Storehouses: Being Rich Unto God

One day Jesus was preaching to the crowds, and said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possess” (Luke 12:15). Then He told this parable:

The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he though within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” So he said, “I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’”

But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16-21)

The problem with this man was not that he had storehouses. It was not even that he was laying up treasure for himself. The real problem is that he was not rich toward God.

God has already promised us that He would bless us in our storehouses when we honor Him with out possessions, and with firstfruits of our increase (Proverbs 3:9-10). That is being rich unto God.

The Lord Jesus had this to say about laying up treasure:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Notice that Jesus instructs us to lay up treasure for ourselves — but to lay it up for ourselves in heaven, and that is about the attitude of our heart. We are not to lay up treasure the way the world does. The world ends up loving, trusting and serving money, just as the fool in Jesus’ parable did. But we are to lay up treasure and use it for the purposes of heaven. That is being rich unto God.

The man in this parable thought wealth and riches were about using them to satisfy his lusts, so he said to his soul, “Take it easy. Eat, drink and be merry.” But James comment about unanswered prayer is also applicable here: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasure” (James 4:3). God does not give us the ability to create wealth so we can be selfish with it, but so we can use it to glorify Him and bless others.

Toward the end of chapter 4, James makes a comment that is very reminiscent of Jesus’ parable:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)

Just like the fool in the parable, these whom James addresses have no regard for the purposes of God. Their plans and their profits are about their own arrogance, so their boasting, just like the boasting of the fool in the parable, is evil.

God gives us the power to create wealth so that we may be rich toward Him. When we have our hearts properly oriented toward Him, then God will be able to bless us richly in our storehouses, because He knows that we will be using it for the purposes of heaven. This is a vitally important issue because, where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.

Storehouses: The Jar of Oil

“Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

(2 Kings 4:2)

One of Elisha’s disciples had died, and his widow came to him. She came to him and said, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?

And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Then he said, “God, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors — empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And you when you have come in , you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones. (2 Kings 4:2-4)

This woman had a big need, but little resource. She needed help, so she turned to the man of God, who had at one time been her husband’s teacher. What she didn’t realize is that she was about to receive a miracle of multiplication.

Elisha’s mentor, Elijah, also helped a widow receive the miracle of multiplication. In both cases, the blessing of storehouses was involved. When God multiplies your means, you need someplace to put it.

All this woman had was a little jar of oil. But that was enough for the blessing of God. All she needed now were storehouses to contain it all. So Elisha directed her to go to her neighbors and gather up empty vessels, as many as she could get.

Gathering the empty vessels took an act of faith on her part. She didn’t wait for the miracle to occur and the blessing to flow before she enlarged her storehouse system. No, she established her storehouse, just as the prophet directed, in faith that the blessing would come.

So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest. (vv. 5-7)

Note that the oil ceased because the last vessel had been filled. If she could have gathered more vessels, more would have been filled. But what she was able to collect was sufficient for her needs. She had enough to pay off her debt and live on the rest, along with her sons.

If does not matter what financial circumstances you are in, there is already something in your hand that God can use to deliver you, for He gives seed to the sower (Isaiah 55:10; 2 Corinthians 9:10). There is always something you can set aside in your storehouse. It may be only a small amount, but if you will be faithful to save it and not consume it, God will bless and multiply it.

Storehouses: A Widow in Zarephath

For thus says the LORD God of Israel: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry.” (1 Kings 17:14)

Because of the wickedness of King Ahab, the prophet Elijah proclaimed a drought in the land: “As the LORD God or Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” ((1 Kings 17:1). Then the Lord directed him to dwell by the Brook Cherith, where he would drink from the brook, and the ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening — God is a God of miraculous provision! So Elijah lived by the brook until it dried up because of the lack of rain. Then the LORD sent him to Zarephath, “See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you” (v. 9). When Elijah entered the gates of the city, he found a widow there who was gathering sticks.

And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD god of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”

So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:10-16)

Sometimes storehouses were buildings and barns; sometimes they were dry cisterns used to keep and protect one’s goods; and sometimes they may have been nothing more than bins and jars.

Here was a woman of Zarephath, which was somewhere between Tyre and Sidon. She was not of Israel, but was a Canaanite woman, a widow who was nearly destitute, having no one but her son. Their provision was almost gone, but the Lord wanted to bless her. He also wanted to feed His servant Elijah.

Now, this widow woman had storehouses — a bin and a jar — but they were severely depleted, and just about empty. She had just enough flour and oil for one last, little meal for her and her son, then that would be all. But here came the prophet of God asking her for water and a handful of bread. Had the media been around in those days, the headlines might have read, “Traveling Evangelist Takes Last Meal From Destitute Family!”

“Go and do as you have planned,” Elijah told her, “But first, make a small cake for me.” That would have been a very hard request, but then he gave her this promise directly from the Lord: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.” And suddenly there was hope — if the woman had the faith to act on it.

Proverbs 3:9-10 says that if we honor the Lord with our possessions and with the firstfruits of all our increase, then our storehouses would be heaped up with plenty, and our vats would overflow with new wine.

That is what Elijah was asking this poor widow to do, to honor the Lord first with what she had. And this is what God promised to do for her, to heap up her storehouses — her bin and her jar — with provision enough to carry her through the rest of the drought.

And that is exactly what happened. The woman did what Elijah said, and she ended up with enough to feed him, herself and her household for many days. “The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah.”

The storehouse principle begins by honoring the Lord with our possessions, and with the first and the best of all our increase. Then keep your bins and your jars handy, and watch as the Lord heaps up your provision. Faith in the promise of God sets it in motion — even in a time of drought.

The Power to Create Wealth: Storehouses

The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)

The Hebrew word used for “storehouse” here also appears in Proverbs, where it is translated by the NKJV as “barns”:

Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

(Proverbs 3:9-10)

When we walk with the Lord in the obedience of faith, He commands the blessing on us in our storehouses. A storehouse is a place where provision is set aside until it is needed. In Bible times, after the harvest was gathered, threshed and winnowed, it was brought into the storehouse. The first and best portion was set aside for God. The next best portion was set aside for seed for the following year’s harvest. The rest was used for sustaining one’s family, and also as fodder for the cattle. If there was extra, it could be sold to those who needed it. So a storehouse was not only a place where wealth was stored until needed, but was also a place where additional wealth was created.

