Provision Promises (5 page)

Jesus is pleased when you

DEPEND on HIM and

TAKE from HIM all that you need.

With man, it is more blessed to give.

With GOD, it is more blessed to
receive
.

I
will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

—Genesis 12:2

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

—2 Corinthians 9:7-8

... "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."

—Hebrews 6:14

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

Listen to the words that God pronounced over Abraham: "I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing."

My friend, as you trust God to walk more and more in the fullness of Abraham's blessing, have a revelation that He blesses you because He loves you and gives to you the privilege of being a practical extension of His love to your community, your country and beyond.

God's financial provision is for a divine purpose. Don't use people and love money. Instead, use money to love people! When it comes to our relationship with people, it is always more blessed to give than to receive. Have an abundant eye and heart, look around for people in need and bless them. Let your light so shine before all men for the glory of the name of Jesus Christ!

Today, see His abundant grace abounding toward you and your family so that you will have an abundance for every good work!

C
hapter
3

Boldly Receive

And Reign

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

—Ephesians 1:7

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

—Colossians 1:13-14

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

—Colossians 2:13

JESUS—OUR GREATEST PROVISION

As we meditate on the provision promises that our heavenly Father has laid out for us in His Word, let's take a moment to reflect on the finished work of Jesus.

At the cross, Jesus gave of Himself completely and made a provision for the forgiveness of our sins that no one else could. He chose to lay down His life in exchange for ours. All our sins, failures and mistakes are forever washed away by the precious blood shed at Calvary! Truly, in Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, "according to the riches of His grace."

My friend, God's grace toward you is bountiful and rich. Today, receive His grace, His forgiveness, His love and His mercy in a fresh and powerful way. It is not material wealth that makes one rich. Having Jesus is your greatest wealth!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

—John 1:29

With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

—Hebrews 9:12, NLT

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:19

RECEIVE THE PROVISION OF FORGIVENESS DAILY

Many people think that forgiveness is a basic teaching, that it is something you learn when you are a new believer and then you move on to more "complex" truths in God's Word.

My friend, I submit to you that there is nothing basic about having a deep and abiding revelation of forgiveness. In fact, I believe that if you want to live the Christ-life and walk in the fullness of His divine provision, you need to meditate on His forgiveness daily. Personally, that is what I endeavor to do every single day when I partake of the Holy Communion in the privacy of my study.

I take the bread in my hand and thank Jesus for His provision of health, healing and wholeness for me. Then, I hold up the cup and thank my Savior for the provision of His blood that washes me whiter than snow and makes me righteous! Beloved, look to the cross and see how He has made possible every provision you need!

I
write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.

—1 John 2:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

—Hebrews 8:12

...He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

—Hebrews 10:17

GOD DOES NOT REMEMBER YOUR SINS

My friend, do you believe today that God does not remember your sins? This is a truth that our finite human minds struggle to comprehend.

How can an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God not remember our sins? An all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God should rightly be able to remember every single detail of every sin that we have committed. But that's not what the Word of God says. God declares, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." I believe many believers are fearful to come close to God today and receive what they need from Him because they don't believe that God truly remembers their sins no more.

My friend, simply believe God's Word, that through the provision of Jesus' sacrifice, God indeed remembers your sins no more! Start living without the cloud of guilt, shame, condemnation and judgment over your head. Stand bold and righteous in Christ and expect to receive His best!

There is NO sin standing in the way of your blessing that JESUS didn't take care of.

"Your sins I will NEVER, BY NO MEANS, remember."

—God

For He made Him who knew no sin to he sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

—2 Corinthians 5:21

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers...

—1 Peter 3:12

...He hears the prayer of the righteous.

—Proverbs 15:29

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

—Psalm 34:17

... The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

—James 5:16, NLT

YOUR PRAYERS PRODUCE WONDERFUL RESULTS

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, not only did He wash away all your sins with His precious blood, but He also gave you His very own RIGHTEOUSNESS as a gift. Do you know that you can never lose this righteousness? Your righteousness is a gift from Jesus because it is entirely dependent on His perfect performance and His perfect obedience, not yours.

So my friend, because you are forever righteous in Christ, God hears your prayers every time you pray. The apostle James tells us that the earnest prayer of a righteous man—that's YOU— "produces wonderful results." Not just plain results, but wonderful results!

