Are you putting God in a box?

They spoke against God; 
they said, "Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? 
True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, 
streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat for his people?"
- Psalm 78:19-20 (NIV)

They even spoke against God himself, saying,
"God can't give us food in the wilderness.
Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
but he can't give his people bread and meat."
- Psalm 78:19 (NLT)

It's easy to read this Scripture and think WHAT?? The Israelites have seen God do many signs and wonders to deliver them from Egypt, part the Red Sea, guide them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire by night, split open rocks in the wilderness to give them water as abundant as the seas, and fed them with the bread of angels (see Psalm 78). Even after seeing all this, they still limit God? They still doubt His ability? They still doubt that He cares for them? Seriously?? The Israelites trust in God was limited. As many do today, they put God in a box saying, "This is what God can do; this is what He cannot do".

How often do we do this? Not necessarily with our words but with our attitudes and actions. When we take a step back, it's easy to see that we are not so different from the Israelites today. In Philippians 4:19, God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. Not only is it a promise in His Word (which should be reason enough to believe it!), but you have seen Him supply your needs 1,000 times (okay, if you're honest, more times than you could count), yet you still worry that somehow this time will be different-- that somehow God will fail you, that He won't come through this time. You believe God has saved you but you don't believe He will heal you. You believe God has redeemed you from eternal damnation, but you don't believe He desires for you to have a more abundantly life, that His plans are to prosper you and not to harm you. God has healed your body, but you struggle to believe He will heal your broken heart. You believe God created you, but you don't believe you're beautiful. God has brought you through things time and time again, but you just don't believe He will do it one more time. You believe God is bigger than your problems but you insist on carrying the burden yourself-- burdens you were never meant to carry. 

Why do we limit God? Why do we tend to have this "God can do this, not that" mindset? We have to cast down imaginations and every lofty thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive EVERY THOUGHT and make it obedient to Christ (See 2 Cor. 5:10).

We learn from Mark 11:24 that we have to believe BEFORE we receive. 1) Ask. 2) Believe. 3) Receive. We have to believe not just that He can, but that He will. We have to build our faith by hearing the Word (See Romans 10:17). Stay in His Word daily. Listen to Bible-based preaching often! Build yourself up in the Word to keep the faith!

So as you face your current "impossible" situation, take time to reflect on what He's already done for you. Won't He do it again? His mercies? New every morning.

Trust God. Stop limiting what God wants to do in your life with your lack of belief.. Let God out of the box in your mind and see the power He will unleash in your life.


Scripture Reading:

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

- Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

...for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? 

- Hebrews 13:5-6 (AMP)

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

- 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. 

- Isaiah 53:4-5 (AMP)

This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” 

- Matthew 8:17 (NLT)

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

- John 10:10 (KJV)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

- Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

- Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

- Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

- Psalm 68:19 (AMP)

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

- Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

- Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

- John 14:27 (AMP)

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We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

- 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

- 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)

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Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

- Mark 11:24 (NIV)

God is Faithful,

Rachel Marie

THE END OF WAVERING FAITH

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
- Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)

When we doubt, we act like God is not faithful to His Word. Our faith often teeters like a see-saw, from high to low, strong to weak in the faith. How do we balance this out? We have to hold onto our confession with no wavering. No more wavering allowed. I declare in the Name of Jesus it ends today. Make the decision today to stop praying without believing. In Mark 11:24, Jesus teaches us that ANYTHING WE ASK IN PRAYER IN FAITH, BELIEVING, THAT WHAT WE ASK WILL BE DONE.. WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN. Several weeks ago, a man named Brother Phillip at my church preached a powerful message on BELIEVING WITHOUT DOUBTING. It has really stuck with me. If we know Jesus promised us, why do we all slip & slide in this direction and that with our faith? Some days, we believe it so strongly we can almost taste what we are praying for. Other days, our faith is so weak we are hanging on by a thread. 1 Corinthians 5:7 says WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT! If we were putting our trust in some idol who has no power, we would have plenty of reason to doubt. But we put our trust in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. The one true God. The only name through whom salvation comes! The only Name through which healing of every sickness & every disease comes! The Only Name that gives sight to the blind, makes the deaf hear, the mute talk, the lame walk! The Only Name of the one who bore your sins, shame, guilt, sickness away! Jesus is the only one who walks with you through every second of every day, who is so filled with love & compassion for you that He feels your every emotion, knows your every thought. Our God parted the Red Sea, shut the mouth of lions & delivered Daniel without even a scratch, took His servant through the fire with not even a singe of hair burnt! He made an elderly couple first time parents. He rescues His people, regardless of what lengths He has to go to in order to do so. He performs incredulous miracles for His people.

