Healthy, Wealthy and Wise!

Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
  And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
  And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
  And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
Length of days is in her right hand,
  In her left hand riches and honor.

(Proverbs 3:13-16)

Here is God’s desire for His people: Wisdom! Wisdom brings happiness. So, we see that God wants us to be happy. Some will protest, “No, God wants us to be holy,” as if holiness and happiness are in some sort of competition (they are not) and we have to choose between one and the other (we do not).

Other people will want to “spiritualize” the whole thing, by which they actually mean to divorce the spiritual from the material and ignore the material altogether. But what happen in the natural has everything to do with what happens in the spirit, and in fact, flows from the spirit.

Still others will say that these are only principles, not promises. But is God a respecter of persons, doing for one what He will not do for another? No, he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him in faith (Hebrews 11:6). He will show His salvation to all who love Him (Psalm 91:16). Nothing is left out of that salvation.

Even others suggest that, since God is sovereign, we can never know what He’s going to do? But we can know what God is going to do — He’s going to keep His Word. The sovereignty of God does not mitigate that in any way. Rather, His sovereignty is the assurance that He is going to do whatever He has said He will do.

This does not mean that there is nothing that can block us from receiving these things. There are things that can become a great obstacles to fully enjoying God’s blessings. Unbelief is one. Unwillingness to forgive is another. But if we are willing to deal with those roadblocks, God will move heaven and earth to fulfill His Word on our behalf.

Now, notice that Wisdom is pictured as holding out her hands. In her left hand is length of days, that is, long life. God’s promise has as much to do with the natural realm as with the spiritual. This is not a protracted state of feeble, doddering life, but life that is vibrant and healthy. It is youth renewed by that satisfying of our desires with good things (Psalm 103:5). It is life that is fresh and flourishing and fruitful, even in old age, to declare that the LORD is righteous (Psalm 92:14-15).

In her left hand, Wisdom brings forth riches, not only spiritual riches, but material riches as well. “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments …Wealth and riches will be in his house” (Psalm 112:1, 3). Here again, wealth and riches has as much to do with the natural realm as with the spiritual.

Wisdom also brings honor. “The LORD will give grace and glory (the NIV says “favor and honor”); no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). Wisdom releases the favor of God into our lives.

Honor is not an idle “feel good” concept. It has substance to it. The word for honor/glory here is kabod, and literally refers to the weight of good and valuable things. Spiritual blessing, certainly, but also material blessing as well. God does not withhold it from those who walk uprightly, those who walk in wisdom.

God wants you and me to be healthy, wealthy and wise. He wants us happy as well as holy. He wants us to live long and strong on the earth, and to be fresh and flourishing and fruitful, even in our old age. The main thing is to lay hold of the wisdom of God.

The Shepherd of Abundant Life

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have lie, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Jesus is making a contrast between Himself, as the Good Shepherd (John10:11), and the thief who tries to sneak into the sheepfold. This thief is the devil, false teachers, the spirit of religion, and all who rebel against the authority of God. The thief comes for three purposes:

• To steal. He does not add anything good to your life, but comes to take good away from you.
• To kill. He may promise you a good life, but he actually comes to take your life away. He is a murderer.
• To destroy. He comes to completely destroy you and everything about you — your life, your work, your home, your family, your inheritance.

Many people, even many Christians, believe God comes to steal, that is, to take good things away from us, to kill us or destroy us. They believe He does these things to punish us for sin, to teach us a lesson, or to test our faith in some way. They think He is waiting to pounce on us in judgment.

They’ve got the wrong guy. Jesus, who is the express image of God, does not come to do any of those things. He comes to give life, not just a little, but abundantly. He is overflowing with life, and He comes that you might overflow with it also. He is waiting for you to turn to Him so He can rescue you.

This abundant life is not just about living long, or even living eternally. It is much more. It is a quality of life. It is health and wholeness and prosperity. It is a life filled full to overflowing with the life and blessing of God.

