Daily Bread - 05/22/07

John 15:16 - You have not chosen me but I have chosen you. And I appointed you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you.

One of the many wonderful statements of the relationship that God has called us into is made in this passage. Jesus revealed to us that we are appointed unto a place in God that whatever we ask the Father in His name it will be given to us (John 14:13, 14; 15:7; 16:23, 24; Matthew 18:19; 21:22; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:10; James 1:6; 1 John 3:22; 5:14, 15). In saying this, Jesus opened the door to all of us to live every day in the miracle realm of God.

What kinds of things should we ask for? We should ask for everything that will glorify God. Every promise made to us by God in the scripture should be asked for (2 Corinthians 1:20; Psalms 103:2-4). We should take hold of the relationship that He has given to us as His friends and know with certainty that the things that we have asked Him for are ours. God is not glorified if we are living in sin, sickness, disease, and poverty. In the Old Testament God's people were called to live in the blessings of the Kingdom of God, and in the New Testament we are called to live in an even greater blessing of the Kingdom (Hebrews 8:6; 2 Corinthians 3:8,11; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Ephesians 1:2; Deuteronomy 15:6).

We should ask for the lost for our inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for our possession (Psalms 2:8). We should ask Father to send laborers into the harvest (Luke 10:2). We should ask God to show us great and mighty things that we have not known (Jeremiah 33:3). We should ask for the Holy Spirit and all of His gifts to be fully manifested in our lives so that the world around us will encounter the power of God (Luke 11:13; 1 Corinthians 14:1; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Acts 8:6). We should ask that our businesses prosper so that He will be glorified through the success of them (Deuteronomy 15:10; 28:12; 29:9; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Proverbs 13:22; Joshua 1:7; 1 Kings 2:3; Psalms 1:3; 3 John 1:2). We should ask Him to give us power to make wealth so that we can have a greater influence among men socially and politically (1 Chronicles 4:10; Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 31:23).

Once we have asked we must be willing to step out and move in faith realizing that God is working with us to establish His covenant (Deuteronomy 8:18; 2 Chronicles 1:12; Psalms 112:3). Every promise of God will come to us by a miracle work of God. Miracles are simply God at work. A miracle takes place when God reaches in with His hand to do those impossible things that we have asked Him to do. When miracles take place, we stand back and watch as God intervenes to bless us and make impossible things work. However, we must realize that the miracle of the Red Sea would have never taken place if Israel had not been willing to step out in faith and walk into that difficult situation. The impossible place became the opportunity for God to show forth His mighty power and love for His people. Just as it was for Israel, it will also take the intervention of God if we are to have the things that God has appointed us to. Will you begin to ask God for His promises to be fully realized in your life? Will you allow Him to take you to the places of impossibility so that you can come to know that your Friend will not let you down? (Romans 4:13-14; Matthew 17:20; 19:16; 10:27; Luke 1:37) God wants to teach us that we can trust Him and that not one of His promises will fail us.

Expect a Miracle!

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org