Even when there was NO REASON for hope, Abraham kept hoping-- BELIEVING that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!"
- Romans 4:18 (NLT)

We have to hold onto our confession without wavering. God is faithful & shall bring it to pass! The Bible says that in the natural Abraham had NO REASON FOR HOPING! Not even one!!!!! Verse 19 says "And Abraham's faith DID NOT WEAKEN, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead-- and so was Sarah's womb". 

Imagine the oldest couple you know. The husband is 100% convinced that his wife, who has never before had a child, is going to bear him a son. He doesn't stop there. He believes his descendants will be as numerous as the stars! You would think he was out of his mind! After all, when he "claims" to have heard this message from the LORD, it was 25 years ago. Nothing has happened. Still no baby. You would think this man preposterous! Every time the town gossips pass him by, they whisper, "That old man is sweet, but he is absolutely nuts! Thinking Sarah is going to bear him a son after all these years. And poor Sarah! She has to put up with him. He got all her hopes up all those years ago & still, she has no baby! How dare he put her through further embarrassment by persistently telling her these lies for the last 25 years!" But this is exactly Abraham's beautiful story. Abraham faithfully believed God's Promise even when it seemed he should have given up, and God came through!

Maybe the doctors have given you no reason for hoping. No more reason to hope to recover. No more reason to believe you will survive. But God's Word says He forgives ALL our sins and HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES (Psalm 103:2-3), that BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED (1 PETER 2:24, ISAIAH 53:5), that HE WILL RESTORE YOU TO HEALTH & LET YOU LIVE (Isaiah 38:16, Jeremiah 30:17 ) (& numerous other promises for physical, mental, emotional, healing because His blood is sufficient!!). Though we are all thankful for doctors and all have desperately needed them at some point, if the reports are negative, accept the Word of God for your healing & do not let the doctors have the final say.. Let God do what He does.. He heals all who come to Him in faith for healing (Heb. 13:8, Malachi 3:6). Maybe you see no possible spouse in sight, but you know God has promised you. Maybe your marriage is hanging on by a thread & you think there is no way God can restore it now. Maybe your finances have all but completely disappeared, yet GOD says He shall supply ALL YOUR NEEDS according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). DARE TO BELIEVE  GOD LIKE ABRAHAM.

FAITH VS. FACT

In faith, Abraham believed that God would do what He had promised. He did not dwell on all the facts that were all 100% contrary to God's Promise. Verse 20 says, "And Abraham NEVER WAVERED in believing God's promise. In fact, HIS FAITH GREW STRONGER, and IN THIS HE BROUGHT GLORY TO GOD. It glorifies God when we do not waver in our faith. Our faith should be steady. When we start to get discouraged and begin to doubt, we have to combat the devil's scheme and begin to speak the Word of God aloud. We have to remember Abraham & the fulfillment of God's Promise to him, although it didn't happen in the Timing Abraham would have chosen. I am sure if Abraham had his way, he would have already had children, grandchildren, even great-grandchildren by the time he actually he had his first child. But he knew a little something about God's Timing. His Timing is perfect. God used this situation to display his miraculous power. His power could not have been properly displayed even he immediately began having children not long after he & Sarah married. That would have been ordinary. God had an extraordinary plan for Abraham. So if God is making you wait, remember that He also has an extraordinary plan for you. So, don't wrestle back and forth between letting belief win half the time & doubt win the other half. When we give in to the temptation of doubt, we let the devil have a field day. Satan loves fear, discouragement, doubt, depression, anger, impatience. He eats that stuff up. He thrives off of it. He has built his wicked kingdom on the basis of these negative things.

