It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and its not that I haven’t had anything to say but I must admit this first month of 2014 has had me on the move. I am excited about all this year has to offer and I plan on taking part of every bit of it. This post actually kind of relates to that last thing I said. What I meant by saying that ‘I plan on taking part in what this year has to offer’, was that there will be so many possibilities and opportunities because God has promised a great and prosperous year to those who keep Him first, (which is always what He expects). However, what you believe can happen will affect what actually does happen. The act of believing has a few steps or guidelines too: What to believe and how to actually believe. So let’s break it down.
What to believe
As believers in Christ our direction comes from the Word of God, A.K.A. the Bible. Although God was talking to specific people in some of the stories in the Bible, if you read it enough, you will begin to see that those people were much like we are today and that those words or dialogues are applicable to our lives. Jesus even told Satan that this is how we live our lives:
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
So first, whatever God says is what you should believe. And we know we can believe that because:
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Number 23:19
In other words God means what he says and we can hold on to that better than anything else we hear or read.
I won’t say it’s impossible, but it is highly unlikely that you will be able to read and apply the entire Bible to your life in one year. However, I do encourage you to read and meditate on as much of it as you can, because everything God desires to do for you/ through you is addressed in the Bible. It may not say plainly that He will drop 6 figures into your bank account or see to it that you get a brand new Mercedes Benz but it does say this:
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 28:2
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it
Malachi 3:10
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
Luke 6:38
These verses have a few things in common: Heeding God’s words and the blessings that come with it.The second one speaks of the kinds of blessing God desires to give those who are obedient. He says there won’t be room enough to store it, He’s not just going to give you a cookie or a high five but He wants to do BIG things!
So now that we’ve covered what we should believe let’s discover how the Word of God turns into what we believe.
You know, it wasn’t until recently that I had read Deuteronomy 28:2 for myself. I actually heard a couple people tell stories about random people who just gave them things that they had been needing or wanting. I would think to myself “Wow that’s cool and miraculous, but how do you become a recipient of such things.” Like what do I have to do for someone to just have to give me something of theirs without them even know me or knowing that I need what they have. Part of it probably has to do with the person who received those blessings, first knowing that God said these things would happen. They had to know God’s word and expect those kinds of things in faith knowing that God would hold up His end of the deal if we did the same. So I would gather that the key to receiving, is knowing that God said it and believing it for yourself. And this is how you believe:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8
Once again, God gives a mandate to know His word, but he also says to meditate on it. So that goes even further to say, that you need to spend time thinking about it and letting it sink in. You have to understand what it means, understand what it means for your life and how it will impact your life. He also sneaks in some responsibility because when YOU observe all that is written it says that YOU will make your way prosperous. In other words, He has given us the resources to live right and if you do live right you can ensure prosperity. This scripture is as plain as it can get about what God will allow to take place in your life: If you know His word, you’ll be inclined to obey Him and as a result you will have good success. And God’s idea of success is way better than what we can imagine.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Ephesians 3:20
In conclusion, as believers we have to know what we believe and expect it to manifest in our lives. If that takes reading the same scripture every day or multiple times a day, so be it, but don’t sell yourself short when you serve and believe in God, who desires to give you the world. (And He’s the one to do it because its His, not your boyfriend’s [And if you’re the boyfriend then um… leave that to God.]) He says that he will not withhold ANY good things from those who walk upright. Psalm 84:11 So if you know you are striving to live a life pleasing to the Lord, expect Him to do amazing things in your life, it’s what He promises and He doesn’t change His mind.
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