God said this to me the other day. “Don’t consider your circumstance but the promise.” He was reminding me of His promise to me and encouraging me so I could have it!
2 Corinthians 4:18 Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. AMPC
Have you ever asked God for something, decided you were going to let go and just let Him fulfill that promise yet it never happened? The reason for that is our lack of faith. God is perfect, He is faithful and when things aren’t happening the way He promises it is always us— because of our lack of faith.
Our lack of knowledge portrays our lack of faith, which is why we need God to teach us His way. I love His encouragement that leads me to paths of righteousness. I love that we can do something to make His will happen and that God is NOT a dictator.
Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) because without faith God can’t do anything, because He isn’t a dictator. God gives us choice (Deuteronomy 30:19). If we choose to trust Him He makes Himself strong on our behalf, but if we choose not to then His hands are tied.
Jesus said it many times, according to your faith be it done unto you. He said in a crowd who touched Me because He felt power leave Him. That means the women that touched Him decided to get healed, it was her faith that healed her.
Here’s where we can see what God is saying to us today. Don’t consider your present condition, but consider the promise. That women didn’t consider her condition, but the promise. Those who were healed in the Bible, if you do your studies you can see—didn’t consider their present condition.
If I believe I am healed for example, and I have done this plenty, then I won’t complain that I have something wrong with me, in fact no one knows I have anything wrong with me—unless God tells me to tell. Not considering my circumstance I won’t make plans according to being sick, but plans according to being healed. So if a cold is trying to come on me, I don’t plan for the cold, but I plan for NO cold.
I will never forget the many times God encouraged me in receiving from Him. Today I want to share one of those times. My son (which you probably have heard me say before) was born with a birth defect. His healing has been a process according to my faith. When he was about ten I was shopping for his birthday in Wal-Mart and looking for that special gift. As I walked by the electric scooters, I thought, I wish so but that’s out. Instantly I heard God say, “Why not?”
Wow! I immediately put the scooter in the cart and brought it home. Why was I thinking I couldn’t get the scooter? My son didn’t have the potential to balance. Each time he got on a bike he fell off, in fact threw the bike in frustration.
Do you see what God was teaching me? Don’t consider the circumstance, but consider the promise. What is the promise? By His stripes we were healed—were healed!
1 Peter 2:24 He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. AMPC
God’s ways of doing are completely opposed to our ways. It didn’t make since to the natural mind to take such a chance, but, when you hear God speak to you mountains move! Things change! The Beauty of His love happens!
Did you know that God expects us to take the chance many won’t? He does, He is saying if you actually believe I took those stripes for your healing—then act like it.
James 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). AMPC
I was teaching my son his whole life faith and that he was healed. To believe what he couldn’t see so he could live whole. When I gave him the scooter for his birthday and told him God encouraged me to get it, he was excited— well until we actually started the process of riding it. He became frustrated because he fell off of the scooter many times. It didn’t seem that God was doing anything, we could see he had no balance. The only way he could ride it was as I held him up.
But, the next day we got back on our faith and he got back on the scooter. Instead of circling the patio we went down the road next to our house. He got on the scooter and there he went at about 20 mph down hill. I was screaming with excitement as he went flying down the road balancing the scooter!
God is good and worthy to be praised! He is faithful! The reason we don’t receive from God is our lack knowledge. The knowledge of who He is and how His kingdom operates.
He said that in Hosea, My people are destroyed, for a lack of knowledge. Not acknowledging God is no knowledge, which is the same as not listening.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
We don’t listen to God maybe because it seems too scary and out there. But, if we would get faith (which is revelation knowledge) like He teaches us then it wouldn’t be scary.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. KJV
Taking the initiative to hear the Word, which is hearing God—(He is His Word) is acknowledging Him—and that is getting faith. If we give God that respect —of listening to Him and following His principles we wouldn’t live without His knowledge and destroyed. We would live in victory, and be that over comer we are called to be.
Faith is our substance, the thing we need to get victory to get that prayer answered, to be an over comer!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. KJV
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. AMPC
To be free of the fear of— what if God doesn’t, we have to get God. God is our faith. Hearing God talk to me brings me faith. Faith comes from not only hearing His written Word, but hearing Him speak to us.
If we pay attention to the Word, if we hear it and don’t let it depart from our eyes (Proverbs 4:21) we certainly have God’s attention, and He will certainly do as He said He would do. He will perform His Word (Jeremiah 1:12). He is alert and active looking for someone He can show Himself to (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Let me encourage you today to get God! Open the Word of God and put Him in your heart and let Him grow you to the place where when you hear Him, you actually hear Him. To that place where your are not dull of hearing (Matthew 13:15) but full of faith, trust in Him that He can and will do what He said He will.
God Bless you!