Philippians 1:19..."for I am well assured and indeed know that through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) this will turn out for my preservation (for the spiritual health and welfare of my own soul and avail toward the saving work of the Gospel"
This morning I want to focus on the word...bountiful.
This word means bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, free, freehanded, freehearted, fulsome, liberal, munificent, open, openhanded, unselfish, unsparing, unstinting.
The reason this word ministered to me today because of the current battle that I am in for my and my husband's health. We can grow weary in our "good fight of faith", and there are times (like late last night) when the symptoms are screaming that they will never be conquered.
We awake physically and emotionally drained, and the temptation is just to give up and give in. Oh, that foul devil!! He comes to make our God seem so small, so ineffective, so unwilling to aid us in the difficult times of standing our ground as we use our God-given faith against him.
Mark 4 says that satan comes to steal the Word out of our hearts. Why does he want to do this? Why does he fight us so hard? Because he "knows" Jesus...the Living Word. He knows that we get ahold of the Truth, that Truth WILL set us free from ALL of his wiles, deceits, diseases and sorrows.
Oh, I was struggling this morning. I found myself just wanting to sink into the anger of my failure to produce the results I want, the self-pity that digs its claws into the soul, and the pit of hopelessness. I opened my Bible, began to read, closed it several times, but kept opening it.
I came across Psalms 27:13 AGAIN.
"what would have become of me had I not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"?
Why does satan come after the Word? Because the Word produces faith. Jesus our faith is what we have been given to overcome. Then I went to Ephesians and Colossians and found the above scripture.
What we HAVE in Jesus is bountiful!
We have been given a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
We have been given an OPEN HANDED blessing of His Presence.
We HAVE with us the assurance that our situation will turn out for preservation and the welfare of our soul.
Oh, I had to go to Ephesians and renew my mind. I had to rebuke and turn from the snares of the devil (self-pity, anger, fear, hopelessness). I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW that Jesus IN ME will not fail.
His loving, open Hand of grace will see me through to victory.
Hey!!! This is for you, too!
When you feel that you have failed - you haven't.
You cannot fail unless there is no other way.
Jesus IS the WAY!
He is our Waymaker!
He will show us the Way through those precious promises.
Touch those Healing Hands of grace and mercy today.
Hold on tight, dear one!
His Hands will NOT let us be defeated.
Your name and my name is written there.
Loving Him and you,
Charlotte
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