Good morning, can we begin by asking the Holy Spirit to impart divine revelation to us about what His word is saying to us today. May those things that are not of Him fall like chaff to the threshing floor and burned in the flames. We seek Him and long to know Him more deeply than we did even yesterday. He is our guide and helper; may the Father show Him what is His perfect will for each and every one of us today.
Philippians 4:4-7, NASB
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is expressing a truth to us here in that when we are pressed, we need to bring our needs to God. It is difficult not to be anxious because this is a matter of trust. But if we bring our needs to God through prayer and thanking Him for whatever provision He wills to give us we avail ourselves of the need to attempt to meet our own needs. It is in that reliance upon him that we find the peace of God. That peace and assurance then is what guards our hearts and minds against the worries of the world.
This is not natural though; we tend to try and take ownership of our lives and not surrender our abilities to His will. Contrary to this Paul encourages us to go from worry and lack of trust to praise:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything, worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
That is the secret to overcoming; it is in praising God in every circumstance. Whether in prosperity or in want. Jesus said:
“These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”
The lie the enemy is spreading now is the message of prosperity. While it is not wrong to be blessed financially, it is not a guarantee for us in the Christian life. Jesus said it flat out “you will have tribulation (trials, trouble, suffering, hardship, etc…).” I think the rise of the prosperity gospel has caused a twofold deception of the enemy to succeed. First in fixing their eyes on material wealth the enemy has turned the attention of the believer from the giver to the gift. Secondly, he has succeeded in causing worry, fear, and distrust in those who are struggling financially to focus on why they are not being blessed as the others are. The end result is the turning away of the body of Christ from a focus on Christ, to the circumstances they are living under. Listen to Paul:
“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked an opportunity to act. Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:10-13).”
Paul a great theologian, teacher, and follower of Jesus suffered. He says He experienced both prosperity and want long after he decided to follow Jesus. He knew that a life of prosperity was not guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that in every circumstance we can find peace through Him who meets all of our needs through Christ Jesus. Jesus said:
“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD (Luke 4:18-20).”
The good news is not wealth and prosperity, the world seeks that, and there is no end to that search. That bottomless pit can never be filled. Rather the good news is that God sent His Son to set us free from the bondages of sin and the world. We find freedom from oppression not in the accumulation of things. Rather it is finding peace in knowing that He will provide our every need and will never leave us or forsake us. The gospel is the same to the rich man as it is to the hungry one. Jesus came to this world, He died for our sins, and rose again on the third day. Because He did, we know that one day we will be with Him and will live forever with Him. Until that day we can trust in Him. Whether in abundance or in want He will never leave us and will take care of us.
If you have been sold the bill of goods and bought into the prosperity gospel, I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to you. I pray that He will show freedom from that bondage. If the enemy has tortured and tormented, you about your needs. Caused you to take your eyes off Him who loves you and turned them to the world. I speak Jesus to your heart and mind. I speak freedom from your bondages. May the peace of God, the peace that surpasses all understanding envelope your heart and mind and you find rest in trusting in Him who can and will supply every need you have.
Maybe you’re reading this, and you are feeling the weight of your sin in your life. I have good news, Jesus came to this earth, lived a sinless life, suffered, and died on a cross, and three days later rose from the dead. Because of this you can find true forgiveness for your sins. All you need is to “confess Jesus as the Lord of your life and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9).” He knows you and what you have done, and He offers you grace. He forgives you and sets you free from the bondage of sin because He loves you. All that is required is to submit to His authority. Then take Him at His word and believe by faith that He died and rose again for your sins, and you will be saved.
Thank you for joining me today as we searched the scriptures for What the Word is Saying. I pray that God will send His Holy Spirit into our lives anew and fill us again with His love and His purpose for us. So that we can fulfill the mission He left us in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world.
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.” lockman.org.
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