The Shepherd of Prosperity

The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

Everything about this great Psalm speaks of prosperity and wholeness. We might even say that it is the very definition of peace, the fullness of the Hebrew shalom.

“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” The LORD supplies all that we need. There is no lack with Him.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Sheep lie down when they are full, when they’ve had all they want to eat. The LORD our Shepherd takes us to places where there is more than enough to meet our needs. We don’t lie down in dry, dusty fields, having eaten all the grass. No, He leads us to where the pastures are green, even after we’ve eaten our fill.

“He leads me beside the still water.” There is a place of peace and calm, even in the midst of the storm. And that is where our Shepherd takes us. He gives us to drink from the river of His pleasures (Psalm 36:8).

“He restores my soul.” Restoration to wholeness. We do not come up short in anything.

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” He leads us into what is right, what is good, and what leads us into the prosperity of God.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This is not about death, but about life, for He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. The devil is the false shepherd who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd who comes to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

“For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Our prosperity comes from our relationship with Him. He provides for us, guides and directs us, and gives us His protection.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Here is how we know that this Psalm is not just about heaven, but especially about this present life: We will have no enemies in heaven! God sets that table for us, even in the presence of our enemies. He abundantly satisfies us with the fullness of His house (Psalm 36:8).

“You anoint my head with oil.” This is the sign of His favor and hospitality, but also of His enabling in our lives. The anointing lifts the burden and destroys the yoke (Isaiah 10:27). It is a sign of our prosperity.

“My cup runs over.” Not only are all our needs met, but we have more than enough. Our God is able to make His grace abound to us so that we always have all sufficiency in all things—and abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” The prosperity of God in our lives is not a passing thing. It endures all our days. His goodness and mercy are always with us.

“And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The secret of true prosperity is dwelling with Him. So deep is His love and so rich is His grace toward us, He takes us into His abode. We are not merely welcomed as visitors, but given a dwelling place forever in His presence.

The LORD is our shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd, the shepherd of our prosperity.

Believe the Glory

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory. (Isaiah 6:3)

In Isaiah’s vision of the LORD, recorded in Isaiah 6, the seraphim, fiery angels of God, declared that the whole earth is full of God’s glory. Think of it — the entire earth is full to overflowing with the glory of God. Always has been, always will be.We don’t have to bring the glory down. It’s already here. Our job is simply to believe it, to get into agreement with it, to think, act and speak according to it.

Father, we need a much greater knowledge of your glory in our world. Give us wisdom and revelation by Your Holy Spirit, that we may know and experience You more and more, and so change our world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I Have Trusted, Therefore I Shall Rejoice

But I have trusted in Your mercy;
  My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
  Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

(Psalm 13:5-6)

Here is a perfect picture of faith and expectation: “I have trusted … I shall rejoice.” What is David trusting in? The mercy of God. This is the Hebrew hesed (pronounced with the guttural ch as in “chanakuh”). It is the covenant love of God, that is, the love by which He covenanted Himself to His people, the promise to always show them His kindness and mercy. It is the steadfast love of the LORD that endures forever (as seen, for instance, in Psalm 136). It is the Old Testament counterpart of the New Testament agape.

Because David has trusted in the steadfast, faithful mercy of God, he has every expectation that he will be rejoicing in its fruit. The word for “rejoice” here is gul, which literally means to spin. It is whirling and twirling with wild delight.

And what is it that David expects to rejoice in? The salvation that comes from God. This salvation is deliverance, healing, restoration, protection, prosperity — whatever is needed for a life of wholeness overflowing with goodness. The Hebrew word is Yeshua, which is the Old Testament name for Jesus.

Because I have trusted in the hesed of God, I will rejoice in His Yeshua. Or, because I have trusted in the steadfast, covenant love of God, I will whirl and twirl with delight in Jesus.

