Let The Church Say Amen!
Once again, I count it a privilege and an honor to share with you this month. You may recall that at the beginning of this year, I made a declaration of, "It shall be well in 2012." I meant that from the bottom of my heart. And although I am walking in total anticipation, I must tell you that I am in complete awe of what our Heavenly Father has already done for His children in the first quarter of the year. I have seen people receive a new lease on life through gainful employment, restored relationships and business breakthroughs. As for me personally, God has enlarged my territory in such a way that things that I've been in prayer about for years are now at my fingertips. How great is our God!
But you know, life would be a lot simpler if we would resolve to take God at His Word. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, we need to embrace the fact that He wants to see His children blessed. In fact, He has given us the ultimate roadmap to life through The Holy Bible. It is full of the promises of God; all we have to do is take the time to read the instructions, have the courage to follow the instructions and then have the faith to believe the instructions.
Those are some pretty directives. However, the truth of the matter is that putting these directives into action can oftentimes be a lot easier said than done. If God has spoken, then we --- the believers, His children, the church --- ought to be able to say amen. It sounds fair enough, doesn't it? Why? Because as disciples of Christ, that means we follow Him. And if we follow Him, we should be able to listen to Him and believe in what He says. But there are times in life when others can recognize God better than we can. Think about it: King Nebuchadnezzar was a heathen, yet he was able to recognize God in the fiery furnace. Legion was possessed with many devils, yet he was able to address Jesus as Son of the Most High God. The blind man is not said to have had a relationship with Jesus, yet he called on Him as the Son of David and asked Him to have mercy on him.
If you are wondering where I'm going with this, my point is this: when you know God, you will hear His voice. For the scripture says in John 10:4-5 that God's sheep know His voice; and a stranger they will not follow. So, if we know the voice of the Lord, why not listen? When we read His Word, we need to read it with the belief that it is true and that it expresses His will for our lives, according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Knowing this, we can take even greater comfort from 3 John 2. It clearly tells us clearly that above everything else, God wishes that we would prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers.
From this day forth, I challenge you to adopt a winning attitude that says regardless of what my circumstances look like, regardless of what my enemies think of me, regardless of what odds may seem to be stacked up against me, God has a plan for my life. And according to Jeremiah 29:11, it is a good plan. It is a plan for me to do well, to have a hope and a future. I challenge you to look past the negativity and to see the bright side of every situation, standing in full confidence that all things work together for good because you love God and because you are called according to His purpose. So, I ask you: Whose report will you believe? I trust that you will believe the report of the Lord. God has, indeed, spoken. Now let the church say amen!