A storehouse is oriented toward future need and future provision. Many people spend all they make as soon as they make it. They do not set anything aside for the future, often because they think they cannot afford to. But the truth is, we cannot afford not to. God is ready to command the blessing on our storehouses, when we obey Him. His desire is to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). But if we never establish a storehouse — setting aside a good portion of our increase for the future — then how can we ever be blessed in our storehouse? Indeed, creating a storehouse requires the faith to believe that God does have a future and a hope for us.

The account of Joseph in Egypt shows us how useful the storehouse can be in the creation of wealth. When Pharaoh sought the meaning of a pair of dreams he was given, God gave Joseph the interpretation: There would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (Genesis 41:1-32).

Then Joseph relayed to Pharaoh this divine wisdom: During the years of plenty, set aside one-fifth (twenty per cent) of the increase, then it shall be a reserve for the seven years of famine. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s ability to walk in the wisdom of God that he made him ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:33-44).

Now watch how Joseph conducted the storehouse. During the seven years of plenty, he did just as he advised Pharaoh, storing up food:

So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. (Genesis 41:48-49)

When the seven years of plenty ended, the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And now the success of Joseph’s storehouse plan began to materialize:

The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. (Genesis 41:54-57)

Because of divine foresight and wisdom, and prudent use of the storehouse, when Egypt and all the surrounding countries needed food, Joseph had enough to sell it to them and supply their need.

Now observe what happened as the years of famine progressed. The money ran out in Egypt because the people had used it all to buy grain from the storehouses which Joseph managed for Pharaoh. Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone” (Genesis 47:16). So Joseph fed them with bread, and ended up with all their livestock that year (v. 17).

The next year, the people came and said, “Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate” (Genesis 47:19). So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. He moved the people into cities and gave them seed to sow, for the years of famine would soon be over:

“Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” (Genesis 47:23-25)

Because he knew how to use the storehouse, Joseph was not only able to save the people of Egypt and the surrounding countries in the time of famine, but he also amassed all the wealth — money, livestock, and land — of Egypt and the surrounding countries. He operated according to the wisdom of God, and the LORD commanded the blessing on him in his storehouses.

When you obey the LORD, and honor Him with your possessions, He will command the blessing on your in your storehouses. So, in addition to setting aside the first and best of your increase for God, create a storehouse where you can set aside funds for future provision and investment. As your storehouse begins to fill up, ask God for wisdom and opportunity for the appropriate investment of your funds. This will create wealth, and meet the needs of others, as well as for you and your family.

The Table of Divine Judgment

For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.

(Psalm 75:8)

Calling the Table of the Lord the Table of Divine Judgment sounds pretty ominous and fearful, as does this verse. And yet, the Lord’s Table does indeed represent a divine judgment that has taken place. For at the cross, the full measure of God’s judgment rained down on the Lord Jesus Christ as He gave His body and shed His blood on our behalf. And now, for all who receive Him, the judgment He willingly suffered at Calvary is counted as ours. It is no longer necessary for us to bear it, because Jesus endured it in our place.

The apostle Paul put it this way, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is, Jesus took our sin upon Himself, and we are not just given His righteousness, but we are made the righteousness of God in Him. We are also accepted by God in Him — “accepted in the Beloved” is how Paul says it (Ephesians 1:6). And “there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

The judgment of God has now become a very good thing for us. For it is the nature of judgment to come and set things right, to bring justice where injustice has been done. Because Jesus took our sins to the cross, we are now judged to be righteous through faith in Him. So now the judgment falls on all those things that are our enemies: sin, sickness, demonic strongholds, poverty, even death. They cannot stay on us because they do not belong on us. Even death, which is called “the last enemy,” has been defeated by the cross and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the assurance that we shall likewise be raised (1 Corinthians 15).

When we take the Table of the Lord, we are recalling that divine judgment fell on Jesus Christ for our sakes, and that we receive His righteousness, and therefore all the blessings and provisions that belong to the righteous. We no longer need to fear the judgment of God, because Jesus drank that cup for us, and now the divine judgment is to our benefit. We just need to stay close to Jesus, and one of the best ways to do that is to meet Him often at the Table of the Lord.

The Table of the LORD: Let God Arise

Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

(Psalm 68:1-3)

When God arises, His enemies scatter. And when He has made a covenant with us, His enemies become our enemies, and our enemies become His. So there is great rejoicing — lightheartedness, gleefulness, cheerfulness, blithesomeness, gladness, and even triumphing and jumping for joy — among His people. This psalm of David is a celebration of God’s victory on our behalf.

The New Testament people of God have a celebration as well — the Table of the Lord. For it is here that we receive the cup of the new covenant which was cut in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is here that we lay hold of the benefits of His body given for us. It is the continuing sign that God has arisen on our behalf, and has scattered our enemies. As John observed, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). In Jesus Christ, the works of the devil have been destroyed on our behalf. The bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper is our song of rejoicing.

David details some of the practical benefits of this victory:

• The LORD is to us the father of the fatherless, and the defender of widows (v. 5).
• The LORD sets the solitary in families (v. 6).
• The LORD brings out the bound into prosperity (v. 6).
• The LORD goes out before His people, leading us, even through the wilderness (v. 7).
• The LORD sends us plentiful rain, whereby He confirms our inheritance when we are weary (v. 9).
• The LORD has made this inheritance our dwelling place (v. 10).
• The LORD provides for the poor out of His goodness (v. 10).

The blessings are so plentiful that David declares,

Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits.
The God of our salvation.

(Psalm 68:19)

The Hebrew word for “salvation” here is yeshuah, which in name form is Yeshua, the Hebrew name of Jesus. Truly it is in Him that we have all these blessings. For He was anointed by the Spirit of God to preach good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and proclaim the year of God’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).

This psalm begins with a note of triumph, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered,” and only gets better, for it ends with the sure prosperity and protection of His own: “The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people” (v. 35)

The Lord Jesus Christ has arisen on our behalf to scatter the enemy and destroy all the works of the devil. And now the God of our salvation, our Yeshua, daily loads us with His benefits. The Table of the Lord is the perfect place to lay hold of all these provisions, to celebrate the victory with Him, even to jump for joy and dance with abandon in care-free celebration.

The Power to Create Wealth: The Blessing

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your god, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

The blessing of God is His power and all the resources of heaven brought to bear on behalf of the one who is blessed. It belongs to all those who diligently obey His voice and walk in His righteousness — His way of doing and being right.

