Monday, October 2, 2017

My needs are met!

Day 2: Amazing fact about God I am pondering today:

   From the beginning of time, and even before, God has provided all I need before I ever need it.

Creation:
   God created everything in six days. The order of creation was:
  • Day 1:  Heavens, Earth and Light  (heavens being outer space, all that was out and apart from earth, and earth had no formation)
  • Day 2:  Firmament which is the sky. This is the arch around the earth between the water on the surface of earth and the moisture in the air, the clouds. Now the earth has an atmosphere.
  • Day 3:  Dry land separated by bodies of water, and all plant life (food).   
  • Day 4:  Lights in the firmament; the sun, moon and stars. The sun creates light for daytime, the moon reflects the sun’s light for night time and they can be used to measure time.
  • Day 5:  All creatures that live in water. All birds of the air.
  • Day 6:  All creatures that live on land, livestock, reptiles and insects. AND MAN!!! Here is a great example of saving the best for last.
  • Day 7: God rested.
The first thing God did when man was created was to bless them and give them the gift of the earth and all in it. He gave man dominion over all the earth and its contents. God made the earth and its contents just for man, giving it to man he gave him dominion over the whole of it. God prepared the entire earth and everything in it for man before man even existed.

Salvation:
   When we heard the gospel, the true gospel of Jesus, and we knew in our heart we needed a Savior and that Jesus was the Messiah- the Savior for mankind, the faith we had to make that decision and ask Jesus to come into lives as Lord came from God. The grace we were saved by and the faith we were saved through were from God. We had nothing in us that would be able to produce that kind of faith. However, when we heard God’s Word and had the ears to really hear it, God gave us the gift of faith so we could act on His Word.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Ephesians 2:8

Before we were saved God made the provision of Jesus to redeem us back to Himself. When the time came He was ready to give us the faith needed to act on our heart’s decision. God supplies before the need. Everything we need has been provided for. 

Holy Spirit:
   At the end John’s gospel in Chapter 13, we see where Jesus is telling His disciples that He is leaving them.  Peter’s response was “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus said to him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter immediately said, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”  By the time we get to the beginning of Chapter 14 we see Jesus telling the disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  The disciples were upset at the thought of Jesus not being there with them. There were a number of reasons for that, they were in fear of the Roman and Judaic government because of their affiliation with Jesus, and their deep love for Him alone was enough for them to not want Him to leave. So Jesus was assuring them that would be together again. Jesus proceeded to teach them some more things He wanted them to know before He went to Heaven. When we get down to the middle of Chapter 14 Jesus tells them He will be sending another “Helper”. The word “another” means of the exact same kind. He was assuring them there would be someone just like Him to be there with them. He assures them, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” Later in Chapter 15 of the Holy Spirit He tells them, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”  Jesus goes to some length in Chapter 16 to tell them that this Helper, the Holy Spirit will not come if Jesus does not leave, but that when He does come after Jesus leaves the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin. He will also guide them into all truth and glorify Jesus. Before Jesus left the earth for Heaven, having the Holy Spirit come to help the disciples and all the followers of Jesus was already in place.
  
   God is Love. Love is a verb and needs a person to give that love to. God in His desire to have fellowship with us, created us. Before He did so He made provision for all our needs. After mankind fell into sin and lost dominion and provisions, God immediately put into action a plan to provide redemption for us to restore that relationship. His name is Jesus. God, through Jesus provided all of that before we even needed it. Once we received that redemption and were saved, and back into a right relationship with God, before Jesus left earth to be at God’s right hand in Heaven- God was ready to send the Holy Spirit to us to guide and empower us in this life. He created us, redeemed us and empowered us- all before we needed it.

   I have a dear friend, a sister in Christ, that I truly cherish. I have watched her live by the grace of God for over 4 years now. She is remarkably able to trust God for everything she needs, and she is quite active in ministry. She understands and lives out the provision and grace of God. She is quite good at resting in Him for everything. I am at a place in my life that I am having to put my life in the complete care of my Father’s hands. I know in my head and heart how amazing God is and that from the first moment man was created all God has desired is to bless and prosper mankind. I am now learning to make that a reality in my life. I am getting better at it almost by the hour it seems. You see, God knew I needed an example like my dear friend. So, for years I have had the privilege of watching her, and marveling at her- unbeknownst to me that it would be a tremendous example I would be able to draw on. God provided that for me before I needed it. As I am learning to follow God’s example on the 7th day of Creation Week, to rest in Him, He is showing me His awesome love and provision!

Amazing fact about God I am pondering today:

I am loved so very much by God that has spent time before time existed providing everything for me I would ever need.... before I even needed it!


Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.      

Matthew 6:33









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