For Everything

"God is looking for radical believers."

WHEN MY DOG got older, she developed some gastrointestinal problems which required walking by faith. I’ve had a lot of dogs in my lifetime and have seen them pass away in many tragic ways. With Ginger, I decided there would be peace, without sickness or loss of appetite. And facing it, I had to change my confession. For what we say that we believe will come to pass.

It started with my dog and has expanded into my life, in general. During the recent pandemic, I decided that that disease would not come here. Not in my household, not to my family. Two of us work in retail, in the public. I didn’t let that affect my thinking. Psalm 91 says no plague will come near my dwelling, so no plague will come near my dwelling. I didn’t shift from that. I did take some precautions, but truthfully, when the pandemic began to ease, though everyone else they worked with caught it, no one in my household did. They used the same equipment, handled the same office telephones, shared the same air, but were in complete health.

God’s Word works, and He wants us to use it to see the trouble before it starts. We haven’t stretched our faith that far. We’re prepared to believe He will get us out of the hole, but what if we never fell in the hole to start with? Because that is God’s desire for us. He loved us so much He became a human and died to rescue us from the work of the enemy. And sickness, injury, pandemic, poverty, loss of income, job turmoil, marital strife, lost children, all are the work of the enemy.

We must stop giving the devil a foothold by saying, “Everyone catches this,” or “I’m just human, and some things you can’t avoid,” or, “The devil is on the earth, so stuff happens.” Stop. All of it. Jesus defeated the devil so that we can live safe and well and with enough to live content, to quote the apostle Paul (1 Timothy 6:8). We need never lack, never stumble and stump our toe (Psalm 91:12), never have a bad investment, or a stock that fails, never make an error in judgment even. It is possible to walk in the Spirit, listening to the Spirit, and not make mistakes.

We should not beat ourselves up when we do mess up. God sent Jesus to bring forever forgiveness. That is the heart of the gospel story. But when we will start believing for greater discernment, to walk in God’s wisdom, and to actually not fail, we will take hold of the vision of Christ. The Word says we can go from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Not glory to mudhole. We can climb as high in God as we desire to climb. We are spiritual beings born into a spiritual kingdom. There are infinite revelations for us to receive and no end to God’s good promises.

“Those who open their minds to the Spirit of God have their minds enlightened with God’s values, principles and perspectives, and are able to discern and make accurate assessments about all things.” (1 Corinthians 2:15, Remedy)

I have had enough of the devil in any area of my life and have decided to believe God FOR EVERYTHING. My older dog passed away at age 13, neither sick nor hungry, just as I’d said. She was mine, and I have a covenant with Jehovah. She didn’t have to be sick, and so she wasn’t. He also healed her of a skin problem she’d had most of her life. It didn’t bother her at all for the last year of her life, and she did not need medication. This is just a simple explanation. What God will do for my dog, He will do for me. It does not make one dab of difference that there is a devil. He has no authority here.

Let’s raise the stakes and live the Bible stories. Let’s stop discussing how Peter walked on water and began to sink, then using that as an excuse to stay in the boat. Let’s be willing, like him, to climb out at the height of the storm. Let’s change our confession and say aloud, “I will not stumble into any trap of the enemy for You, Lord, are my wisdom and discernment. I will not catch any virus or disease just because ‘it is out there,’ but I walk safely, protected by the Most High. The enemy can’t steal my peace of mind, can’t raid my pocketbook through any calamity, and for everything I face I have a solution and anything I need to overcome it.”

“So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby—then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory.” (Psalms 3:5 TPT)

“The Lord will keep watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time and for ever.” (Psalm 121:8 BBE)

Stop saying you’re too old and this is “just what happens when people age.” Moses was 120 and “his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deuteronomy 34:7).” Caleb entered the Promised Land to take possession of his portion at age 85! Abraham had a son when he was … well, you get the idea.

I have a project for you. Sit down with a pencil and paper and write down what to you is “exceedingly abundantly above,” then believe for it (Ephesians 3:20). God is looking for radical believers. As much as we will ask Him for in faith, believing in His goodness and His trustworthiness, He will do for us, and even greater—He’ll one-up our dream. His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). We must lift our gaze and stop expecting a spoonful when He wants to give us an entire river. We must stop giving the devil a toehold in our words. “Oh, she won’t see this coming.” Yes, she will, stupid fathead devil, because greater is God in me than anything you can come up with.

I not only will not fall into his trap. I will see it miles ahead. And I know for whatever I may face, the Spirit of God goes before me and comes after me. As long as I stay in tune with Him, as long as His voice is my priority, then there is nothing for me to worry about. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing.” We must know there is an enemy. We cannot live in ignorance. We must know he has strategies (deceptions) to use against us. But we must know Jesus gave us authority (exousia) over the power (ability, dunamis) of the enemy. Then He sent the Holy Spirit as the dunamis of God to be in us and upon us.

We have nothing to fear. What we must do is speak the Word on a good day that we will never have another bad day and believe it.

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:8)

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)

Image by Enoch111 from Pixabay


----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com