Notice how Moses details the blessing in this passage. They speak of the abundant prosperity and protection God has for His people:

(You can hear this passage in streaming MP3, with a background of relaxing music. This track is called Choosing Life, from our Healing Scriptures and Prayers CD Vol. 2.)

• Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. (v.3)
• Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle, and the offspring of your flocks. (v. 4)
• Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (v. 5)
• Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (v. 6)
• The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (v. 7)
• The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (v. 8)
• The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. (v.9)
• Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. (v. 10)
• And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. (v. 11)
• The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (v. 12)
• And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. (v. 13)

Then Moses adds this important warning from the Lord: “So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (v. 14). We follow after other gods whenever we make anything other than the LORD God our primary concern. If we are not careful, we can idolize even the very abundance and prosperity God desires to give to us. Jesus give us the correct order for living a life of blessing: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

God blesses us with the means and opportunity for abundance and prosperity, even for the creation of wealth, that His name may be glorified and others may be blessed through us.

The Power to Create Wealth: Remember the LORD Your God

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

How do we remember the LORD our God, who has given us the ability to create wealth? Earlier in Deuteronomy 8, we find this: “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 8:11).

The Hebrew word for “beware” means to hedge about, guard, protect, attend to, mark, preserve. It introduces something that calls for great diligence. The word for “forget” means to mislay or become oblivious to for lack of attention. It is not forgotten intentionally, but slips the mind because it has not been remembered intentionally.

What are we to be diligent about and mindful of so that we do not forget? To keep — to mark, observe and do — the commandments, judgments and ordinances of the Lord. We remember Him by doing whatever He instructs us to do.

Psalm 1 speaks about the intense happiness and great prosperity of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Who leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:2-3)

Notice that it this not a drudgery but a delight, because it is filled with great promise. We don’t remember the Lord and His commandments because He is a hard, cruel taskmaster, but because He is a good and gracious God. The ability to create wealth does not come grudgingly from His hand, but is given freely to those who will take Him at His word and follow His direction. It is an act of His kindness and favor.

We do not keep the commandments just because it is pragmatic for us to do so, but we honor the LORD for who He is in Himself. We do not delight just in the law of the LORD, but also in the LORD Himself. David said, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). It is about a personal relationship, getting to know the heart of God, and letting His heart change our heart so that His desires, which are always good, become our desires as well. The result is that the prosperity of God will always lead us into prosperity, too.

Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

(Proverbs 3:9-10)

“Honor” is not giving lip-service, but is a very tangible expression. The Hebrew word is kabod, which is the word for “glory.” Literally, it means “heavy” and refers to the weight of good things. We honor the Lord by giving Him the good things out of our possessions and our increase. We literally give Him glory when we bring Him the first and the best (not the last and the least) of all our means. We respond to His prosperity toward us by being prosperous toward Him. Then we find that there is a greater prosperity released toward us as God honors our faithfulness toward Him.

When we remember the LORD our God, He always reminds of His benefits towards us:

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(Psalm 103:1-5)

When we are diligent to remember the Lord, delighting in Him and His Word, obeying His commandments and instructions, and honoring Him with our possessions and the first and best of all our increase, we are positioned for operating in prosperity and the divine ability to create wealth.

The Table of Abundance and Satisfaction

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust
  under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.

(Psalm 36:7-9)

Here is a table prepared before us in the presence of our enemies. David knows that the wicked are around. That is what the first part of this psalm is about (Psalm 36:1-4).

The wicked are the ones who have no fear of God before their eyes. That is, they do not recognize how mighty and majestic God is and stand in awe of Him. Their eyes are too full of themselves to see the holiness of God, so they are unaware of their depravity. They fill their mouths with wickedness and deceit, and are always plotting trouble, never seeking what is good, never detesting what is evil.

David is well aware of their presence, but he is not troubled one bit because he is aware of a much greater Presence. He has filled his eyes, his mouth, his heart and his thoughts with the goodness of God:

Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

(Psalm 36:5-6)

This leads him to the lovingkindness of the Lord — the chesed (Hebrew), the steadfast love of Yahweh, by which He entered into covenant with His people. It is the love with which He has promised to always love us and take care of us. It is the same agape love (Greek) which He showed to us in Jesus Christ: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

It is in this love that we can trust and find protection under the shadow of His wings. It is by this love that He offers us full access to His house and all its provision. It is this love that prepares a table before us where we can be abundantly satisfied, drinking from the river of His pleasures — the luxuries and delights of God! His love is a fountain of life. That is why Jesus came, that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). It is by this love and this light that we can truly see and understand what life is about.

The Table of Abundance and Satisfaction is not just for when we die and go to heaven. It if for us right here and right now, even in the presence of our enemies. Even now we can drink from the river of the pleasures of God, to enjoy, not only His protection and provision, but even His delicacies and delights. It is all portrayed for us, even presented to us, in the Table of the Lord. For there we see Jesus, the love of God manifested in the body given and the blood shed for us. Everything we need — salvation, forgiveness, freedom from captivity, healing, provision, even prosperity — is found in the new covenant made in Jesus’ blood, and can be laid hold of at this Table.

It is here that the petition of David finds fulfillment for us, who have been made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ:

Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

(Psalm 36:10)

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Abundance and Satisfaction of every need and godly desire you could ever have. When the enemy shows himself and adverse circumstances press in around you, that is a good time to go this Table and drink from the might river of God.

The Table of Forgiveness, The Table of Happiness

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

(Psalm 32:1)

The Hebrew word for “blessed” here is asher, and refers to a deep and abiding happiness. It is like a wave of joy that puts a smile on your face every time if washes over you.

What is the cause of such wonderful bliss? Knowing that your rebellion against God has been forgiven and God no longer looks at your sin. That the evil of iniquity is no longer charged to your account and you no longer feel the need to hide out from God.

Adam tried to hide when He rebelled against the Lord. “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). But we no longer have to be afraid—or ashamed. Because God no longer charges sin, but righteousness to our account. It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Get the picture? God charged your sin and mine to the account of Jesus, who had no sin of His own. Then He charged our accounts with His own righteousness, and now we can be debt-free in the most important sense. Paul revelates more on this more in his letter to the Romans:

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”

(Romans 4:5-8)

When we receive this wonderful righteousness by faith, the blessings and benefits of the righteous belong to us. David continues in this psalm:

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.”