Yes, David is living in between the mercy of God and the salvation He expects to see — or as some put it, between the “Amen!” and the “There it is!” It is a time of patience filled with anticipation. David knows fulfillment is coming, and he has no doubt that soon he will be kicking up his heels with powerful emotion, with dancing and singing. In fact, he is ready now to begin celebrating, and why not? “I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” He is considering it a done deal, so let the party begin!

Are you trusting in the faithful mercy and love of God — His hesed, His agape? Then rejoice. Let your heart spin with delight, let your feet kick up in dance, let your voice bellow in joyful songs of praise, because the salvation of God is starting to unfold in your life. Jesus has all that you need, all that your truly desire, and He has come to dwell inside you. So relax into Him by faith, and let the celebration start.

Laying Hold of Prosperity

It is quite possible for a person to prosper in their soul and yet not be experiencing prosperity in all things. We see this in John’s prayer for Gaius: “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

Gaius was, apparently, very prosperous in his soul. And yet, here was John praying for him to prosper in all things (that is, material blessing and success in earthly endeavors). Gaius had soul prosperity, but still needed the prosperity of health in his body. Prosperity of soul, though necessary to sustained health and prosperity in all other things, does not make them automatic. They must be appropriated. That is, we must lay hold of them.

God has provided these things — soul prosperity, bodily health and prosperity in all things—for all His people. For He is no respecter of persons. What He desired to do for Gaius, He desires to do for you and me, as well. But we must know how to receive them as our own.

But first, let’s deal with a problemof thinking that often blocks us from receiving, the question of our worthiness. Many Christians think that they are simply unworthy to receive the blessings of the Lord. But they should not feel that way at all. If they have received the Lord Jesus Christ, then they are accounted as righteous before God, not with their own righteousness, but with the righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself. This means that when God looks at us, He sees Jesus. There is no question in His mind about our worthiness before Him, for Jesus is completely worthy. So there should be no question in our mind either, not if we are trusting in Jesus.

Now, just as the salvation of our souls is a matter of faith, not of works, so it is with our prosperity. We receive it by faith. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. For the Word of God reveals the will of God, God’s plan and purpose for His people. As an apostle writing under divine inspiration, John, in his prayer for Gaius, reveals the heart of God for all His people — He wants us to prosper in all things and be in health. Therefore, prosperity is about what God says, and not about what we do. We do not need to somehow come up with our own prosperity. All we need to do is believe the Word of God and do what He says. Then the prosperity of God will start to show up in our lives.

Are you ready to believe God’s Word and His desire to prosper you in all things, as expressed in 3 John 2? Then begin to lay hold of that prosperity by faith. Instruct your soul, “I have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I am worthy of God’s blessing and prosperity. I now receive His prosperity in every area of my life.” In this way you will begin to bring your heart and mind into line with the promises of God. Then watch with expectation for you prosperity to begin to manifest.

Exercising Your Authority to Bless

We believe that God is a God of blessing, and that He has authorized us as agents of His blessing. We are learning and stretching out in this area. For instance, when we go out to eat now, we not only bless our own food, but all the food in the joint, that there might be a revelation of the goodness of God and an experience of His peace in those places.

Now, when I say, “bless the food,” I do not just mean that we ask God to bless it for us. Jesus gave us authority to bless when He taught us to pray, “Your [the Father’s] will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So we take that authority and exercise it even when we pray at meal time — “I bless this food in Jesus’ name” — believing that the will of God will be done in that food, exactly as His will is being done in heaven. Can you imagine eating food that is charged with the power of heaven? Now go a step further and imagine charging it with the power of heaven! Every believer is an authorized agent.

Take the authority you have in the Lord Jesus Christ — the authority of His name, the authority of His blood, the authority of how He taught us to pray — and begin bringing forth the blessing of God’s kingdom upon the earth. The world does not need our condemnation, it needs the blessing of heaven to transform it into what He has called it to be.

