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It is a place of abundance, that is the promise of God to you; with no lack or brokenness, but good days in your life. And it comes through a procedure, well laid out by God, in His word, one that involves a seeking and pursuit of peace. Apostle Peter has described it well, to say, The one who loves life, and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil, to do what is good; let him seek peace and pursue it. [1 Peter 3:10,11]
What exactly is seeking peace?
Seeking peace is prioritizing it in your life, namely the pursuit of experiencing it in your life. And it is the answer to your lack, whatever it may be, in order to bring you out of it, that your cup may overflow, so that you may fulfill His purpose for your life, that you may be blessed in order to be a blessing to others. It is what will bring glory to God, and true fulfillment within you, leading to a peace in you, that is beyond all comprehension.
The Gift of His Peace:
For it is His peace, that the Lord gives you, and not as the world does. [John 14:27] It is the promise of the Lord, one that He spoke forth, even as He faced the Cross, knowing well the shame and reproach that lay ahead of Him, but enduring it all, for the joy set before Him, in bringing many sons to glory. And, it was through the chastisement that He bore on Calvary, that today, you and I can enjoy peace, a wholeness, that displaces all lack. And it is something that the world can never give you. It is also why the Holy Spirit, plays a very significant role in your experience of it. For, it is through Him, the Spirit of Christ in you, that you are no longer in slavery, or in bondage to fear, but call God ‘Abba Father’ and it is a mind governed by the Spirit, that leads to life and peace. [Romans 8:6,15] The right or authority to become a child of God, is yours, when you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, when you believe in His Name. [John 1:12] And it also makes you; a heir according to the promise, by which all that is the Father’s is yours.
The anointing:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; Because He has anointed Me; To preach the gospel to the poor. [Luke 4:2] It was the proclamation of the fulfillment of the word of prophecy about His calling that the Lord read from the scriptures in the synagogue, where He was in worship on the Sabbath, as was His habit. He emphasized the working of the Holy Spirit, and even today it is equally relevant, when it comes to fulfilling God’s purposes for your life. It empowers you with a divine ability and counsel to take you from your place of lack, or being poor to being rich in Christ.
The poor, and the good news:
Without Christ even a multimillionaire is poor and lost in life. And the gospel, the good news, can be summed up in one word; it is Jesus Christ. For, it is not merely external poverty, it is an inner depravity in a person’s spirit, that lies at the root of all poverty that is addressed and dispelled by the gospel of Christ.
And, why is Jesus is the good news?
It is because, He has accomplished it all on the Cross of Calvary, and what He became on the Cross, you and I need no longer be in our lives. He became limited, so that you can enjoy His unlimited nature, and the fruit of it, in every area of your life. You are rich, because He became poor on the Cross. And the experiential knowledge of His grace is what makes it possible in your life. [2 Corinthians 8:9] And, He is also able to make His grace abound towards you, for every good work, on every occasion. [2 Corinthians 9:8] Therefore, there is a marvelous reason for Lord Jesus being the good news. And moreover, because of it, any lack that you may be facing right now, is temporary and transient. It is the truth that you can rest upon, for the Lord can, and will, surely turn things around, in your life.
Kingdom of heaven – to the poor in spirit:
But it is only the one who is humble enough to acknowledge his own spiritual bankruptcy, the one who is ‘poor’ in his spirit, who is able to receive the true riches, the abundance of the kingdom of heaven, that has been made available to him through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It happens within you, as you hear the word of God that comes to you, and receive it by faith, to be led into a conduct that is in line with it. It is then that there can be a transformation in your life.
A journey of faithful trust – step by step:
He may not give you the total picture, or blueprint of all that He has prepared for you, right at the very beginning. Ever so often, God takes you on a journey of faith, one step at a time, to the place that He has allotted for you, one that is good and plenteous. He is your Father, who certainly does not wish that you should languish in a condition of lack and insufficiency, permanently, for all the days of your life. For, in this fallen world, that lies under the sway of the evil one, trouble and lack can arise in some form or the other, in your life, at some time or the other. But, it need not remain your status quo, for the rest of your life.
