SUPERABOUNDING

GOD’S SUPERABOUNDING GRACE FOR YOU :

2 CORINTHIANS 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

If you were in the same synagogue as the man with the withered hand (Luke 6:6–11), how would you see him and what do you think you would say to him?

Jesus was preaching in that synagogue when He saw the man with the withered hand. But He also saw superabounding grace around that hand for healing and wholeness. He sees differently from us. He sees the invisible. He sees that the kingdom of God is here, ever-present in any situation, with superabundant supply. We see only the visible, which is tangible, temporal and which seems so real to us.

But Jesus saw superabounding grace on that withered hand for healing because you do not tell a man with a withered hand, “Stretch out your hand,” unless you see the supply, the superabundance for wholeness for that hand. Jesus called forth the superabounding grace to envelop that man’s withered hand, and the hand was made whole.

It is possible for someone who is sick to have superabounding grace on him and yet that superabundance of grace does not heal his body. That is because he keeps acknowledging the lack or the problem he sees. He is more concerned with that which is visible and temporal.

Instead of calling forth, and acknowledging and confessing the superabundance of God’s grace, he confesses his negative circumstance all the time. So even though the superabounding grace is there, it is there in vain. Isn’t that sad?

Jesus called forth life, and life sprang into visibility. We must call forth what we want to see. Say, “Father, I thank You that right now, though my health is under attack, there is superabounding grace available for my healing and health. I call it forth and receive it now in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

My friend, don’t be conscious of what you see lacking or missing. Be conscious of God’s superabounding grace for you and avail yourself of it!

HEALING IS GOD'S WILL :

Matthew 8:2, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

Leprosy was a hated disease and its symptoms are described in detail in Leviticus 13:1-46. This leper believed Jesus could heal him, but doubted His willingness to heal him. Jesus showed him His willingness to heal, and since He is no respecter of persons, He established a precedent for us (Rom. 2:11). This leper did not know God's will concerning healing, but this is not the case with us. The Word of God is the will of God, and it reveals that it is always God's will to heal.

Isaiah 53:5, makes it clear that when Isaiah said "with his stripes we are healed", he was speaking of the physical healing of our bodies. Jesus provided for physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. The very word "save" (Gk.-"sozo") is translated "made whole" in reference to physical healing in Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, and Luke 8:48. James 5:15 says, "the prayer of faith shall save (Gk.-"sozo") the sick." Many scriptures mention the healing of our bodies in conjunction with the forgiveness of our sins. Healing is a part of our salvation, just as much as the forgiveness of our sins.

Nowhere do we find Jesus refusing to heal anyone. In light of Jesus' statement that He could do nothing of Himself, but only what He saw the Father do (Jn. 5:19 and 8:28-29), His actions are proof enough that it is always God's will to heal. There are certain things Jesus suffered for us that we should not suffer. Jesus died for our sins so that we would not have to pay for them (Rom. 6:23). Jesus took our sicknesses and diseases so that we could walk in health (Mt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus became poor so that we, through His poverty, might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9). If God be for us, then no one can successfully be against us.

The Lord has made every provision for you to walk in all He has provided for you today. Don't put it off a minute longer.

 JOB TITLES

For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith. —Ephesians 4:12-13

When the British Broadcasting Corporation asked for examples of important-sounding, obscure, and even bizarre job titles, one writer offered hers: Underwater Ceramic Technician. She was a dishwasher at a restaurant. Sometimes titles are used to make a job sound more important.

When the apostle Paul listed some of God’s gifts to the church in Ephesians 4:11, he did not intend for these to be understood as high-sounding job titles. All the parts of the body are necessary for the body to function properly. No one part is better than another.

What was of primary importance was the purpose of these gifts. They were “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to . . . the stature of the fullness of Christ” (vv.12-13).