Matter and Matters of the Spirit

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

Many Christians seem to have an either/or mentality when it comes to prosperity. Either you can prosper in the world and in material things, or else you can prosper in your soul — but you cannot do both. They pit one against the other.

The apostle John, however, very conspicuously brings them both together. “I pray that you may prosper in all things … just as your soul prospers.” Expressing the heart of God, he links them together, laying one on top of the other. There is a priority, prosperity of the soul, but they both work together.

You see, there is no conflict between the material world and the Spirit, as some suppose, for the material world comes forth from the realm of the Spirit. The problem occurs when people focus exclusively on one side or the other. On one hand, there are people who believe that reality is completely and only about the material world, that which we can experience with our senses. On the other hand, there are people who think that the material world is inherently evil and that only the spiritual realm is good, or of any value.

Both views miss the mark completely — they do not represent Biblical truth. They utterly miscomprehend the purpose of God and the nature of the universe. There is no contradiction between the natural and the spiritual, or between heaven and earth. Notice how Jesus brought the two together in the Lord’s Prayer when He taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God is not out to eliminate that which pertains to the earth, to do away with the material world. Rather, He is out to bring the earth into line with the prosperity and wholeness of heaven.

God has blessed the natural world with His presence. This was the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ — the Second Person of the Godhead taking on human flesh to dwell in the material world. His purpose was not to destroy, but to redeem. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that all of creation is groaning together, waiting for the revelation of that redemption to unfold.

In the early Church, there was a group of people who taught that spirit is good, but matter is evil. These were the Gnostics, and they were roundly condemned as heretics. A similar group taught the Jesus was spirit, but did not really come in the flesh. These also were rejected by the early Church because they were not consistent with the apostolic witness.

The apostle John, in his first epistle, dealt with an early manifestation of such teachers when he wrote,

Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (1 John 4:2-3)

So John is fully consistent with the will and purpose of God when he says, “I pray that you may prosper in all things.”

God wants you to prosper in the world as well as in your soul. He wants to bring His redemptive work into all things, and He wants to do it through you. So embrace His grace, believe His Word, and come into agreement with His wonderful plan for you, your family, your home and your business — these are your ministries.

The Life-Changing Message

While I’m thinking about it: The message does not come forth just because there is information. It comes forth because there is anointing — an impartation from God that removes burdens and destroys yokes (Isaiah 10:27). And it comes forth because there is a revelation of the heart of God. Then the message moves far beyond information to transformation.

Material, Earthly Blessing

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

The Greek word for “prosperity,” euodoo, literally means a good journey, that is, one that goes well and successfully reaches its destination. In its general application, it means to be successful, to do well, to be fulfilled, even to abound.

Hear the words of two venerable Bible teachers from the past, on the meaning of prosperity in all things in 3 John 2:

It would apply here to any plan or purpose entertained. It would include success in business, happiness in domestic relations, or prosperity in any of the engagements and transactions in which a Christian might lawfully engage.

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Prosperity in secular affairs. That thou mayest Prosper and be in Health, even as thy Soul Prospereth. These three things, so necessary to the comfort of life, every Christian may in a certain measure expect, and for them every Christian is authorized to pray; and we should have more of all three if we devoutly prayed for them.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible

Prosperity “in all things” refers specifically to prosperity in material things and in earthly endeavors. John does not ignore the prosperity of the inner man, the soul and the spirit. Far from it! Rather, he teaches us that prosperity of soul is the foundation for material and physical prosperity. There is no true prosperity which does not first bring the soul into line with the will of God.

Let God set your heart in order, then boldly believe Him to prosper you in all things — in your home, your family, your finances, your business. He is not a God of failure, but of success, and He will cause you to fulfill your destiny of blessing on the earth.

Prosperity in All Things

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

John was not merely being cordial in this statement. He was the most contemplative of the Gospel writers, and did not use his words loosely. He meant exactly what he said.

