Rev. Dr. I. David Byrd. February 2019
One Minute Summary
You can have what is promised, in the Bible, if you are willing to seek out His Word, believe His Word, and do His Word. In other words, live a life pleasing to God. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity but it does guarantee God’s provision. If we are going to receive God’s promises in our lives, we must make sure what we are asking God agrees with the Word and not with our circumstances. You can’t take carnality into your promise land. It requires consistency in your lifestyle; consecration in your focus; and separation from your past, people and perspectives. Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness. He came to save us from our sins to fulfill his ultimate promise, an eternity with Him. His promises help us on our journey. Our contentment comes through resting in Him, not in an abundance of stuff.
February Devotion
How are your New Year resolutions coming along so far? Almost half of New Year’s resolutions fail in two weeks. By summer, most will fail. Have you broken yours yet? I am thankful we can consistently depend on the unfailing promises of God. God always keeps His promises—the same today as He did in the days of the Bible. Yet some people become discouraged because they fail to see results after asking for His assurance. We can avoid frustration by understanding how Scripture teaches us to claim His promises. The promises of God should not be taken out of context or the gospel message distorted for our own selfish motives. Alarm at the gate, most of us have been taught bad theology. “Name it and claim it”. “Sow a seed”. “Blab it and grab it”. “Donate a window in the church to have your sins forgiven”. “Give up something for Lent and you’re guaranteed to become a better person.” That’s not how God’s promises work. His promises are reserved for those who are willing to truly believe in Him. Consider how this idea of prosperity plays out in the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity but God’s provision. Our contentment comes through resting in Him, not in an abundance of stuff. Having all our material desires met won’t make us any happier or more content, even though our sin nature will try to convince us otherwise. God will meet our needs—and He will often do it in unexpected ways. We trust Him to provide in His timing and in the way that is best for us. If we are going to receive God’s promises in our lives, we must make sure what we are asking God agrees with the Word and not with our circumstances. You can’t take carnality into your promise land. It requires consistency in your lifestyle; consecration in your focus; and separation from your past, people and perspectives.
To understand how God’s promises work you have to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” (Hebrews 6:12). This month I ask you to study the consistency of the heroes of faith in Hebrew 11 to understand how faith was demonstrated that lead to receiving the promises of God. As you study you will see God doesn’t care about your car, your house, your job, who wins the game, or who you would be able to help if you won the lottery. That line of thinking is antithetical to the true gospel message and the clear teaching of Scripture. He is concerned with is your Destiny – your ability to overcome evil, your peace of mind in the midst of the vicissitudes of life, your ability to help others see Him through you.
This year we must move beyond the spiritual welfare system. The belief that everything you ask of God will be given unto you. To receive his promises you have to understand the “way”. You don’t get to pick the way. He has provided, in His Word, His will and the way. How you live your life will determine when and if you are ready to receive His promises. God will not bless a relationship He is not involved in.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Luke 6:46-49
Man’s biggest challenge is that they want God’s benefits but don’t want a relationship. There are those who say, “Lord, give me what I need today,” but never get around to, “Lord, make me what you want me to be today.” He’s also not excited about people who say, “Lord, give me recognition on my job even though I’m too ashamed to give You glory among my co-workers”; or, “Lord, give me more money in my pocket even though I can’t make any available to Your kingdom”; or, “Lord, sharpen my skills even though I won’t use them for Your kingdom.” Jesus wants you to learn His sufficiency for your need, His strength in your trials, and His power over your archenemy, satin. Bishop Arthur M. Brazier used to say, “Jesus is not a celestial Santa Clause. He wants you to focus on his message not the goodies. He is not just whom we go to for our petty desires”. A mature faith builds an ever-evolving relationship with Him throughout our earthly lives. In Letters From The Exile, the transactional view of God is summarized this way, “When we, even unintentionally, communicate and internalize the idea that God works merely in transactions, we also communicate the idea that our hearts and attitudes play no part in the whole affair. We lose a sense of God’s unpredictability and mystery – that He works in ways we rarely understand or expect. We lose a sense of His character, because we turn Him into an impersonal force of the universe, dispensing rewards for the right tokens and withholding them for the wrong ones”.
To receive God’s promises requires you to change your perspective. Are you pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s your highest priority? Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). But as we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.
Now I must ask you who are you spending your time with? To receive God’s promises requires you to evaluate whom you hang with because who you hang with determines who you are. Pay attention to their lives, what they read, topics of their conversations, and what they value. Are they helping you draw closer to God or pulling you further away from Him? Paul called us to strive to be like other believers so that each follower would know more of God’s peace.
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9
We can trust and believe that God will always meet our needs. Whatever we need on earth or in heaven he will always supply. Brothers, there’s a huge difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting his provision and power to live for him.
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalms 23:1
When evaluating a biblical promise, we should ask ourselves:
- Am I asking for this promise with a spirit of submission to the will of God?
- Might an answer to my petition harm another person or interfere with God’s will for his/her life?
- Does the Holy Spirit bear witness to my spirit that God is pleased by my request?
- Does it contradict the Word of God?
- Will my desire advance my spiritual growth?
If we claim the Lord’s promises with a right spirit and pure motives, we will honor Him, receive what we ask, and grow in intimacy with our loving Father.
My brothers, Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness. He came to save us from our sins to fulfill his ultimate promise, an eternity with Him. His promises help us on our journey. God’s promises are a gift to us paid for in full on the cross by Jesus Christ. Although His promises have been paid for, we still have to talk to Him in prayer. So next month we will focus on the subject – God has promised to answer your prayers. The second we ask God in faith the petitions of our heart; those petitions become ours at that moment even though we have to wait for them to materialize (Mark 11:24).
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for preparing us to receive your promises in this New Year. For helping us to understand that the promise is always preceded by the sacrifice. Change our hearts, change our minds and give us the courage to live a life that is pleasing to you. We trust that you will fulfill our every need and whatever you are giving, we’re taking. If our wants are not of you, we don’t want them.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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