Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
Joshua 1:9
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3) When God speaks a word, it must come to pass. It’s the truth. So, why is it so hard to believe His Word many times when we read it? It seems we think those words were only for people in the Bible but not for us now. However, God does not change and if He spoke it for them, He’ll speak it for us. If it worked for them, it will work for us too. But, the Bible also says that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). We know this verse yet don’t apply it. Why? Lack of faith? We don’t think it will work if we try it or maybe we don’t think it will work in every situation. The thing is, in order for God’s Word to work we have to apply it. What do we have to lose? But we must apply it in faith! If we can speak to mountains and they have to move then, why not try it? We are probably the greatest hindrances to our own blessings because we fail to obey God’s Word, we fail to put it into practice. We have authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19), but we fail to put that into practice too. What’s the sense of reading God’s Word if we don’t put into practice those things that can bring about our deliverance and healing? It’s not only about obeying God’s Word to live right but obeying His Word to be delivered and healed, to be set free from oppression and bondage, and to live the abundant life Jesus promised us. I was listening to an excerpt from a sermon by Michael Todd. He was talking about trust and used his daughter as an example. She wanted him to buy a “slushie” after they left church. He agreed and his daughter did not remind him because she believed that he would keep his word. Similarly, we need to trust that when God says it we can count on Him to bring it to pass. He won’t go back on His word. We can trust His Word. I’m also reminded of my experience years ago when I was studying at UWI. I wanted to prove God and His Word by graduating with First Class Honours. After all, if God said that I’m the head and not the tail why not push myself to be top of my class? My lecturers didn’t seem to believe I could do it but I chose to believe in God and in myself. For my last assignment, my thesis, I believed that I needed an A. So, of course I worked hard to produce a paper that would be deserving of an A. Around this time, God also reminded me of the story of Jairus’ daughter who had died. Plain and simple it was a dead and hopeless situation. Jesus simply told her parents “Do not be afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36b). When I got the results of that thesis I received a B+. I was disappointed and devasted because I believed that I had lost all chance of getting that First Class Honours Degree. But the Lord reminded me of the story of Jairus’ daughter and reminded me to not be afraid, but to believe. So, I held on to that word in spite of my thesis results. When I collected my results from administration some days later, believe it or not I was still able to receive that First Class Honours Degree!!! I had held on to and believed God’s Word to me even though it had seemed hopeless and He did not fail me! We have enough testimonies from those brave enough or desperate enough to try, to know that it works. I’m not sharing this post off the top of my head. I’ve been there and continue to experience the benefits and power of trusting in God’s Word. Yes, there are times when I don’t get the results I hope to get. But God is helping me to be mature enough to also accept that if it doesn’t work out the way I want it simply means that He has something even better for me. So, don’t give up on God’s Word. Don’t give up on believing in it and putting it into practice. The time to start is now. God wants us to prove Him because He knows what we many times forget . . . He will never fail us!
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October 2024
AuthorThis blog provides inspirational nuggets inspired by the Word of God and serves to encourage and motivate Christians in their Christian walk. |