Nor should we assume that John’s words have no bearing on the will of God for his people. For John was writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Everything he wrote in his epistles accurately represents the will of God for His people.

Nor should we assume that this prosperity was intended only for Gaius, the recipient of John’s letter. John did not include this prayer in all his epistles. He opens with it here by the leading of the Holy Spirit, no doubt, and probably because this represented a particular need in Gaius’ life.

God is not respecter of persons. That is, He does not do for one what He is not willing to do for all who come to Him. If God wanted Gaius to prosper in all things, and be in health, just as his soul prospered, then that is what God desires for you and me, as well.

God wants us to prosper in all things. This is because everything is a spiritual issue. There is not one single thing in the universe that does not relate to the spiritual dimension. That is because everything in the world comes forth from the spirit. The heavens and the earth were created by God, who is Spirit, and they were created by the Word of His mouth.

So, prosperity in every area of life is a matter of the spirit. That’s why John said, “That you may prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” If you are not prospering in your soul, the basis for prosperity in every other area of your life has not yet been established within you. First things first. Attend to the matters of the heart, your inner man, you spirit being, and then you will be prepared for prosperity in everything else.

How is your soul? Are you walking in faith, which expresses itself through love? Have you forgiven all those who have wronged you? Forgiveness is a requirement of both love and faith. Are you learning how to hear the voice of the Father and obey Him quickly? Is your heart troubled, or are you trusting God to take care of you in all things? My prayer for you today is that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Spiritual Substance

Substance is the underlying reality of a thing. Without substance, a thing does not exist. The underlying reality of the universe is spiritual in nature. God, who created the heavens and the earth, is spirit. The natural realm comes forth from the spiritual. Without the spiritual, the physical realm would cease to be. Spiritual substance is the underlying reality of everything. Understanding this helps us begin to grasp how Jesus was able to do the things He did:

• When Jesus turned water into wine, He was dealing with spiritual substance, the underlying reality of both water and wine.
• When He multiplied the loaves and the fish to feed the five thousand, He was working with the spiritual substance underlying the bread and meat.
• When He walked on water, He was walking on spiritual substance, the underlying reality of water.
• When the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was laying hold of the spiritual substance, the underlying reality of her wholeness. It manifest in the natural, for Jesus felt power go out of Him and the woman immediately experienced her healing.
  

Let’s go a little further. The spiritual substance which forms the foundation for everything is actually the Word of God. The Bible says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Now we can understand more of how Jesus did what He did:

• When He commanded the waves and the wind, He was speaking the Word of God, which causes things to be.
• When He commanded the fig tree, He was speaking the Word, dealing with the spiritual substance which was the underlying reality of that tree.
• When He commanded demons to go, He was exercising the spiritual substance of the Word of God.
• When He taught the disciples to speak to the mountain, He was instructing them in how to lay hold of the spiritual substance, the underlying reality of the mountain.
  

We need to change our thinking to realize that everything that exists is spiritual at its foundation — or else it could not exist at all. Food, money, houses, cars, the human body — these may all be physical concerns, but they are also spiritually-based.

Now, we can deal with all these things in the natural, but then we are only approaching them at a superficial level. We may have a little success this way, but it is limited, because we are only dealing with symptoms.

Because these things are all spiritually-based, the most effective way to deal with them, at the foundational level, is with the Word of God, the spiritual reality which lays under everything in the universe.

What does the Word of God say about all these things? That’s the real question we need to ask, and then line ourselves up with that. Listen to the Word of God, which cause faith to come, then proclaim it to the circumstances in your life. That’s getting down to the root of things, where true change can happen. For the facts of the world must line up with the truth of the Word.

The Algebra of Casting Out Fear

Evil is the lack of Good.
Fear is the lack of Faith.
Hate is the lack of Love.

Faith works through Love.
Fear works through hate.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of Love (for God is Love).
Fear comes by hearing the word of hate (the lies of the devil).