Like Abraham, stand firm on God's Promise, regardless of how long it takes. The fact that he waited patiently for 25 years almost astounds me as much as the fact that he had a son at 100 years old. From reading the Word & being taught this story, we knew this came to pass & are obviously in awe of God's power. But what about the fact that Abraham waited so long? God's power is also displayed in Abraham's trust, I believe. He knew a little something about God's Faithfulness. He knew a little something about God's Word, which never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). He knew that HE who promised never lies, never slacks, never forgets. He could have EASILY given up after the first 5 years (If we are honest, most of us would have given up sooner than that!). He could have given up and thought, "I guess God forgot" or "I guess God wasn't really serious" or "I was so incredibly stupid to believe Sarah & I could have a son, even now" & concluded that there was no hope left. BUT HE DIDN'T. He was FULLY PERSUADED that God had the POWER to do what He promised (Rom. 4:21, NIV). The Amplified Version says in v. 21 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, (Note: Because he was not moved by these negative things, he was able to mature in the faith and praise God while He waited!). Instead of getting all bent out of shape about WHEN God was going to do it, verse 21 in the Amplified Version says, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His Word and to do what He had promised. He didn't sit around in discontentment asking God WHY He was taking along. He was fully satisfied in the season God wanted him in right then. It sounds like he even enjoyed his life while he waited on the LORD. Imagine that! It seems all too often we get so caught up in waiting for God to do this and that, we forget to live and be content where we are. We think we can have joy & contentment ONLY when we get what we want. However, when God makes that thing happen, there's something else to wait on God for. So if you get so caught up in wondering why & when God is gonna do it, Satan is successful in robbing you of the right now. I talk about this a little more on this topic in my YouTube video, "DON'T LET SATAN STEAL THE JOY JESUS GAVE YOU". You can watch by clicking on the "My YouTube" tab above or by going to youtube and typing in: Rachel Marie Ministries. You can also subscribe, if you feel so led, because I will continue making more as God directs me!

It is also important to take note of the fact that he did not argue with God & try to manipulate Him into bringing him that son He promised, RIGHT NOW. Hebrews 6:15 says: Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised (NLT).

Note: The above is the KJV of this verse.

He was not demanding. He did not get caught up in the details of how and when. You never see Abraham praying, "HELLO GOD, everyone thinks I am completely insane. Even my wife, Sarah, doesn't believe me. She laughs at Your Promise. So if you're really going to give us a son, could you please hurry up so I can quit looking like a fool?" He could have said that. He could have walked away from God, thinking He isn't really "legit" & doesn't keep promises. He never thought he was wrong to put all his trust God. 1 year passed by, then two, then three, then four, then five... then 10, then 15, 20, & 25 & Abraham remained faithfully believing God. Abraham never walked away from God or gave it a thought. Instead, he never wavered. He had complete faith that God would give him a son & waited on God's Perfect Timing to do so. We seem to barely be able to hold on for a few weeks, months, or years for God to do what we are believing Him for. After a certain amount of time has passed, we think it isn't gonna happen. Too often, we give up & give in to Satan's lies all too easy. We should take such great delight in the LORD & His Word that we believe Him no matter how long it takes, no matter how impossible it seems, no matter what the circumstances are in the natural. The person who delights in the LORD, His Word, & meditates upon His Word will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:3, NIV). Let us all be like a tree planted by streams of water, for then in the right season, God will produce fruit!

Oh, the faith it took for Abraham to believe! May we get so deep into God's Word that we begin to operate in Abraham's strength in the faith. Abraham desperately longed to have a son. How beautiful it is that he dared to believe. Oh, the joyous way he must have felt the day Isaac was finally born, the day he heard that beautiful first cry from the lips of Isaac, the moment he first took Isaac into his arms. I doubt there's ever been such a proud first-time daddy! As a devoted child of God, he remarkably held onto faith for 25 years. In that moment, it finally all felt worth it. He held in his arms the reward, the promise at last.

Then, God later challenged him. He wanted to make sure even though Abraham had believed so long and loved Isaac with everything in him, his faithfulness was first to God. He was faithful enough to give up his son. The internal agony he must have felt thinking he was going to have to sacrifice his beloved son!!! But God spoke just in the nick  of time and showed Abraham a sacrifice. God never intended for Abraham to kill Isaac (God is totally against murder). He just wanted Abraham to prove that his first love & priority remained where it should. This request from God seemed incredibly absurd to him, I have no doubt. Yet, Abraham was still as faithful as ever, reasoning that God could raise Isaac from the dead.

How is your faithfulness to God? Are you gonna stick with Him only until He heals your broken heart, until He heals you, until He brings you the right one? Are you gonna be faithful to God only until He meets your needs, until you get that promotion, until you heal from the past? Dare to believe His promises. He is a rewarder of those who DILLIGENTLY SEEK HIM (Heb. 11:6, NKJV). Seek Him all your heart. Let Him fulfill His plan for your life in His timing. Be faithful to Him & hold onto your confession without wavering!

I hope you are all enjoying the beauty of the Christmas season & remembering what it's all about: the glorious birth of Jesus that forever changed the lives of all who will submit to Him. Also, it's about giving back. I would like to encourage all who are able to donate whatever they can to charities that help feed those who are starving this Christmas season & those who do not have finances to buy their children gifts.

I pray you would all receive the joy unspeakable that only the LORD can give. I pray that you all have a very Merry Christmas! May we all patiently endure, so we can receive the promise! :)

In God's Crazy Love,

Rachel Marie