The Word Works!: GOD IS NOT WICKED III

God loves us even in the deepest ocean! Don’t fret when you find yourself in boisterous water; you’re soaked in the love of God. He loves us! I know Jonah was swallowed up by a great fish, but did he die? Certainly not! He spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish and water. Ouch! But hey, there’s nothing impossible with God. The Lord only spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land (Jonah 1; 2). Jesus even taught us the best way, that is, by walking on water.

One evening His disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed out across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them as they rowed, and the sea grew very rough. They were three or four miles out when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They got terrified, but He called out to them, “I am here! Don't be afraid” (John 6:16-20). They were eager to let Him in, and immediately the boat arrived at their destination, no matter how the sea was churned by the huge wind. The question is: “Who’s with you in your situation?”

Jesus said, “…behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be)” (Matthew 28:20, AMP). “Behold” means “to look at or see somebody or something.” Jesus said, “Open your eyes and see, for I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” What do you see brethren in Christ? Oh, I got a clue: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” (Hebrews 12:2, NASU). So what do we do? I’m going to keep my eyes off my problems and challenges, having my gaze at Jesus alone!

While the disciples were in the boat, the sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. But Jesus said to them, “…do not be afraid.” What a comforting statement! Don’t think God’s abandoned you in your situation; Jesus is with you. It doesn’t matter the problem! He’s saying the same thing He said to the disciples, “I’m with you; do not be afraid.” His disciples forgot about how rough the sea was as they fixed their eyes on Jesus. In your situation, I don’t know what you’re looking at. If you’ll brood on these realities, you’ll receive strength for victory. There’s nothing too big that you cannot overcome.

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, they came out alive. Nebuchadnezzar shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” And they stepped out of the fire. The people who were present drew closer to them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. There was not even a smell of smoke! (Daniel 3:24-27). Here was Daniel who was also thrown into the den of lions. Before his arrest, king Darius believed God could rescue Daniel.

Because he signed a law which would get Daniel into the den, he became angry with himself. For this reason, the king returned to his palace and went to bed without dinner. He refused his usual entertainment and didn't sleep all night. Very early the next morning he hurried out to the lions' den and called out in anguish, "O Daniel, servant of the Living God, was your God, whom you worship continually, able to deliver you from the lions?" Then he heard a voice! "Your Majesty, live forever!" It was Daniel! "My God has sent his angel," he said, "to shut the lions' mouths so that they can't touch me, for I am innocent before God; nor, sir, have I wronged you."

The king was beside himself with joy and ordered Daniel lifted from the den. And not a scratch was found on him because he believed in his God. King Darius addressed everyone in his empire: “Greetings! I decree that everyone shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel in every part of my kingdom. For his God is the living, unchanging God whose kingdom shall never be destroyed and whose power shall never end. He delivers his people, preserving them from harm; he does great miracles in heaven and earth; it is he who delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:1-27).

Glory to God! I love this story; wow! Just ponder how king Darius describes the God we serve. This alone should give you comfort in what you’re going through right now; refuse to stagger! This is a solemn declaration of the Almighty God: “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2, NLT). Hallelujah! Your limitations are unreal; they have no foundation! The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). What you see is subject to change; change it with your faith!

Greater and mightier is He that lives in us than He that’s in the world (1 John 4:4). Just think about how big Papa God is; the world we live in is in His hands. How then can your problems be greater than Him? Absolutely not! This same Big and Mighty God lives in you; my goodness! Allow your Spirit to be soaked into this reality, and your attitude to problems will change. The infallible Word of God says, “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:10-11). This reminds me about the story of Elisha and his servant. Early in the morning his servant got up and went out.

Surprise! Horses and chariots surrounding the city! The young man exclaimed, “Oh, master! What shall we do?” He said, “Don't worry about it — there are more on our side than on their side.” Then Elisha prayed, “O God, open his eyes and let him see.” The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha! (2 Kings 6:15-17, MSG). He wasn’t troubled when they were surrounded by their enemies. Angels are very big and strong in battle, so Elisha wasn’t bothered about the number of enemies that had encompassed them.

The Lord’s not just with you; He’s inside of you! The Holy Spirit living in you is God living in you: “For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and reach full spiritual stature]” (Colossians 2:9-10, AMP). Glory to God! Refuse to fret in life. I don’t think you’ll let any situation overwhelm you when you understand the calling of God upon your life. God knows everything about you; he knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5).