No wonder, then, that perfected love casts out fear! (1 John 4:18)

Deal with fear by meditating on the Word of Love. Faith will come; fear will go.

Hearing the Word of Love

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

Since God is Love, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God, we may just as well say that faith comes by hearing the Word of Love. No wonder, then, that faith expresses itself through love (Galatians 5:6). Call it The Algebra of Faith. The greater your love, the greater your faith.

Faith Brings Expectation

Expectation is the sign that your faith has been activated. The Bible says that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). The word for “hope” means to have an anticipation, a positive expectation.

Jesus also related faith to expectation. He said, “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).

If you get down and pray about something, then get up and have no expectation that it is going to happen, then you have not activated your faith for it. If you pray and then say, “Well, I guess we’ll see what happens,” you don’t have a living expectation, and you have not yet released your faith into the situation.

Faith is the substance, the underlying reality of the things you expect to see come to pass. Expectation is the evidence that your faith has been activated as is powerfully at work to bring it to pass.

Faith is Word-based. It comes by hearing the Word of God, and God’s Word is completely trustworthy. So when we take God at His Word, and release it into our lives by what we say, we can be confident that we will have whatever we say. That expectation is the sign of a lively and active faith at work. If you have no expectation, the answer is simple. Go back to the Word until faith comes, then turn it loose by your words.

Worthless or Faithful?

I will sing of mercy and justice;
  To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
  Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

(Psalm 101:1-2)

Read, mark and inwardly digest, as David declares his intention and his integrity before the LORD. He will sing in praise of God’s mercy and justice. This is the hesed, the lovingkindness, the steadfast love promised by God. Justice is the trustworthy judgment of God that comes and sets things right.

He will behave wisely in a perfect way. He will walk in the wisdom of God and live in integrity and truth. He does not mean that he is without flaw, but that he will be honest in all his dealings. When he messes us, he will make it right. He is transparent — “What you see is what you get.” He will act with integrity, that is, with wholeness — he will be the same in private as he is in public.

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
  I hate the work of those who fall away;
  It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
  I will not know wickedness.

(Psalm 101:3-4)

He will set nothing wicked before his eyes. The word for “wicked,” belial, can mean that which is evil. Or it can mean that which is destructive. Or it can mean that which is simply worthless, without any redeeming value. David does not merely avoid the evil, or even just the destructive — he will not set any worthless thing before his eyes.

He will show no favor to the works of those who turn aside from rightness, truth and integrity. He will not honor those who do not honor the LORD (Psalm 1:1-4). He will live with a smoothness of heart, so that the works of the worthless will find no place to stick to him.

He will give no place in his life to those of a perverse heart. A perverse heart is one that is deceitful, false. He will not show any honor, or tolerance, to that which is evil.

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
  Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
  Him I will not endure.

(Psalm 101:5)

He will not tolerate gossip or slander. Those who do will be gone from his life, cut off from fellowship with him. Nor will he allow any room for those with swelled heads and arrogant hearts.

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
  That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
  He shall serve me.

(Psalm 101:6)

He will set his eyes on the faithful — the faith-filled ones — and they shall have a place in his heart. The word for “faithful” is aman. It is the word for faith, and also for believe. In Genesis 15:6, where Abraham “believed” God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, the word “believed” is aman. A man who is truly full of faith will walk with integrity and transparency. He will do what is right because he believes God. Those are the ones David desires to surround himself with in his court.

Now, David did not always keep these resolutions. Far from it! But to the extent that he honored what was full of faith, he did very well. It was when he gave place in his life to worthless things that he experienced crisis in his heart, unnecessary division in his family, and painful failure that could have been avoided.

What you set before your eyes, you will tolerate in your life and eventually honor in your heart. Will you tolerate worthless things? They will lead you to destruction, or at best, mediocrity. Or will you set your eyes on those who are full of faith, who walk with integrity, trusting in the LORD? Surround yourself with them, and honor them in your heart, and they will cause you to rise above the crowd.

