Tagged: Provision

Expectation

The Bible says in Matthew 19:26, “…with God all things are possible.” What is deemed impossible by man and the world around us, God sees as possible. Do we believe that? It can be easy to not believe that and see the situation we are faced with as an impossible one, and almost conform to the fact that we just cant get around the problem. There is a danger that soon our fears and beliefs about the problem become a bigger problem than the problem. Nothing is impossible with God. Do we believe that?

The truth is that we have a really big, loving, powerful God that wants only good things for those who call on Him. I believe He is inviting us into a time of expecting greater things in our lives. We cannot allow our present or past circumstances or experiences dictate our view of God today. Let’s raise the bar. Let’s expect the impossible in our lives, in our relationships, our finances, our nation.

What if every believer truly believed those words from Jesus; that everything really is possible with God on our side? What would our communities look like then?

When it comes to healing, something I am passionate about seeing everywhere I go, do we pray with an expectation that God is about to do something, or do we pray in a way that we give God an excuse to not show up? Where is the power in that? We have the same power that rose Christ from the grave living within us, when we pray, we pray with that power moving in and through us. We don’t pray in the hope that God will show up, He already has and is living within us. We pray with the assurance and expectation that our prayers are powerful, that our prayers are heard by God, and that no matter what the outcome of our prayers, we know that something has happened. God is at work. Expect great things from Him.

So this week, let’s choose to partner with the God of the impossible, let’s not be downhearted about our situation or circumstance, we have a God bigger then that bill we have to pay, bigger than the sickness we are dealing with. Focus on Him, give Him thanks in advance for what He is about to do in your life.

Gifts and surprises

This week has been an incredible week full of fun gifts and surprises. Just yesterday my wife was thinking to herself how she would love for us to go out to dinner, and then we received in the mail a dinner voucher and money towards going out for dinner from a relative of mine! I love how God will put a thought in our minds only for it to come to pass later on in the day. Some might say that is coincidence, I like to give God all the glory regardless.

God is concerned not only with the large decisions and things we are faced with, but also right down to the smallest detail. He who knows every hair on our head loves to lavish His love and provision down on us each day.

Last week we were forced to get rid of our car as it was going to cost too much to fix, which left us car less but full of excitement and anticipation for what God might do to help us. The next day we were offered a car from a relative of my wife’s, and then on Wednesday I was offered another car by some people I had only just met! So within 5 days we had been offered two cars. Can’t help but imagine God having a little chuckle to Himself about that. God is not a God of limited resources, and always provides us with options, usually from places we would never have expected.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 says “…we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”

God is at work bringing to fruition our desires and rewarding us where we create space for Him to move through our acts of faith. Emma and I had no idea where a car would come from, we just explained to God the need we have for one and then took a step back, excited to see what He would do. God is always faithful, always true, He will never leave nor forget about you and He always provides us with more then we ever could have expected.

I pray that this week you have a renewed hope in pressing into God for breakthrough in the situation you are faced with. Take a step out in faith and allow Him the room to do what He does best.

Jehovah Jirah

Jehovah Jirah, the Lord is your provider. That’s how the Israelites knew God, they had seen Him provide for them time and again, even when they didn’t deserve it. God was their provider. God is our provider today. His character has never changed from then until now, He still is a God who over abundantly provides for those whose trust is in Him. 

Last week, my wife and I returned from our honeymoon to Malaysia. We had a great time over there but were excited to return to Edinburgh and begin married life together. As we returned home, we were faced with the reality of me being out of work, which, if we had let it, could have robbed us of our joy and our peace. However, I am determined to not let something like that happen to us, no matter what the situation we are faced with.

Within three days of being back in Scotland, I had myself a job, which I am very excited about, and which I cannot talk about until I start officially in January. God provided me with an incredible job opportunity. He is our provider.

And yet we find ourselves in a position where I still have no income until I start the job, something which again, if we let it, could rob us of our joy and our peace. If we forget who God is and what He has done for us already, then a situation like this could indeed be very scary. But I refuse to do that. Each morning, we say declarations reminding ourselves of who God is and who we are in God. God richly provides all our financial needs, I have seen it time and again, and I believe it still to be true today. I may not have income at the moment, but He will still make a way for us.

I was reading 2 Corinthians chapter 9 the other day. What an incredible chapter that is! Verse 8, in the “Source” version of the New Testament, says “God has the power to cause all kinds of gifts to overflow to you, so that you will be independently wealthy  in all things at all times, and will have much left over for every good work.” Wow. That’s crazy. God not only supplies us with our needs, but He gives us more than enough so that we will have much leftover to carry out good work. God is our provider. He is our abundant provider. He is always faithful and true. He is always with us and always for us. No matter what situation we are faced with, no matter what the “problem” is, we need to remind ourselves of just how big our God really is, and just how for us He is. He has not taken you this far just to leave you in the lurch. Nothing you are faced with is a surprise to God. Lean into Him, trust in Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. 

So, this week, we are choosing to focus solely on God and His love for us and His provision for us. God is our provider, it’s time to give Him room to provide. 

Living From Abundance

I had the opportunity to share with a church group last night, and felt God prompting me to talk from John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

What’s funny is that at class we had a speaker come and talk on the same verse, only she focused on the first half of the verse, bringing our attention to the ways in which the devil would love to rob us of our life, and prevent us from fully entering into what God has planned for us.

I was sharing on the abundance of God, and how Jesus here is saying that He came so that we might have life to the full, or in some translations, a life of abundance. The English word abundance means “Overflowing fullness of the heart”. Jesus came so that we may have an overflowing fullness of our heart. If we are not experiencing this in our lives, perhaps it is the devil, the thief, who is stealing this from us. We cannot allow our past experiences to dictate who we are today. God doesn’t remember our past failures, so neither should we.

Until I began at Bethel, my past experiences told me that I had to work hard to provide all my needs, and that I could only trust myself in bringing this provision. For the last year and a half now, I have been unemployed. When I first moved here, I straight away began to look for jobs, but found I was getting nowhere with that. I began to hear God saying to me that He didn’t want me to work in this season as He wanted me to trust in Him and to trust that He is my provider, that He can and will provide abundantly for all my needs, physical and spiritual.

This has been a long process of letting go of control in this area of my life, and trusting that God will indeed provide for me. I have seen Him provide in amazing ways this last year and a half, and look to the next six months of being here with excitement about how God is going to provide for me in the months ahead.

It has not just been financial provision this year, God has been invading every aspect of my daily life, bringing healing to past hurts, comfort when comfort is needed, and pouring out His love on me. In letting go of control and allowing God to take care of me, He has filled my life with hope and with peace.

But…it is important to remember that there is a thief out there. Just last week I woke in the middle of the night with intense feelings of anxiety and fear. I got out of bed, walked into the living room, and began pacing back and forth. I spent the next few minutes releasing peace over myself, and within about 5 minutes, all feelings of anxiety and fear had left.

My prayer is that today you experience the abundance of God in your life, whatever situation you are faced with, He is bigger and more than capable of providing for you in amazing ways. Be blessed today, let the God of abundance shower you with His Love, Peace and Joy.