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

Begin Again

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

No matter who you are or what you've done, if you repent, turn from your sin and make CHRIST your Savior, you will become new! Spiritually, you're an entirely new person! You are reconciled to God! The blood of Christ wipes away all the mistakes of your past! GOD LOVES EVERYONE! GOD IS LOVE, but He is also just. If you don't repent and turn from sin and begin a relationship with Jesus, hell is your eternal destination. Being a "good person" doesn't get you into Heaven. God judges you based on HIS STANDARDS not yours! The Bible says ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD! The wages of sin is death (hell). But you can Begin Again & start a relationship with Christ. Right now, wherever you are you can pray something like this, "God, I confess that I'm a sinner. I repent of my sins. I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and that You raised Him from the dead. Teach me Your ways so I can live a life that pleases You. In Jesus' Name. Amen." Begin to seek God daily in His Word (a good place to start is in the book of John) & in prayer. Find out what His Word says & LIVE BY IT! 

GO AND SIN NO MORE

In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. 

- Romans 1:27-32 (NIV)

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God wants those who are practicing homosexuality to come to Him, repent, and turn from their sin. He loves them and wants them to come to them just like the woman who was caught in the act of adultery in John 8 and would say to them "GO AND SIN NO MORE (John 8:11)".

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 

- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)

** If you are living the kind of life listed above, Heaven is not your eternal destination, hell is because the Bible says the wages sin is death (hell) but if you come to Jesus and turn from your sin, you can be cleansed as verse 11 explains:

Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

- 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT)

Safe Haven

For you are God, my only safe haven...

- Psalm 43:2 (NLT)

When problems overwhelm you today, just look to Jesus: the author and finisher of our faith.  In light of Him, our light and momentary troubles quickly dissipate. Remember, in these uncertain times, God is our only safe haven. There is no need to fear, because if you are a child of God, the creator of the universe is on your side. If you walk according to His Word, "When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you" (See Proverbs 6:20-22). Though we walk through the valley of the shadow, we will fear no evil for He is with us (Psalm 23:4). Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of The Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

Make sure you build your house (life) on the rock (Word of God), because only then will your house stand. Building your life on anyone or anything else is like building your house on sand- it won't last. 

Don't forget to put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground (Eph. 6:13). No doubt, we all need to put on the full armor of God more than ever. 

Relentlessly pursue Jesus and not the things of this world.

Scripture Reading: 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

- Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

- Romans 8:18 (NIV)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

- Romans 8:31 (NIV)

When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

- Proverbs 6:22 (NIV)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

- Psalms 23:4 (NKJV)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. 

- Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 

- Jesus in Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

- Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)

FEELING UNAPPRECIATED?

Recently, I was thinking about how much the words, "I appreciate you" can mean. Sometimes, we feel as though others don't notice the things we do. In those times, we have to remember that our labor is for The Lord and not for people (Col. 3:17, Gal. 1:10). We know that when our labor is for The Lord, we never labor in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).  We can also rely on Him for encouragement by asking Him to provide it and allowing Him to choose the source. I put this into practice recently and was amazed how He brought it. 

Think about the pastor of your church. People always go to their pastors when they need prayer or counsel (nothing wrong with that- they are there to help you), but who is there for the pastors and their families when they need support? Many in ministry positions can feel unappreciated. As I was pondering on this, I had a thought that stopped me in my tracks: "How does God feel?"

There are people whom God created that ignore His presence daily and some, even His existence. People who acknowledge Him on Sunday but deny Him Monday-Saturday. People who honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him (people who claim to know Him but live like they don't - See Isaiah 19:13, Matt. 15:8). People who run to God only when they have a problem or need something. Think how unappreciated He must feel. We all have so much to be thankful for. If the only thing God ever did for you was send Jesus to the cross so that we can be reconciled to God through Him and saved from eternity in hell (If you choose to accept this freely offered gift, repent & turn from sin you can be saved)-- that would be more than enough. But God is so full of love for us that He went beyond that (GOD IS LOVE). Jesus took our sicknesses and removed our diseases (See Matt. 8:27, NLT). God feeds us, clothes us, guides us. He gave us a Comforter, Counselor, Intercessor by giving us the Holy Spirit (See John 14:26, AMP) He invites us and eagerly waits for us to dive into a personal relationship with Him. He longs for you to go deeper with Him and give up those things which separate you from Him or hinder you from getting closer to Him. How many car accidents has a He kept you from having? How many times has He soared your life? How many times has He kept you from danger you were unaware of?