The Servant God

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

We were made to love and to serve. We were made in the image of God. God is love, and love gives and serves. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The Son came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life for us.

Many people think that it is somehow demeaning to take the role of a servant. But the example of the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that that is not so. He came expressly in the servant role, and even humbled Himself to the point of death on the Cross. This was not the lowest expression of His personhood, but the highest.

Being a servant does not demean us, it enlarges us. It does not bring us down into something, it lifts us up into something.

Jesus instructed His disciples, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant” (Mark 10:42-43).

By this, Jesus did not mean that we should be become servants so that one day we can be great leaders and no longer need to serve. No, the world thinks that way, and so do many Christians. But that is not what we are called to. Being a servant is not the journey to greatness — it is the destination. Taking on the role of the servant role is greatness itself, because it is in this role that we come to understand the heart of God.

We do not lose anything by being the servant of all. Rather, we come to understand greatness, and we become like our Father God, who is love.

The Algebra of Stillness

Be still and know that the LORD is God and God is love.
(Psalm 46:10; 1 John 4:8)

Don’t Let the devil Outsmart You

For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 New King James Version)

Or check out how these other translations have it. Notice that the issue under consideration in these verses is forgiveness.

And when I forgive this man (for whatever is to be forgiven), I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes. (New Living Translation)

In order that satan might not outwit us. (New International Version)

We don’t want satan to win any victory here, and well we know his methods! (J. B. Phillips)

After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give satan an opening for yet more mischief — we’re not oblivious to his sly ways! (The Message)

So that satan would not win anything from us. (New Century Version)

To keep satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind. (Contemporary English Version)

That we may not be over-reached by the adversary. (Young’s Literal Translation)

Has the devil taken advantage of you? Outsmarted you? Outwitted you? Won a victory over you? Received an opening to bring more trouble into your life? Won anything over you? Over-reached you? If there is anybody in your life that you are not willing to forgive, then the devil has done all these things to you.

Failure to forgive does us no good. What is worse, when we refuse to forgive, we open ourselves up to great harm — the devil has our number. But it does not have to be that way. Paul says that we have the devil’s number. We know his ways, his thoughts, his intentions. We know what’s going on in his mind. We can turn the tables on him and do something he is not prepared to for us to do. We can learn how to forgive in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. That takes the wind right out of the devil's sails.

Don’t let the devil outsmart you. Outsmart him instead. Get the victory over him. Get the better of him. Outwit him and shut the door to any further mischief from him. It's very simple: If you have anything against anyone — forgive!

Jesus’ Modus Operandi

And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. (John 8:29)

Jesus always did those things that please the Father. That was the modus operandi for His entire life and ministry — everything He did! If it was not pleasing to the Father, Jesus was not doing it. Simple as that.

• He spoke only those things which He heard the Father speaking (John 8:28).
• He did only those things which He saw the Father doing (John 5:19).
• He judged only as He heard the Father judging (John 5:30).
• He willed only as the Father willed (John 5:30).
  

Everything Jesus did was totally about the Father, and that pleased God.

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove, and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

On the Mount of Transfiguration, when the glory of God overshadowed, Jesus face and clothes shone with the brightest light, and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5)

The Gospel of Matthew records a third instance where God expressed pleasure in His Beloved, Jesus. Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 42. “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in who My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles” (Matthew 12:18).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Since everything Jesus did pleased the Father, then everything He did must have been all about faith — taking the Father at His Word.

Pleasing the LORD is simple — it all comes down to faith. It did for Jesus, and it does for us. If the M.O. of Jesus was simply to please the Father, to do what He saw the Father doing, and say what He heard the Father saying, then what ought our M.O. be? If it is impossible to please the Father without faith, then what ought our discipleship to look like?