But, it also has to be said that, the way He deals with you, in order to bring you out of your troubling insufficiency, may not be just what you expected, for His thoughts, and His ways, are much higher than yours and mine. And therefore, it is as you look upon Him, to hear from Him in faith and expectation, to be led by His Spirit, that you can return to your rest, as the Lord goes on to deal bountifully with you, by leading you step by step, and empowering you through His word. Elijah was a prophet of God, but was also a man with like passions, susceptible to be affected by emotions that are natural and human, is what the bible makes very clear. He experienced fear, doubt, self pity, at various points of his life that troubled him emotionally, just like what you and I can identify with so well. Physical lack was also his experience. But God dealt with him miraculously, to lead him out of it. [1 kings 17:8-16] And, valuable spiritual insights can be gleaned, by studying the course of it, in order to appropriate and apply it in one’s life. To begin with, the procedure was in many ways not what one would normally follow., in such a situation. But then, He is God, and more often than not, He is the God of the unexpected! And,
HE begins with His word:
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, [vs 8] In your lack, the word of God will come to you, even as it did unto Elijah. And it is the word that will change your world. For, the word when it comes to you, will have in itself the required direction and provision that you will need, in order to move from your place of lack in the right path, towards the blessed abundance that God has planned for you. For very often, what can happen is that, even though you may receive the promise from God, you could be led to think that the manifestation of it in your life, is something that you have to accomplish through your own ingenuity. And naturally, it will all eventually end in failure, resulting in you getting angry in various directions, with God, with other people, with the devil, and ultimately with yourself, to come to the conclusion that your life is never going to be anything like the promise of God to you.
Word way – the pathway to your promise:
There are roadways, railways and airways; you have many options when you need to travel to another place. But, it is always one -way, and it is the word – way, when it comes to the promise of God being accomplished, and coming to pass in your life. For, the word of promise that He speaks to you, contains in itself, the means or the way by which it can become a very present reality in your life. And it is not about being passive, but it is about not indulging in fleshly striving, but focusing on the word to align your actions to be in line with it. His eye is upon you to counsel you and guide you.
Is your eye upon Him, or your focus fixed on Him ?
The answer to it is vital, for it is when you connect with Him, that you will know, the next step that He bids you to take in order to come out of your place of lack, to be satisfied. Hagar, experienced it in the desert, as the Lord answered the cry of her infant, and her heart’s cry of misery, to open her eyes to the spring of water close at hand. She knew then that God was keeping His eye on her continually, to call the Name of the Lord, ‘You are the God who sees’, for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me’. [Genesis 16:13]
Faith involves focus:
Thus faith always involves focus and being sensitive to the voice of God. Let your eyes be fixed upon Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, says the writer to the Hebrews. It is a vital component in being led to the promise that God has spoken to you. For, as the psalmist has written, what God has spoken to you and I, is -I will keep my eye upon you, and counsel you; To teach you in the way that you should go. [Psalm 32:8] And being sensitive to God’s voice comes, as your attention, your focus, is fixed upon Him, without dwindling in its intensity, owing to the passage of time, or due to problems that arise, that can so easily distract you. For, when your focus is upon God, your problem that is big, will appear small, and very simple, as you see through His eyes. And there is a simple but profound reason for it.
HIS thoughts and HIS ways are higher:
‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways …’ [Isaiah 55:8] And, I do not think like you do, or act like you act, declares a version of the above verse. It is the declaration of the higher thoughts, and ways of God that elucidate the need for a renewal of your mind, according to His word, so that your thoughts and actions can be in line His. And it is how marvelous things can be accomplished in your life, by the grace of God, and through your faith. For more often than not, God leads you step by step. It is a step of faith that you will need to take, in obedience to His word, not knowing at that point, how it is all going to evolve in the future.
Thus your faith and focus are vital parameters, in the word -way that takes you steadily forward in the plan and purposes of God, by which there is a transformation of your world, through the word. These spiritual principles of faith, can be seen in the life of Elijah, in the manner in which God began to deal with him in a situation of physical lack and insufficiency. And today, they are invaluable lessons in your life and mine, to be imbibed and applied to experience God’s peace and wholeness, that can come only from Him, as godly blessings come only in godly ways.
Obeying, trusting:
It was what Elijah did when the word of the Lord came to him. He was sensitive to the voice of God, and more importantly, was obedient to it. He arose and went to Zarephath. [vs 10] You obey the word that comes to you, for what you know. And you trust Him, for what you do not know. It is the principle of faith that you and I would be wise to follow, in every circumstance of life. Elijah, was given just the name of the place where he was asked to go, and nothing beyond that. It needed trust on his part, to rise up and go in faith. When the apostle Paul was dramatically converted, on the road to Damascus, as he saw a blinding vision of the Lord Himself, the Lord spoke to Him, His Name, but to know beyond that, he was instructed to go to a place, where he was to be told about his future. He had to believe and trust, to go, where the Lord had asked him to.
