What’s the number one thing that affects our walk with Christ? FEAR! Fear is the absence of faith. Fear is pride. Fear says that what Jesus did for us is not enough to handle our particular trial or crisis. Isn’t that a ridiculous statement! Yet, how many times do we find ourselves in fear over a business challenge, a financial struggle, a relationship issue, a problem with our children or grandchildren, a health issue, etc.?
What does God’s Word tell us to do when we have a trial or a crisis? REST. Rest, are you crazy? That would be irresponsible of me, and I need to be doing something right now about this. Let me, in brotherly love, ask you what qualifies you to handle the situation? Your position, your education, your experience, your wisdom, your good looks, your righteousness, what? Brother, you, in the natural, have absolutely NOTHING that qualifies you to handle the issue. God placed a cap on the natural ability of man. There is a point at which it hits a ceiling. It can go no further. Operating out of God’s Word, THE BLESSING, in faith, our worst starts well above man’s best.
When we operate in fear, we connect ourselves to the curse, to the Babylonian system, Satan’s system of doing things. This is why God, in the Old Testament, and Jesus, in the New Testament, is constantly encouraging and commanding us to “be strong and of a good courage” and “have no fear for I am with you,” “I have overcome the world,” and “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” Our Father doesn’t want us connecting to the curse through fear. He knows what it will do to us.
Christ teaches us in Mark 4:18-19 that the trials or crises are spiritual thorns. They can be overwhelming mental burdens and exhausting emotional affairs, or worry. This worry, in our minds, can make it into our hearts and choke the Word of God and make it unfruitful in our lives.
Mark 4:18-19
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.
What did Jesus say about the “cares” of this world?
I Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
Jesus instructs us to “cast all of our cares upon Him.” Why? “For He careth for you.” Man, He loves you. He doesn’t want you worrying, stressing, anxious, or upset for one second of one day. He didn’t go to the cross and suffer every single thing of the “curse” to have you sit out here and wail and cry and stress out over a trial or crisis. When we do this, we are putting Jesus back on the cross because once wasn’t enough. How audacious and prideful, right?
We are supposed to be at peace. We are supposed to have a heart that’s not troubled. We are supposed to be free of care because the cares of this world will choke our faith, and without faith it’s impossible to please God, to receive anything from our Father (Hebrews 11:6). Note the bolded and underlined below. We must, in faith, diligently seek Him, to be rewarded with our inheritance – THE BLESSING.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
We can’t blend the way of the world with the way of God. When we do, it is a disaster to us. We need to totally, completely trust in God’s Word.
If you have a business trial or crisis, for example, our Father has told us in His Word He’ll give us the answer to it:
John 16:13
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.
Confused Believers make bad decisions. They do things that seem right and logical in the eyes of the world, without realizing they are cutting themselves off from THE BLESSING and opening the door to the curse in their lives. This is clearly pointed out in Proverbs 14:12
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
On the other hand, THE BLESSING does great things for us:
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow [toil, worry, stress, anxiety, labor] with it.
Lastly, Jesus offers something awesome in Matthew 11. You’ve heard it many times. But meditate on it and receive it as seed in your heart;
Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
What is this “rest unto your souls” Jesus speaks of in the verse above? The same “rest” that can have you relaxed and abiding in His Word until He provides you the very answer you need to have complete VICTORY in a trial or crisis. Not only will you have victory, but you’ll prosper in it. How do you know this Larry?
Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
If you are faithful and patient to seek the Father for the answer, the Word He gives you will not only accomplish what He means it to accomplish, but He goes further to say, “it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Praise God!!! I like doing business with the Father!! He’s an awesome business partner.
Love to all of you. Trust in your Father and His Word. He loves you more than you can imagine or think, and He wants you to have the very best.
In Christ,
Larry