Next time you feel unappreciated, think how God must feel. That question totally wrecked me. Take time today to let God know you appreciate Him. He wants to be your EVERYTHING. He wants to fill every void. Thank Him for everything He does for you, everything He has given you, & simply for who He is. Here are some things to be thankful for that are often taken for granted: food & choices of what to eat, clean water, central heating & air conditioning, a vehicle, ac/heat in your vehicle, a home of your own, clothing, electricity, etc. I could go on and on, but many of the things we consider "basic needs" are things some people are doing without!

Spend time with God daily in prayer and in His Word. As you begin your prayer time daily, begin with thanksgiving! :) 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

- Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Thank Him from the bottom of your heart for everything, but most of all for sending His only Son. 

Rachel Marie

THE TRUTH ABOUT PAUL'S THORN

Many people use “Paul’s Thorn” to use against healing. Let's see what the Bible says about it:

 

2 Corinthians 12:7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

*The Bible tells us exactly what Paul’s Thorn was. It was a messenger of Satan, not a sickness.

 

In “Christ the Healer” by F. F. Bosworth, he states, “The expression thorn in the flesh is not once used in either the Old or New Testament EXCEPT as an illustration. The figure of the thorn in the flesh is not in one single instance used in the Bible as a figure of sickness. Every time, the expression was used in the entire Bible, it is specifically stated what the thorn in the flesh was.” Bosworth continues by pointing this out in Numbers 33:55 and Joshua 23:13, as well.

Numbers 33:55 (KJV) But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which yet let remain of them shall be PRICKS IN YOUR EYES, and THORNS IN YOUR sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Bosworth points out: “The pricks in the eyes” and “thorns in the sides” of the Israelites were inhabitants of Canaan, not eye trouble or sickness. God was only using an illustration. Again, in Joshua 23:13, the Lord says of the Canaanites, “they shall be… scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes”. Again, the scourges in their eyes and thorns in their sides are the Canaanites.

 

Looking back at 2nd Corinthians 12:7, Paul specifically says that his thorn was a messenger of Satan, sent to buffet him. Bosworth concludes this portion of his sermon on Paul’s Thorn by saying, “Since Paul specifically says that his “thorn”was a messenger of Satan, sent to buffet him and make trouble for him wherever he went, why should we say it was something else?”

For the rest of Bosworth's sermon, read the 14th chapter of Christ the Healer (this book can be found on amazon). Jesus healed me when I read this book. For more on healing, check out the follow videos on my YouTube: MY HEALING TESTIMONY, JESUS HEALS, & JESUS STILL HEALS EVERY SICKNESS & EVERY DISEASE. My YouTube channel is "Rachel Marie Ministries", or click the above tab "My YouTube". Most importantly, if you need healing, read through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John in the Bible). All through the Gospels, Jesus was moved with compassion for the sick & He healed them. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God revealed His will through the life of Jesus, so the best way to find out God's will is to read what Jesus did in His life on earth! He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposes in Christ (Ephesians 1:9).

BE RENEWED BY THE LIVING WATER

Even a tree has more hope!
If it is cut down, it will sprout again
and grow new branches.
Though its roots have grown old in the earth
and its stump decays,
at the scent of water it will bud
and sprout again like a new seedling.
- Job 14: 7-9 (NLT)

If you've been walking with God very long, you know that sometimes dry seasons come. Times when you are doing everything you are supposed to (i.e.: Spending time with God daily, living according to His Word, etc.), yet He still feels so far away. This can also happen if we have sinned (be sure to confess your sin to God & repent & turn from it) or if we have let some sort of idol take up residence in our lives (An idol can be anything that takes your focus off of Christ. Yes, idols can be the so called "gods" of false religions, but it doesn't have to be. It can be a relationship, an addiction, or something as simple as spending too much time on facebook or watching tv. God is jealous for our time and attention. He doesn't want us to put anything before HIM). Regardless of the reason, if you are in a dry season, this is for you:

So maybe spiritually you feel like the tree described in Job 14:7-9-- cut down and decaying. DO NOT GIVE UP. Keep on seeking Him. We will seek Him and find Him when we seek Him with ALL of our hearts (Jer. 29:13). Chase after Jesus as hard and as fast as you can. At the mere SCENT OF WATER, the tree will bud and sprout again like a new seedling. Use this dry season to show God just how desperate you are for Him by continuing to relentlessly pursue Him. If a cut down, decaying tree will bud and sprout again like a new seeding at the scent of water, how much more will we blossom by drinking in the LIVING WATER (John 4:10, 13-14)? 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

Father, I pray for everyone reading this. I pray for those in a dry season spiritually. I pray that they would be encouraged. May they draw near to You, and feel You drawing near to them in return. I pray they will walk by faith, not by sight until they get their spiritual breakthrough. May they blossom daily, as they seek You, The Living Water. Bring a tsunami of Your Presence into every part of their being. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In His Compassion,
Rachel Marie