There’s absolutely nothing about you that He does not know. Sometimes we think God has forsaken us, but He has not. I love His statement in Isaiah 49:15-16: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” It’s not normal for a woman to dump her baby. This is possible in the case of poverty, fear, divorce, or any other major problem. She would feel some pain in abandoning the child of her womb, that’s why the Lord likens such a scenario with her.

Even if it’s possible for her to abandon her baby, God says “I can’t!” What does this mean to you? It’s impossible for God to give up on you! He cries, “See, I have inscribed and strongly fixed you upon the palms of my hands. How can I have forgotten thee, when I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands? How dare you doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is set upon my very flesh?” O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His people. He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him.

I love the way the Spurgeon’s Devotional explains this: “"I have graven thee." It does not say, "Thy name." The name is there, but that is not all: "I have graven thee." See the

fulness of this! I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there. Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when He has graven thee upon His own palms?”

We sometimes depend so much on what people tell us, men who can disappoint you in any given time. What about the Almighty God, who never fails; He is never a dry well; He is never as a setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapour; and yet we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the mirage of the desert. God loves and cares for us; He’s a good God! Oh, I pray all believers would comprehend the plan of God for them.

Do you have problem with people talking against you, for what you believe and or stand for? Refuse to stagger, for greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Don’t think God’s going to do something about your problem; no, He’s going to do nothing! Is it not written in the Word, that we are more than conquerors? (Romans 8:37). This proves the fact that we’re not working to get something from God; a big NO! We’ve passed the realm of working and fighting our way through.

I know problems and challenges will surely come, but they are for our own good. They help us grow as we shut them down. Always remember that we don’t fight our way through problems and challenges; we walk through them. We do this by walking in the light of the Word of God, truly grasping the revelation knowledge imparted to our spirits. Oh, that’s why we’re to count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations (James 1:2). Only relax and stay strong, for none of the promises of God has failed (Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56).

It seems that we tend to believe and depend more on the promises of our fellow men than God. We’re often deceived and we still tend to rely more on people and despise the unfailing promises of God. We sometimes care about our physical needs so much that we think our heavenly Father is too silent on us. He’s never silent! He’s done whatever that needs to be done and nothing will happen until we do something. God will not change His mind about you; only religion will tell you so! The Bible says, “God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call]” (Romans 11:29, AMP).

The Message Bible says “God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty — never canceled, never rescinded”; and the Living Bible says “…he will never go back on his promises.” Hallelujah! A lot of believers are struggling for nothing. If these things be in you, they’ll make you a champion in life. Don't fret at the doctor's report. Why do we worship God? Are you struggling with your job? It doesn't matter the kind of work you do, God can change your financial status forever. Even though Ishmael wasn’t the promised child, God did something for him. His mother just needed a bottle of water to give him, yet, God gave her a well of water (Genesis 21:17-19).

Sometimes you tell God to provide for you and your family. But do you know that God can bless you so you can care for others as well? Get this: “God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]” (2 Corinthians 9:8, AMP). God is not limited by the laws in the world; he’s infinite and unlimited! You can be prosperous when others are wailing and crying for help.

What picture do you have for yourself? This is one of the reasons why we need to study the Word of God to know what the Lord holds for us. He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof (Psalms 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26); and we have been made heirs of God (Romans 8:17). Religion will tell you that it’s not the will of God to be always rich, healthy and sound. They think something is wrong with them when they don’t fall sick or something bad don’t happen to them for long. Remember that theology without revelation is empty; it is as good as dead. The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof but it's your revelation in the Word that matters.

You can pray for 21 days and still remain in your condition for lack of faith. It's not fasting and prayer even though I know how important they are; it's the light that falls on the Word to give you those revelations. Abraham knew it was God that blesses man so he wasn’t troubled when Lot chose the best portion of the land. God said to Abraham after Lot had separated from him: “…Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee” (Gen 13:14-15, 17).

Lift up your eyes; heya! Don't look at your present location, look ahead! Sometimes just take a walk to and or around the places you want to be. See yourself there! Your present location should not stop you from being the kind of man or woman God has destined to be. He’s able to make the best from the poorest (1 Samuel 2:8). You'll be the great man or woman you want only when you can see it. When you hear rich men are meeting, be there, for that's your calling. All men are not the same, there're levels. See and think positively for yourself. When you see any wrong picture about yourself, change it with the Word of God by finding out what it says about you. Don’t brood on negative things.

Finally, brethren, never let go of the Word of God, for “The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word]” (Lamentations 3:25, AMP). You shall surely rejoice, if you faint not!

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