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

(Psalm 32:6-8, 10-11)

This righteousness and these benefits are portrayed for us at The Table of the Lord. The bread displays the body of Jesus given for us. The cup reveals the wonderful promises God has made to us in the blood of Christ, for Jesus declared, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20).

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Blessing and Benefit, the Table of Deep Happiness and Abiding Joy. Because it is the Table of Forgiveness.

The Power to Create Wealth: Wisdom, Opportunity, Capital

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

How does God give us the power to create wealth? Three things are needed: wisdom, opportunity and capital.

Wisdom. We need wisdom and insight both to understand how to create wealth and to know what to do with it. God is our source of wisdom for everything.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

Opportunity. In addition to wisdom for creating wealth, we also need opportunity. Fortunately, opportunity for creating wealth abounds. It is created in the very structure of the world — the law of seedtime and harvest, which shall endure as long as the earth.

While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.

(Genesis 8:22)

We find this principle at work throughout Scripture.

• In Genesis 1, the creation account, every creature and all vegetation created to reproduce after its kind.
• Jesus said, “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 measure back to you” (Luke 6:38).
• Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6)
• To the Galatians, Paul said, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). Here we see that the law of seedtime and harvest can work for us or against us, depending on what kind of seed we sow.

The whole world, in every facet of life, operates on the principle of sowing and reaping, of seedtime and harvest. Therefore, if you want to reap a good harvest, sow good seed. Sow regularly.

In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do no know which will prosper, either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.

(Ecclesiastes 11:6)

Don’t be deterred by negative circumstances, but always look to the Lord to guide you in how, where, when and how much to sow.

He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.

(Ecclesiastes 11:4)

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you …

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:1-3, 12-14)

The Bible teaches that a day is coming in which the process of seedtime and harvest will be accelerated.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.”

(Amos 9:13)

This describes the end-time harvest, and that day is already dawning, “because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).

Capital. In addition to wisdom and opportunity, we also need capital. Capital is the initial assets needed to produce greater assets. If you are going to sow, you need to have seed. But God has also provided this as well. He gives seed to the sower.

For as the rain is comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My Word be that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please.
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11)

Paul makes reference to this passage in his letter to the Corinthians, applying it in a financial context.

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)

God will never leave you without a seed to sow. Consider, for example, the story of the prophet’s widow who was covered up with debt she could not pay. She nothing at all of value — except for a jar of oil. Elisha told her what to do with that oil — how to sow it — and the result was a miracle of harvest and increase that not only got her out of debt but also provided a living for her and her sons (2 Kings 4:1-7).

God has given you the ability to create wealth. Ask Him for the wisdom, identify the seed He has given you, and watch for the opportunity to sow it. Put your trust fully in Him, let Him direct your path, and He will lead you into prosperity and abundance.

The Power to Create Wealth: Ability and Means

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

What is the power to create wealth? Power is simply the ability or means to do things. God has given us the ability and means to get wealth. The Hebrew word for “get” means to do, accomplish, make, acquire, bring about or use.

What is wealth? We often think of it in terms of money, property and substance. The Hebrew word translated as “wealth” refers to the “force” of resources. It is itself the ability to get things done and supply what is needed. In some contexts it may refer to the force of an army (in Exodus, for example, references to Pharaoh’s “army” uses the word that is translated in other places as “wealth”). In this present context it refers to the wealth of material abundance and resources, for God was preparing the children of Israel to cross over into the Promised Land:

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing,; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)

We often think of wealth as a “zero-sum game.” That is, in order for one to have an increase in wealth, another has to have a decrease. In some cases that may be true. When the children of Israel entered the land of “milk and honey” they had to conquer the evil and perverse Canaanite people. The Bible also promises that “the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22). But those are unusual cases. The acquisition of wealth is not usually about taking it from others — that sort of wealth does not usually last — but it is more often a matter of creating wealth.

Once in the land with its wealth of resources, the children of Israel still had to do something with it. The land had to be developed, the fields planted, and the crops cultivated before there could be a rich harvest. The domestic animals needed proper tending if the flocks and herds were going to multiply. There were storehouses and homes to build, settlements to organize and city gates to be established if the people were to have lasting prosperity. All of this required vision and creativity, and people operating with insight, wisdom and skill.

That is the creation of wealth — recognizing the potential of available resources, developing those resources for meeting needs and solving problems, adding value and causing them to abound with blessing for many. This ability is a gift from God, part of the divine likeness in which we were created (Genesis 1:26-28).

The Power to Create Wealth: It’s All About Covenant

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

The power to create wealth is a very positive thing, a gift of God. And it is given for a very godly purpose: “That He may establish His covenant.” The covenant in view here is the covenant God made with Abraham, then confirmed with Isaac and Jacob:

Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be bless.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you and your shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of may nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1-8)

Then the LORD appeared to him [Isaac] and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 26:2-5)

And the LORD stood above it and said [to Jacob]: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and our descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, ad will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)

The covenant of blessing was not just about the expansion of Abraham and his descendants, but about all the families of the earth. So the power to create wealth is not given to the people of God just so we ourselves can be blessed, but so God can establish His covenant to bless all the families of the earth. That has always been God’s plan.

This promise is not just for Israel of the Old Testament, but also for all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul said, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). We do not do away with or replace God’s promise to Israel, rather, we are like branches grafted into the main trunk of God’s covenant people (Romans 11:17-24).

As the people of God, we have a right to all the blessings and provisions of God. In fact, as the author of Hebrews tells us, we have been given a new and better covenant based upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6). It contains all the blessings and benefits of the former covenant—and more!—because it is mediated to us by the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose blood it has been made (Luke 22:20).

As the children of Abraham, and heirs according to promise, God’s plan still is to bless the world through us, even through financial means. In the financial context of 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul offers this assurance to those who are willing to partner with God through their material resources:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work … Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the see you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while are you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11)

God gives us the power to create wealth, not just so we ourselves can be blessed, but so we can also become a blessing to all the earth, and that God may establish His covenant throughout the world.

The Power to Create Wealth: A Good Thing

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

There are many Christians, who, when the subject is wealth and riches, will sniff and say, “Money is the root of all evil,” or “You cannot serve God and mammon,” or “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

But actually, wealth and riches themselves are never the problem. Rather, it is our attitude toward wealth and riches that so often leads to trouble. For example, the Bible does not say that it money itself is the root of all evil, but that it is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus did not teach that it is wrong to have money, but that it is wrong to serve money (Luke 16:13). And the thing that made it impossible for the rich, young ruler to enter into the kingdom of God is not that he had wealth and riches, but that he trusted in them. Jesus said,

Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:24-25)

So the teaching in Scripture is clear: We must never love, serve or put our trust in wealth and riches. We are to love, serve and trust in God alone.