Faith always involves risk. But it is a good risk, because it is substantiated by God Himself. And sometimes, though it could involve a stepping out of your comfort zone, it is as you go closer, that you will gain the right perspective, and knowledge of the truth. Abraham, had to travel for three days, before he saw Mount Moriah, where he would go on to experience the Lord Almighty, to be his Jehovah Jireh, His Provider. Even in day to day affairs, big and small, there are certain decisions that you can take, only after you take a few steps in faith, trusting in God. A house that God is leading you to purchase, cannot be done over your phone or computer, however effective the internet maybe. It would have to pass your very close and personal inspection, before you buy it. You have to view it up close!
Faith, hears from God, to act upon it, as step by step, He leads you, to the high place that He has already prepared for you. The path may involve some unexpected twists and turns, as it happened with Elijah. And through it all, there are three principles of faith, that come shining through.
1.Reality is accepted by faith:
Walking in faith and obedience is not about living in denial. Neither is it about living in cuckoo land, your head high up in the clouds! Faith accepts reality, but acknowledges the revelation from God, that is higher and greater. In the natural, it can be seen in the manner in which the airplane soars in the sky, for it accepts the law of gravity, but acknowledges the law of lift, that is available to be tapped into, with the right procedure and resources.
‘Only a little….’!
The widow did not deny the reality of her lack, as she said to Elijah, who asked for a little bread of her, along with a cup of water, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread; only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar, and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die’. [vs 12]
But then, how did Elijah persist, in asking it of her?
It is where faith steps in!
For he spoke with godly confidence, with faith that comes in you, when you hear the voice of God, through His word. It is faith that gives you the confidence, for sometimes, in human terms, when you look at the situation that you are faced with, what God is asking you to do, or where He is taking you, may seem quite contrary and incongruous, and really not what you would think would be the answer to your problem! Elijah definitely would not have thought, that when he himself was in a place of lack, he would be sent to a person, who was in even greater need and insufficiency. It was to a lady who was planning to die, she and her son, because of the very little that she had. But then, God is God! And in your lack, if you have faith to receive His word, and also act upon it, you will see, that even in your lack, you will be an instrument in the hand of God, used for His glory. He will use you, to bring life, hope and a miraculous increase, in a person who is in even greater need. But it all begins with a removal of your lack. It is what happened in the life of the widow at Zarephath, as she did what she was commanded to do by God.
For, God never makes mistakes!
All you need to do, is to look to God first. And you will see the other side, the beautiful picture that is taking shape in the tapestry of your life, where even your times of lack, that are never permanent, but only for a season, are there for a reason, to be interwoven magnificently in His Grand Design for all of humanity. And in it, He will use your need, that is small, comparatively speaking, to satisfy the greater need in another, as He brings you out of your lack. For, the lady had a little flour, or a small loaf of bread. It was the felt need of Elijah. But he had the Living Bread, or the word of God, the revelation truth of God, that is the greatest of all riches. It is true even in your life, when by faith, and through grace, the word dwells in you richly. You are so rich that you can give a billionaire, who has it all, but not the Lord, a gift! Thus faith accepts reality, even as the widow did. But it also goes on to acknowledge the blessed revelation truth of God’s word, that can transform your life of lack, to one of abundant, overflowing fullness, that will be a blessing to you, and also bless others.
2. Revelation – is acknowledged by faith:
It was revelation truth from God, that Elijah spoke to the widow, who was going through a lack so terrible, that she was contemplating death, as he said this to her, For thus says the Lord, ‘ the bin of flour shall not be used up, or the jar of oil run dry, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ [vs 14]
Little flour – for only a season!
The miraculous provision came to the widow, but was limited, and it was also only for a season. In her life, it was until the rains came. At times God takes you through a period, a season of lack, in the sense that your provision could be limited, even as the writer of the proverbs describes the man, who asks of the Lord, not for too much, or too little, but a little that is sufficient. [Proverbs 30:8] It is a limited understanding of God’s nature, that makes many people settle for this level of provision, with no overflow or surplus, that can flow into the lives of others to bless them. For, he who is faithful in little, will be made the master of many, is the promise that the Lord has spoken; He wants to make you rich in every way, so that you can be generous in every occasion, as the apostle Paul has written in the scriptures. There is a purpose to the abundance, that God desires to bless you with.
