GIVE ME YOUR WORD
Multitudes of Christians today are what I call “bread” believers—they live on bread alone, always asking God to prove His faithfulness. They have a hunger inside and they think they know what will satisfy it.
For most of my early years in ministry, I was a “bread” Christian. I had a deep hunger, driven by unexplainable need. When I thought I needed a new church, I got it! When I believed I needed a TV program, I got it! When I needed turn-away crowds, I got them! These were all good things in themselves, but I spent years praying, “God, prove Your power! I’m in debt, so send me money! Bless me, Lord! Bless my ministry! Answer my prayers! Let me prove to the world You have all power. Heal the sick to prove You are still the same today!”
So seldom does God find a Christian whose only goal in life is to know and to do His will—as Jesus did—and who never says, “God, where are You?” but instead prays, “God, where am I in this matter of obedience and dependence?”
When we stand before the judgment seat, we will not be judged by how many healings we’ve performed, or how many demons we’ve cast out, or how many prayers we’ve seen answered, or how many great works we’ve accomplished. We will be judged on our dependence on and obedience to His Word and to His will.
In our day and age, we have become very good at “commanding” God. We command the devil and demons; we command strongholds to fall. That is all good—but think about how often we cry out, “Oh, God! Command me! Tell me what to do. Show me how to do Your will, how to obey every word out of Your mouth.”
Through everything, God is saying to us, “I want to be your only supply, your only hope. I want to be your only object of trust.” My cry is, “Oh, God, You take care of the money. Just give me Your mind. You take care of my health, my family, my needs—just give me Your Word.”
For most of my early years in ministry, I was a “bread” Christian. I had a deep hunger, driven by unexplainable need. When I thought I needed a new church, I got it! When I believed I needed a TV program, I got it! When I needed turn-away crowds, I got them! These were all good things in themselves, but I spent years praying, “God, prove Your power! I’m in debt, so send me money! Bless me, Lord! Bless my ministry! Answer my prayers! Let me prove to the world You have all power. Heal the sick to prove You are still the same today!”
So seldom does God find a Christian whose only goal in life is to know and to do His will—as Jesus did—and who never says, “God, where are You?” but instead prays, “God, where am I in this matter of obedience and dependence?”
When we stand before the judgment seat, we will not be judged by how many healings we’ve performed, or how many demons we’ve cast out, or how many prayers we’ve seen answered, or how many great works we’ve accomplished. We will be judged on our dependence on and obedience to His Word and to His will.
In our day and age, we have become very good at “commanding” God. We command the devil and demons; we command strongholds to fall. That is all good—but think about how often we cry out, “Oh, God! Command me! Tell me what to do. Show me how to do Your will, how to obey every word out of Your mouth.”
Through everything, God is saying to us, “I want to be your only supply, your only hope. I want to be your only object of trust.” My cry is, “Oh, God, You take care of the money. Just give me Your mind. You take care of my health, my family, my needs—just give me Your Word.”