But the power to create wealth is a good thing. That is why God gave it to us. It is a blessing, not a curse. In Deuteronomy 28, the chapter where the line between covenant blessing and covenant curse is clearly drawn, wealth and riches are found on the blessing side, where it is described in terms of full baskets and kneading bowls, blessed storehouses, plenty of goods, and increase of all kinds.

How do we develop the right attitude toward wealth and riches? We begin by setting it firmly in our hearts and minds that it is not by our own abilities that we are able to gather wealth, but that it is the Lord Himself who has given us the power to create wealth. It is His doing, not ours, and our trust must always be in Him, to love and serve Him alone.

The Power to Create Wealth: A Gift From God

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

The Hebrew word for “remember,” zakar, means to mark, to recall, to call to mind, even to set as a memorial. It is an intentional act. It is keeping something at the front of the mind and not letting it get lost in a multitude of thoughts. In this case, what we are to remember is foundational to keeping the correct attitude and orientation toward God in the matter of wealth. There are many who have ended up in disaster and made a complete wreck of their lives because they have forgotten what Moses commanded the people of God to remember.

So what is it that we are to keep at the forefront of our thoughts? “Remember the LORD your God!” The Hebrew is most emphatic, “for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.” This is the polar opposite, and the corrective to, the attitude God wants His people to avoid at all costs:

Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statues which I command you today, lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; and fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end — then you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:11-17)

True wealth does not come by our own power and ability. It is a gift that comes from God to His people.

Incorruptible Seed, Incorruptible Harvest

Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23)

This new birth that Peter speaks of does not come about by any human agency, for that would be corruptible seed. Rather, it comes from incorruptible seed, and is divine in nature. The Word of God, which lives and abides forever, is that incorruptible seed.

The Word of God is the manifestation of God, expressing His will, His desires and His purposes. Though it is presented us in the form of the written word, the Scriptures, it is preeminently revealed to us in Jesus Christ, the Word who has always been with God, and indeed is God, and who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). It is this Word that John spoke about when he said,

As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13)

This is indeed incorruptible seed. In fact, it is God-seed.

Orange seeds produce orange trees which bring forth oranges that contain more orange seeds. Apple trees produce apple trees which bring forth apples that contain more apple seeds. As the seed is, so is the tree and its fruit — they possess the essential nature of the seed because they are “born” of the seed.

The seed by which we have been born again to eternal life is a divine seed, the Word of God — the Lord Jesus Christ and all that God has spoken. It is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). This seed has been sown in us to bring forth the life of God, His divine nature, in us. As Peter said,

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that, through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

This does not imply that we can ever become God Himself, but it does mean that we become like God in some very real and important aspects, just as man was originally created to be in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). We see this, for example, when Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These things reflect the character of God in Jesus Christ, and in all who are born of that incorruptible seed.

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)

This divine essence is who we really are now in Jesus Christ. Once we were dead in trespasses and sins, living according to the lusts of our flesh, “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1, 3). But now, because we have been born of incorruptible seed, we no longer have to submit to that. We can now do as Paul says, “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). And we can declare, as Paul did,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Through faith in Jesus Christ you can be born again of incorruptible seed. For God’s desire is to bring forth an incorruptible harvest in you, that you may partake the divine nature and live in His image and likeness.

The LORD Who is On Our Side

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
  Let Israel now say,
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
  When men rose against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive,
  When their wrath was kindled against us.

(Psalm 124:1-3)

Here the pilgrim psalm writer is recalling one of the many times enemies rose up against Israel, and would have prevailed, except for The LORD Who is On Our Side.

Jacob expressed something similar when he said his father-in-law Laban, who had continually tried to cheat him, “Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you would have sent empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you” (Genesis 31:42).

Paul declared, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” and then expanded most gloriously on what that means:

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who has died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us form the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)

When the Lord is for you, that makes all the difference in the world. How good to know that He is for us, and that in Jesus Christ, we can never be separated from His love. Whenever you are pressed about on all sides, and the voice of the enemy is laying accusations against you, stop and remember The LORD Who is On Our Side, and the rich revelation of what that means for us in Jesus Christ.

The LORD, the Maker of Heaven and Earth

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
  Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
  The Maker of Heaven and Earth.

(Psalm 121:1-2 NIV)

The psalm writer is on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in the hill country. It can be a dangerous journey, not only because of the elements, but also because of robbers and thugs sheltered in rocks and crags along the way. He knows he will need help, but where will he find it?

His answer is “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

The object of his pilgrimage is the Holy City, Jerusalem, the place where God revealed His presence is a special way. It was the Lord Himself who would give him all the aid and protection he required. It is in this regard that He is called Maker of Heaven and Earth. Who knows better than He the dangers that prevail in the earth and the help that is needed. And who is more able than He to provide that help.

Not only is the Lord the creator of heaven and earth, He is also the sustainer and provider. He does not forget one bit of His creation, but has a great love and care for it all. And if He cares so for His creation, how much more does He care for you and me, whom He has created in His own image and likeness. As Jesus said,

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7)

Is there any problem too big for the One who created everything? Is there anything to small for Him to care? The Lord is not far away, but close by to assist all who will call on Him and say, “My help is from The LORD, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.”

The LORD Your Shade at Your Right Hand

The LORD is your shade at your right hand. (Psalm 121:5)

In the natural realm, shade is a place of refreshment and relief from the oppressive heat of the sun. To be under the shadow of something also means to be hidden and protected by it. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).

Psalm 121 is one of the “Psalms of Ascent” used by pilgrims who made their way through the open country and hills on the way to Jerusalem. So the need for shade and protection was very great. The psalm writer describes, in a very practical way, what it means to have the Lord as shade:

The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

(Psalm 121:6)

Here is the promise of safety all along the way, whether journeying by day or resting by night. For as it was said previously in this psalm, the Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps (v. 4).

Psalm 121:5 presents us with two names for God which demonstrate both His ability and desire to protect and preserver you. He is The LORD Your Keeper and The LORD Your Shade at Your Right Hand. The final verses of this psalm show that this protection is all-inclusive, from beginning to end:

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
  He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
  From this time forth and forevermore.

