Part Ten What Does God Want for You? Abundance!

Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://www.freshmanna.org

Leviticus 26:9-10 “I will look favorably upon you and multiply your people and fulfill my covenant with you. You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to get rid of the leftovers from the previous year to make room for each new harvest.”

“God, please help us – we have so many needs in our life right now!” Have you ever prayed or felt like praying that? When and if you have, did you pray it out of desperation with little or no faith, or did you pray it with great confidence knowing that He loves you and wants to help you? If you’ve ever felt out there on the edge without provision, you know how desperate the devil would like to make you feel. He works to create fear in this place. Many people in this place become so anxious, their character blows up. Their emotions might be all over the map. They might scream or be mad at any and everyone. They lose all hope and begin to regret the thoughts of leaning on God. And, at this place of weakness, the devil begins to tempt. In down times, this is where many people fall prey to a variety of sins including alcohol leading to crazy thoughts – thoughts and dreams of schemes – thoughts that violate integrity – “I’ve got to do whatever it takes to survive.”

Proverbs 23:29-35 says, “Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. Don’t let the sparkle and smooth taste of wine deceive you. For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can have another drink?”

God doesn’t want anyone to fall to this kind of desperation. He hates how alcohol destroys lives. This is why He makes promises of help – so we lean on Him not alcohol. He wants us to learn to lean on Him day-by-day for the wisdom and provision of God promised to His children – to those that love Him and walk with Him. Does falling to desperation and desperate acts and behavior that violate what you know is right seem better than learning of, praying to, and trusting and leaning on God? There is no magic with God. He’s not a wishbone. He won’t make magically make problems disappear but you can absolutely be sure that if you stick with Him, He will help you confront every problem and attack of Satan with authority and confidence. You will see Him move in your life in ways that would be hard to describe to people. Your heart will want to praise Him.

God knows you and knows what you need before you ask, yet He teaches us to ask in prayer. Why? Because our relationship with Him is an act of faith and your asking in faith is the outworking of that relationship and exercising your trust in Him. Matthew 68 says, “…your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!” He is not saying don’t ask. He is saying, “Ask in faith! Have a confidence that He hears you and loves and cares about you and is working in your life.” Avoid the temptation of HOW God should answer your prayers but instead just believe in faith. Philip. 4:6-7 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

I’ll close finish this series tomorrow but I want to close today with verses including today’s Fresh Manna verses. Throughout this series I have repeatedly shown you scripture that reveals the love of God and His will for provision for us that love Him. His will is timeless. It is the same today as it is was then. The culture may have changed and the jobs we do may have changed, but God’s will for you to experience His help with divine provision through faith has never changed. See it one more time today and examine the scriptures yourself to see His will for those that love Him. Tomorrow I’ll talk about practically walking this out.

Leviticus 26:6-13 “I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear… “I will look favorably upon you and multiply your people and fulfill my covenant with you. You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to get rid of the leftovers from the previous year to make room for each new harvest. I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt so you would no longer be slaves. I have lifted the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk free with your heads held high.

God doesn’t want you a slave to Satan or lack. He wants to help you hold your head high as He teaches you to walk in divine provision! The conclusion tomorrow…

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://www.freshmanna.org