So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17, NASB Have you ever felt like you needed more faith? Have you ever looked at yourself and told yourself that if you just had more faith, you would see your financial breakthrough or healing? My friend, I have good news for you today: faith is not a struggle. The Scriptures show us that the hearing of faith and the works of the law are total opposites (see Gal. 3:2, 5). And since the works of the law are about our self-efforts, there is no self-effort in faith.
Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31–33 When I talk about not worrying and keeping our eyes on Jesus, some people think that I am not being practical. Beloved, you can worry all you like about your current crisis, but it will not improve or change your situation one bit. Please understand that I am not making light of what you are going through. I am just offering you the best solution I know that works.
"O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?" 2 Chronicles 20:6 When faced with what appeared to be certain destruction, King Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord. Today's scripture is part of his prayer. Note that instead of rehashing his fears to the Lord and lamenting about how overpowered by their enemies their small tribe was, Jehoshaphat centered his prayer and thoughts on just how big and powerful his God truly is. He proclaimed boldly that "no one is able to withstand" the Lord—no one! In a hopeless situation, he hoped in the Lord.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. 1 John 4:18 Fear is a destructive bondage. Fear paralyzes you and prevents you from fulfilling the amazing destiny that God has for you. Fear makes you feel inadequate and insecure, and comes with unhealthy side effects ranging from panic attacks to sleep disorders. Fear is irrational. Fear is a spiritual condition, which is why you can't reason fear away. You can't simply tell someone who is struggling with fear and gripped by panic attacks to just stop being fearful. A spiritual condition cannot be remedied naturally. Fear can be eradicated only by a personal encounter with the person of Jesus.
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11 Our enemy the devil is well aware that the moment you learn to receive God's grace, you will start to reign in life. So he has been working hard to prevent you from receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. The devil has been using controversy as a device down through church history to prevent believers from having access to the most powerful truths of God.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 The Word of God says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Now, what is the kingdom of God? The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 14:17 that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." When you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and pursue the kingdom of God, which is Jesus' righteousness, His peace and His joy, God's Word promises that "all these things" will be added to you.
But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." John 4:4–7 I encourage you to read the remarkable story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. Considered a woman with a shady past, she was gossiped about in her village and probably shunned for being a home wrecker, a "stealer of husbands."
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.John 19:30 I see a new generation of God's people emerging as the grace revolution sweeps the globe. The truth is that only grace, found in the person of Jesus Christ, can lead us into the Promised Land. Moses, who represents the law, is dead (see Josh. 1:2). And only Joshua (Yehowshua in Hebrew), a type of Christ, can bring us into the Promised Land. We can't enter it based on the obsolete Mosaic covenant. We can't inherit it based on our efforts to be justified through keeping perfectly the Ten Commandments.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 Jesus gives you His shalom to set you up for success in life. You cannot be a success in your marriage, family and career when you are crippled and paralyzed with fear. Today, as you are reading this, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has already begun a work in your heart to liberate you from all your fears, whatever they may be.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7, NLT There is a story of a young man who struggled to make ends meet. One day, he got six pieces of white cardboard paper and wrote down these six letters: "L-E-T G-O-D." This was to remind him to stop worrying and striving to provide for himself and his family, and to let God take over. He placed the cards upright on his dressing table so that he would be reminded each day to let God provide for him.
Follow Up