(Psalm 121:7-8)

Though you may walk through difficult circumstances, look to the Lord for protection and refreshment. Call on His name as The LORD Your Shade at Your Right Hand, and He will bring you safely through.

The LORD Your Keeper

The LORD is your keeper. (Psalm 121:5)

The Hebrew word for “keep” is shamar, and means to keep, guard, watch over, hedge about, protect, observe.

The psalm writer declares, “The LORD is your keeper.” Actually, the “is,” in most translations, is shown in italics, signifying that there is no word behind it in the Hebrew text. It was added to smooth out the sense in English. Literally, it is “The LORD your keeper,” a crescendo to the build-up presented in verses 3 and 4:

He will not allow your foot be to be moved;
  He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
  Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

What is described in these verses is given to us as a name of God in verse 5. He is called, “The LORD Your Keeper.”

The Lord will not allow your foot to be moved. Regardless of whatever may happen, when the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared, you will still be standing.

The Lord is never caught off guard. He does not fall into deep sleep; He doesn’t even “cat nap” or “rest” His eyes. He is ever vigilant, always watching out for His people.

Now, all of this depends upon whether we trust in Him. That is always how we appropriate His blessings and benefits, by trusting in Him and not depending on our own strategies and resources. The Lord will never turn His eyes away from us, though we may take our eyes off of Him and move away from the place of protection He has prepared for us. But if we will ever turn to Him, we will find that what Isaiah said to the Lord is true: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what happens, you can always call on Him as The Lord Your Keeper, and know that you are going to be alright.

The Table of Tender Mercies

Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.

(Psalm 119:76-77)

The Hebrew word translated “merciful kindness,” in verse 76, is chesed, the steadfast love by which God has promised to love us, to show us His mercy and be kind to us. It is His favor, the manifestation of His grace toward us. It is His covenant with His people, and we can trust in it fully. The “comfort” the psalm writer seeks is the comfort of a repentant heart, for he is aware of his shortcomings, and brings them to the Lord that he might find the relief of grace, mercy and forgiveness.

The word for “tender mercies,” in verse 77, speaks of a compassionate and tender love, as of a father toward his child. The psalm writer seeks the manifestation of Father God’s heart so that he may truly know and enjoy what life is all about. For he takes great pleasure in the law (Hebrew torah) of God, the wisdom and instruction He has given to His people.

So here is the eager anticipation of covenant and mercy and forgiveness, and even instruction for living from the father-heart of God. And all of this can be found at the Table of the Lord, the Table of Tender Mercies.

In Jesus Christ we have forgiveness of sins, and the tender mercies of the Father’s heart poured out for us, and we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). When Jesus took the cup and gave it to His disciples, He said, “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). It is the promise of God to be kind toward us and show us His mercy and favor, and it was won for us at the cross, where Jesus died in our place.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law of God and all its commandments, and in Him, we are made the righteousness of God. So all the blessings and promises that belong to the righteous now belong to us, if we have received the Lord Jesus.

The Table of the Lord, His body given for us and His blood shed for us, is the sign of our covenant with God, that we are truly accepted in Jesus Christ, and that the Father will show us every kindness. We can always find comfort and relief, and joy for living at this Table — the Table of Tender Mercies.

Just As You Have Spoken, So I Will Do

Say to them, “As I live,” says the LORD, “just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you. (Numbers 14:28)

This was the conclusion to the matter of the twelve spies Moses sent to check out Canaan, the land God had promised to His people. Ten came back with a faithless and fearful report: “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we... There we saw the giants … and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:31, 33).

Joshua and Caleb returned with a fearless and faithful report. Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). Joshua said,

If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them. (Numbers 14:8-9).

The congregation of Israel, believing the report of the ten, cried out in despair, “If only we had died in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:2).

In the end, everyone got what they believed, and everyone received what they had spoken. The ten spies never went up in victory against the inhabitants of the Promised Land, but died of a plague (Numbers 14:37). To the rest of the congregation, who said, “Better we should die in the wilderness,” God said issued this judgment:

The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in the wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. (Numbers 14:29-30)

Because of their unbelief, they never entered into the Promised Land, but perished in the wasteland (Hebrews 3:16-19).

Joshua and Caleb likewise received what they said. After the rest of their generation died in the wilderness, they crossed the river into the land of promise. The book of Joshua records how, under his leadership, the next generation of Israel conquered and inhabited the “land of milk and honey.” And Caleb, who boldly challenged the people, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it,” still in full strength, even at the age of 85, invaded and conquered the region of Kadesh Barnea (Joshua 14:6-15).

This is how it always is. As it was for them, so it is for us: We each receive what we believe in our hearts and speak with our lips. As Jesus said, it is out of the overflow of our hearts that our mouths speak (Luke 6:45). He brought home the importance of this when He said to His disciples:

Whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (Mark 11:23)

The apostle Paul also saw the significance of this truth, especially in regard to salvation and relationship with God: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

What is it that you believe in your heart? And what is it that you are saying with your lips? Are you believing and speaking in agreement with the promises of God, as Joshua and Caleb did? For what you believe and what you say is indeed what you will receive.

(See also, When It’s All About God.)

A Sign for Good

Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

(Psalm 86:17)

Today I took the Table of the Lord using this verse, for the bread and cup of His Supper, being divinely instituted, is indeed a sign of His favor*. The bread is the revelation of Jesus’ body given for us, and the cup is the sign of the New Covenant issued in His blood.

Our adversary, the devil, hates the blood of Jesus with fervent intensity, for it spells out his doom, and the destruction of all his works. So when we take of the Lord’s Table, it is a sign of God’s favor and goodness toward us that puts him to shame.

Anytime is a good time to enjoy the Table of the Lord, for as often as we eat that bread and drink that cup, we show the Lord’s death until He comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26) — that is, it is a revelation of Jesus Christ and a promise of His return. But when the devil is trying to come in on you with his strategies and schemes, that is a particularly good time to take the Lord’s Supper, for it shows the death of the Lord Jesus, by which He triumphed over satan. As David said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5).

So as you sit at this Table, let it speak to you of the victory you have in Jesus Christ. And remember what David said in Psalm 86:17 (rendered here from the Message Bible):

Make a show of how much You love me
So the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed,
As You, GOD, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet.

The Table of the Lord is the sign of God’s favor toward you in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it puts the devil to shame.