Learning to trust in HIM:
Seasons of limited resources sometimes come though, and approaching it rightly, will find you learning a very valuable lesson through it all. It is to trust in the Lord, as the primary source of all that you need in life. And, the season will change; a colourful and overflowing life will become your portion once again. The Lord is your loving Shepherd, who has given His very life for you, on the Cross of Calvary, that you may reign in life through Him. Therefore, though you may be passing through hardship in your life right now, it need not and will not be your permanent status quo for the rest of your life. God will bring you out of your place of lack. It is where your response to God’s revelation in faith, plays a key role. It is how the widow, out of the little she had ,was able to respond rightly.
3. Response – vindicates your faith:
Responding is taking up responsibility. And, your positive response, to God’s hand that is stretched forth to give to you, by His grace, vindicates your faith, or your correct understanding of His revelation to you. It is visibly seen, when in faith you respond to the revelation of God, and not to your present reality, that may be one of inability or lack. The revelation truth that you receive by faith, is completed by your conduct. It is a favorable and positive response to it, in an act of trusting obedience. So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah. And she and he and her household ate for many days. [vs 15] It was not just her, but she and her household were blessed. God did not want to grab the ‘little’, out of the little that she had. He fed two million people in the desert for forty years. Could He not have fed Elijah?! Of course, He could have! But, He wanted the widow to move from a place of lack and looming death to abundance that was a blessing to many, and more importantly, towards life and not death.
Giving God the first place, in your life:
And it happened because the woman, by faith, was able to focus on God, and to keep Him first, instead of focusing on her problem of lack, that was threatening to consume her very life. Even in your life, and in your time of lack, multiplication and abundance that will be a blessing to others will come, when by responding rightly in faith, you are able to put God first in your life in all areas – God first, and not your grocery list! And you will certainly be engulfed by a peace that is beyond all understanding, even as God takes you to the place where He wants you to be. It is to a place that is abundantly blessed, that He may be glorified, and is a blessing to many others. It is what will bring true fulfillment in your life, one that selfishly hoarding your God given wealth, can never give you.
Not a sacrifice, but a privilege:
It is never a sacrifice, but is always a privilege to bring an offering unto God. For what sacrifice, but the sacrifice of praise, can be worthy to give to the One who has given His very life for you?! It is always a privilege to give to God, and is displayed in you giving Him the first and the best, or giving Him the first place, in every area of your life. When the widow acknowledged the revelation from God, giving Him first place in the little that she had, she did not see any lack until the rains came. And lifting it higher, to a greater and more wondrous level, when you keep God first in your life, when He is your Shepherd, you will see goodness and mercy following you, all the days of your life!
Honoring God:
Your attitude towards your finances, is closely connected to your faith. And it is why we bring our first and best to God’ Giving to God, is not as if you are paying Him a commission, or paying your taxes, or a subscription! And worse still, it is definitely not the tip, that you leave behind to the one who serves you in the restaurant! He is the Lord of all, the Owner and Possessor of all the earth. And, it is always your attitude, that determines your approach. An offering unto God therefore, is purely and simply honoring Him, as in love and faith, you give the first and the best, in every area of your life, to the One who is best in your life! The widow at Zarephath, obeyed the revelation from God in her response, and it changed her reality. In your life today, if you are going through a period of lack in any sphere, whatever it may be, it is not your permanent address! God has something gloriously better and higher already prepared for you. The reality of your world that you are experiencing now, will change! It is time now, to respond in faith to the revelation of His word in your life.
Draw near to Him in worship, in honor and praise of His Majesty, humbly asking Him to take first place in your life. And even if it is little, out of the little that you have, that you offer unto Him, in faith, love, and confident trust, He can take you the place of abundance where He wants you to be. May any fear that is withholding you from honoring Him, be dispelled in His Name, that is above every other name. Give thanks unto Him even now, for His grace, and the wondrous revelation of His word in your life, one that will take you to the land that is spacious and abundant, where lack need not be the story of your life. And may the Lord God Almighty confirm His word in you, by your positive response, to take you to the place where He wants you to be, to see you blessed, to be a blessing.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