What provision do you need today, righteous one? Favor for an interview, wisdom to clear your debts, healing for your children? As a righteous man or woman of God, boldly ask Jesus for what you need in prayer!

Blessings are on the head of the righteous...

—Proverbs 10:6

...the desire of the righteous will be granted.

—Proverbs 10:24

The hope of the righteous will be gladness...

—Proverbs 10:28

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure...

—Proverbs 15:6

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

—Psalm 5:12

GOD BLESSES YOU, THE RIGHTEOUS

Whenever you find a promise or blessing for the righteous in the Bible, grab hold of it by saying, "Father, I receive this blessing in Jesus' name!"

Let me show you how to practice this. When you read in Proverbs 10:6 that blessings are on the head of the righteous, say, "Thank You, Father, this promise is for ME because I have been made righteous through faith in Jesus and His finished work!"

So every day, instead of fearing that lack will devour you, expect God's provision and blessings to hunt you down and surround you! Expect good things to happen to you. Say, "Father, I thank You that Your blessings crown my head. Your bountiful provisions are upon me and my household!"

Beloved, the more you begin to believe and speak words of abundance, provision and increase, the more you will experience the full blessings of the righteous!

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

—Romans 5:17

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

—John 10:10

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou may est prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

—3 John 1:2, KJV

THE RIGHTEOUS REIGN!

God's Word declares that those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life. Beloved, it is clear that your heavenly Father's heart is to see you reign in life!

You are not reigning when you are riddled with credit card debt, suffering lack or struggling to provide for your family. If that is where you are today, don't give up! Look to Jesus and begin to actively receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness daily!

His grace will give you the wisdom and strength to change your spending habits and make good decisions to get out of debt. His grace will open doors of favor for new employment opportunities and provide avenues for you to improve and develop the gifts that He has placed in you so that you can secure a better job in the future. Beloved, believe that you are destined to reign over all your debts and financial lack!

You are destined to

reign over all debt and

financial lack.

Don't focus on your lack. Focus on God's ABUNDANT supply and expect to experience it.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed...even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe... being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

—Romans 3:21-24

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one Man, Jesus Christ.

—Romans 5:17, NIV

... Freely you have received...

—Matthew 10:8

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

—Romans 11:6

THE VAST OCEAN OF HIS ABUNDANT SUPPLY

In Romans 5:17, Paul gives us the key to reigning in life. It is found in RECEIVING the abundance of God's grace and His gift of righteousness.

Something happens when you receive the abundance of God's grace, stop depending on your own efforts and lean wholly upon His grace. The moment you surrender and say, "Lord, I cannot, but You can. Today, I rest in Your unmerited favor," whatever demand that is upon you disappears into the vast ocean of His abundant supply.

Many times, as I'm driving to church on Sunday morning, I feel the demand to preach a good message. The demand is real—more than 20,000 people in my congregation show up expecting to be well fed! That's when I turn to Jesus and receive His abundance of grace. I say to Him, "Lord, today, You are my guest speaker! I rest in You. You speak. You feed them. You provide! You take over and I will watch You in action!" The moment I let go, His grace and His supply rush in! Hallelujah!

... Those who are righteous... do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.

—Psalm 112:6-8, NLT

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

—Romans 8:32

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

—Hebrews 11:1

...as you have believed, so let it be done for you...

—Matthew 8:13

START THE DAY EXPECTING GOOD

Wake up every day expecting good. Keep your thoughts and mind positive, full of joy, full of hope and full of anticipation of all the good things God has in store for you, His beloved!

Spring up from your bed, stand in front of your mirror and boldly declare, "I am the disciple whom Jesus loves. I am the apple of His eye. Everything I do and touch shall be blessed! The Lord's wisdom, favor and provision flow mightily in and through me. Amen!"

When you do this, you are accessing the Lord's abundant provision for you, and all the stress, worries, negative emotions and anxieties will fade away.

Perhaps today, you have to make an important presentation to your biggest client, or go for the final interview for a job you really want. Perhaps you are way behind the curve in completing an important project at work. Whatever the demands on you, start the day expecting good and to see His provision flow!

Reigning in life is not achieved through self-effort, but RECEIVED by grace through faith.