(* Baptism is also a sign of God’s favor, divinely instituted by Jesus Christ, and demonstrates our entrance into the body of Christ and the family of God. I have written a song about this wonderful sign, called I Have Been Baptized, from our Walking Barefoot CD. You can listen to it in streaming MP3.)

What Are You Naming Things?

Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam, to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19-20)

The world was created by the Word of God (Hebrews 11:3) and will always responds to faith-filled words, because faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). God created Adam to speak faith-filled words when He puffed His breath into the man-shaped clay He had formed, and it became a “living being” (Genesis 2:7). Ancient Jewish commentary understood by this that man became a “speaking spirit.”

So God brought the animals to Adam to see what he would call them. He did not tell Adam what to call them, but simply observed what Adam would do with this creative opportunity, and how he would shape the identity and destiny of these animals with the words of his mouth and the breath of God that permeated his being. “And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.”

God has created us in such a way that our words have great power. They create identity and call forth destiny. That is why Jesus said that we will each have to give account to God for every idle word we speak (Matthew 12:36). That is why He taught the disciples that what we speak with out mouths and believe in our hearts can move mountains (Mark 11:22-23).

Whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name! God didn’t change a thing, but let stand whatever Adam said. Why? Because He created man to subdue the earth — that is, bring it into divine order — and have dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28). God knows how to delegate authority and honor the arrangements He has established in the earth.

When Adam fell, sinning against God, he disconnected himself (and all the human race in him) from the life of God. Since then, the words of man have often been very wicked, and whatever man called things, those were their names. Words of fear came in and anger, hate and pride dominated. Words of anxiety, and even of despair, became self-fulfilling prophecies. These are faithless words, the outworking of a heart in rebellion toward God. For as Jesus said, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

Thankfully, when mankind fell in the sin of Adam, God had a plan of redemption and restoration. That is why Jesus came, to remove the sinful barrier and restore us to fellowship with God our Father and Creator, and that the words of our lips and the meditations of our hearts might bring forth the manifestation of God’s will and ways on earth. That is why He taught us to pray, “Kingdom of God, come! Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven!” (Matthew 6:10).

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has created in you a new heart and given you new words to speak in faith. Some men look at the desperate circumstances of their lives and call them “Impossible.” They shake their heads at the world and pronounce it “Hopeless.” They cringe in terror at sickness and disease and whisper, “Terminal.” They see broken and dysfunctional families and say, “Irreconcilable.” And whatever they call it, that is its name.

But if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, who came that all things might be gathered together in Him (Ephesians 1:10), God has created in you a new heart, and given you faith to speak new words that call forth healing, restoration, forgiveness, peace, life, joy, hope.

For every problem and difficulty in the world, God has a word by which it may be redeemed. Speak it, in Jesus’ name. Say about it what God says about it. And whatever you call it, that will be its name.

The Destiny of Holiness

Because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

Both the Hebrew and Greek words for “holy” mean to be set apart. In the Scriptures, being made holy, or sanctified, means to be set aside for God’s special purposes. Some people think of holiness as a somber and dour thing. But I tell you that it is a joyful thing, full of awe and wonder. For holiness speaks of divine destiny and purpose — a fellowship, even partnership, with God.

Now, understand that you and I could never set ourselves apart for God’s purposes. It is something He must do for us. But that is what the grace of God is all about and why Jesus came. He said to the Father, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” It is by that will, the author of Hebrews says, that we have been sanctified — made holy — through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10).

God sets us apart by the offering of His Son, but also by the truth of His Word. For Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).

So Peter exhorts us, not to try and make ourselves holy, but to live according to the holiness by which God has already set us apart in Jesus Christ. It is living according to the truth of His Word, according to the life of the Lord Jesus that now dwells in us. As Paul said,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Holiness is partaking of the divine nature:

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of the Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that thought these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

It is a call to step up into the life of divine destiny, to be who we really are in Jesus Christ.

Are you ready to embrace this holy calling and step up into life of divine nature and fellowship? To live according to the faith and power of the Lord Jesus Christ? That is destiny indeed.

The Prosperity of God is Also Financial

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:3)

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

The Scriptures are clear that God wants His people to prosper. The Hebrew word for “prosper” means to push forward, break out, come mightily, go over, excel, be profitable, advance and make progress. The Greek word means to have a good journey, be successful, even to succeed in business. That is what God has for all of His people.

It is important to note that the prosperity God has for us is, first of all, a prosperity of soul — a matter of the heart. That is clearly stated in 3 John 2, but we also find it spoken of in Psalm 1 in this way: “Blessed is the man … His delight is in the law of the LORD and in His law he meditates day and night” (v. 2). As we have seen, the result is that whatever he does shall prosper.

But does this prosperity include money? Many Christians believe it does not. But what does the Bible say? “Whatever he does shall prosper” and “I pray that you may prosper in all things.” All and whatever are inclusive terms — they leave nothing out. Certainly prosperity is more than just financial and material wealth, but it does include them. They are part of “all” and “whatever.”

We see this stated even more directly elsewhere in Scripture. For example, Psalm 112:3 says of the righteous man (that is, one who lives in awe of God and delights in His commandments), “Wealth and riches will be in his house.” Though some might try to say that this is referring only to spiritual wealth and riches, it is clear from the context that the psalm writer is talking about material wealth and riches.

Is God interested in our possessions? Yes, He is. Look at the word of wisdom He gives us in Proverbs:

Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

(Proverbs 3:9-10)

When we honor Him with our possessions, and with the firstfruits of all our increase — that is, the first and the best, not the last and the least — then He will also honor us in kind: Our barns will be heaped up with plenty and our vats will overflow with new wine. This is not just having just enough, it is having more than enough.

We find something similar in the New Testament, in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. He is preparing to receive an offering from the believers there to take to the believers in Jerusalem. In other words, it is a financial context. Now, notice what Paul says:

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

That is wealth indeed: always have all sufficiency in all things, and abundance for every good work! You see, that is what financial prosperity is for, and why God wants it for all His people. It is always having everything we need to take care our families, ourselves, and whatever God has called us to do, PLUS having abundance — more than enough! — so that we can give to every good work. As Leroy Thompson calls it, it is “Money with a mission!”

The clear word of Scripture is that God wants all His people to prosper in all things, and that includes finances. He does not want us to love money, serve money, or trust in money, but He wants to prosper us financially so we can use money for His kingdom purposes, and to supply every good work.