It matters little what title we hold. What is important is that we strengthen the faith of God’s people. When we gauge our effectiveness by the standard that the Bible gives us, it will not matter when we are moved to another role or no longer hold a specific title. Out of love for God, we serve to build up fellow believers, and we let God give His commendation in heaven as He sees fit (Matt. 25:21).

Lord, please use me as Your instrument to touch others’ lives. Help me not to be concerned about what title I hold but instead that my life might show others Your grace.

God’s gifts to us are not for us but for others.

THE HEART OF THE MATTER :

For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7

Too often we ask God to fix the problems around us when what He really wants to do is solve the problem within us. I did that myself for years where my weight was concerned. I prayed and prayed for God to help me lose weight. Yet I experienced repeated failure. I lost literally hundreds of pounds, only to gain them right back again.

Finally one day, I made a firm decision. I told God, "I am not going one step further until I find out what to do about this!" Then I went on a fast, shut myself away from everyone, and determined to hear from God.

During that fast the Lord revealed the real source of my problem. He showed me that I wanted to lose weight, but I didn't want to permanently change my eating habits. I was like an alcoholic who wants to be able to drink constantly and not be affected by it. I wanted to eat nine times a day and still weigh 166 pounds!

Suddenly I realized God wasn't content simply to rid me of the extra pounds on the outside of me--He wanted to rid me of the sin of gluttony on the inside of me. So I repented of that sin right then and there. (It was then that I realized just how hard it is for a man who drinks to face the fact that he's an alcoholic. It hurts to admit something like that.) Then, instead of asking God for deliverance from my weight problem, I asked Him for deliverance from my food problem.

Sure enough, He did it.

If your prayers don't seem to be changing the problems around you, maybe it's time to take a look inside. Maybe it's time to ask God to go to work on the heart of the matter.

DON’T LET OFFENSE KEEPING U FROM GOD’S BEST :

Scripture tells us to forgive, but so many people have a hard time with it. So many people have misconceptions about forgiveness. Some people think they can’t forgive because it’s just “too difficult.” The hurt is too deep or the offense is too painful. But in reality, it’s more difficult for us when we choose not to forgive. The bitterness is not hurting the person who offended you; it is only embedding itself into your own heart and keeping you from God’s best. Bitterness and unforgiveness separate you from God. They block the flow of His blessing and hinder your prayers. But, choosing forgiveness opens the door of your heart and makes way for God to do a miracle in your life.

Many people know that in 1981 my mother-in-law, Dodie Osteen, was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the liver and was told she only had a few weeks to live. No medical treatments for the disease were available at that time, and the doctors told her there was nothing they could do. She and her husband, John, went home after they heard the report, got on their knees, and asked God for a miracle. Dodie did everything she knew in order to be in the position to receive her miracle. Anytime she shares her story, she talks about how one of the main keys for her to receive God’s healing was her willingness to let go of offenses and keep her heart clean through the power of forgiveness. She tells how she wrote letters of forgiveness to people—her husband, children, parents, or anyone she could think of that she might have offended or that might have offended her. She went the extra mile to make sure her heart was free of any offense that would have blocked God’s healing in her life. It took about a year of standing and fighting through all the symptoms, but she did receive her miracle healing and is still 100 percent cancer free today.

It’s important to recognize that forgiveness is more than mere words; it’s a heart attitude that induces a spiritual transformation. Sometimes we don’t necessarily feel like forgiving, but when we humbly obey God in this area, He will work a miracle in our lives. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what the other person did was right or excusable. It doesn’t mean that the incident didn’t matter. It simply means that you are trusting God to make up the difference and allowing Him to move you past your pain into your divine destiny. I’ve heard it said that forgiveness is setting the prisoner free and then realizing the prisoner was you. You can choose freedom today by choosing forgiveness.

Let me encourage you, if someone has wronged you and you still get that cringing feeling on the inside when you see or think about that person, take it to God and allow Him to keep your heart soft and sensitive. Don’t let offense keep you from His best. Instead, choose love, release it to God, and find healing through forgiveness!

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.” (Mark 11:25, AMP)