The Size of Your Miracle

The size of your God determines the size of your miracle. That is, how great and powerful and good you understand God to be will determine how big a miracle you will be able to believe Him for.

Little God, little miracle. Big God, big miracle.

Forgiving Ourselves

Over the past few years, I have written a number of articles on forgiveness and forgiving others (see About Forgiveness). Unforgiveness — unwillingness to forgive others — is a prevalent scheme of the devil, and a great hindrance to prayer and faith. But I am discovering that, very often, forgiving ourselves is the hardest one to do.

Recently I was talking with a woman who called our ministry. She was very distraught about her life, and also very angry. But her anger was not at other people; she was able to forgive everyone who had hurt or betrayed her. But she now realized that she had come to this point in her life because of her own actions and choices, and she was very angry with herself.

She needs to forgive herself.

Reflecting on this, I have been asking the Lord why we often find it so hard to forgive ourselves. The answer I heard back was that we need to believe the gospel more, to trust that God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ.

All our sinful actions and choices were taken up by the Lord Jesus and nailed to the cross. He was made sin for us, though He himself never sinned, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is, in Him, through faith in Him, we are made righteous before God. Our sins are forgiven, done away with, and it is God’s own righteousness that is now at work in us.

We may have gotten ourselves into some terrible messes, but Jesus came to get us out and put us on track with the wonderful purpose God has for us. We receive this forgiveness, this deliverance, this salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ. If God has forgiven us, then we can forgive ourselves.

Who Has Pleasure in Your Prosperity?

Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.

Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
Ad let them say continually,
“Let the LORD be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

(Psalm 35:26-27)

There are those who are for you and those who are not. There are those who are rooting against you, waiting for you to fall, and will rejoice when you do. Some are very open about it; others keep it secretly in their hearts. Obviously, these are not the people you want to gather around you. They do not build you up; they only undermine you and tear you down. Share your dreams with them, and they will only taunt and deride you.

But there are others, praise God, who are for you. They’re in your corner rooting for your success. Not only that, but they are people of faith who understand that God is in favor of your success, as well. They believe that God takes pleasure in your prosperity, and that your success is an occasion to give Him great praise. These are the people you want to surround yourself with. They build you up, and encourage you when your down, reminding you of the promises and plans God has for you. Share your dreams with them, and they stand in faith with you, believing God to bring you into it, even if it seems impossible

It has been said that you attract what you are. If you are dour and sour and cranky, you will draw to yourself people who are dour and sour and cranky, and you will soon be slogging through a toxic brew of negativity, complaining about how unfair life is, and wondering why you can never seem to get a break.

On the other hand, if you are a positive-minded person who knows how to activate and exercise faith, you will begin to attract others of like mind and faith to you, and you will soon be encouraging each other, spotting opportunities, stretching yourselves, launching out into new things and experiencing fresh successes.

So it comes down to the kind of person you are. Fortunately, you can always change the kind of person you are. God’s purpose is not for you to be negative and cranky, full of fear and doubt. His desire is for you step over into faith and being enjoying success with Him. He knows quite a lot about success and prosperity, and He is more than willing to share it with you. In fact, He has recorded it in His Word, and if you ask Him, He will show you.

God delights in the prosperity of His people. Are you are ready to believe that? The first step of true success and prosperity is in knowing Jesus Christ, who came to restore us to proper relationship with the Creator of all things.

Making Sense of the Process

Someone wrote to me:

The book you wrote said, "God’s Word in your mouth is just as powerful as it is in His—when you speak it in faith!" and "The divine mandate of dominion and how to exercise it." That does not make sense at all. You are not as powerful as God. If you are that powerful and you have so much dominion why have you not changed the world? No offence, but do people buy these books? Seems very strange.

In my book, God’s Word in Your Mouth, I tell about how God created man in the image and likeness of God, and how He gave man a blessing and a mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion” (Genesis 1:26-28). In other words, we were created to be like God and given authority to fill the earth with this god-likeness, to subdue the earth (that is, bring it into order with God’s plans) and have dominion (rule and reign over the earth as God’s representative). Now, of course, Adam really messed things up when he rebelled against God, and sunk it for all of us when he unhooked himself (and us in him) from the life of God. But the Lord Jesus Christ came to restore us back to God and the purpose for which He created mankind.

But this is not an automatic process. It requires that we respond in faith to the promise of God. Nor is it an instantaneous process. It requires discipleship — training — just like Jesus trained His disciples. Then He gave them power and authority, and sent them out into all the world to teach the nations everything Jesus had taught them.

We might prefer that it all happened at once, but God’s plan is for us to be in partnership with Him. He did not create us just so He could reign over us, but so we could rule and reign with Him (see the mandate in Genesis 1:26-28). What He desires is relationship, fellowship with us. Toward that end, He trains us up into maturity and faith, not into magical expectations.

God is raising up sons and daughters for Himself through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is not mechanical nor magical, but the process of maturity.

One day everything will be set right in the world when the Lord Jesus returns. Then the kingdom of God will be here in its completeness, and the will of God will be fully done on earth exactly as it is in heaven — just as Jesus taught us to pray.

(And yes, people do buy these books, and find them to be very helpful.)

Framing Your World: Faith-Filled Words

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37)

The Greek word for “idle” refers to that which is non-working, inoperative, inactive, ineffective, useless, lazy, barren. An idle word is one that is spoken carelessly and without faith. They are non-productive; they do not bring about any good in your life. In fact, they may be bring about great harm, for we will all have to give account to God about every word we speak, or perhaps especially, the careless ones.

“Oh, but I didn’t really mean what I said.” Perhaps not the first few times, but if you keep saying it, you will eventually start believing it. The apostle Paul said, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The first half of that verse sets the general principle, “faith comes by hearing.” That is, if you hear something long enough, you will begin to believe it. That’s why Paul adds the very important qualifier, “and hearing by the Word of God.” Because what you give ear to affects your faith, be sure to give ear to the Word of God, and not lesser things. For the idle words that come from your own mouth might cause you believe what you are carelessly saying.

While idle words have the potential for calamity, faith-filled words based on the character and promises of God are powerful for moving mountains, calming storms, and bringing all creation into line with the kingdom of God.

Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (Mark 11:22-23)

Let your heart be filled to overflowing with the Word of God, and the faith that comes by hearing that Word, then release faith-filled words that release the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.