This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with an emphasis on “Focusing on God’s Finished Work”. As I prayed over what to share with you this morning, I was led to Ecclesiastes 3:15. The Amplified Bible version of this verse reads, “That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].” This verse lines up perfectly with what I have been teaching you on God’s Finished Work. God’s plans for your life are already done. The path to your purpose is already mapped out. So if the Lord made plans for you from the foundations of the world (and He did), the only way to experience true success is by discovering those plans and aligning your life with them.
Let’s go back to what the Lord said through Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:15. Solomon teaches us that everything that “is” today — everything you can see around you, everything going on in your life — has ALREADY BEEN. That’s already a lot to wrap your mind around. But if that were not enough, Solomon then tells us that everything that “will be” in our future — those things that have not happened yet in the earth — have also ALREADY BEEN! The text says that God is seeking that which has passed by (in eternity, in His realm, in His plans, in His mind), so that history can repeat itself.
The best way I can explain what Solomon is teaching is this: God mapped out your entire life before you were born, He then rewound the tape and pressed play. When God looks at you today He is looking for what He planned. God is looking for divine history (which is actually His Story) to repeat itself in your life. Faith then, is not about you coming up with a laundry list of things you want and laying them out before God like He is Santa Claus. No, faith is about discovering what God already planned for your life, what He already prepared for you by His unearned grace, and then making decisions that align with God’s plans. This is why spiritual perception is so critical. If you can’t SEE or HEAR in the Spirit you don’t know what to ask for when you pray. Even worse, you run the risk of pursuing something that is NOT yours; you run the risk of spending time, energy and effort pursuing things that don’t align with God’s plans for your life.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God made plans for you before you were born. Therefore, you cannot find success outside of those plans. His plans are His finished work. Your success is connected to those plans.
2. Success for the believer cannot be measured in money, houses, cars or land. Success can only be measured in divine purpose.
3. God already stored up everything you need to complete your divine assignment. He did this by His unearned and amazing grace. You did nothing to work for it and He is not looking for your to attempt to deserve it. God is simply looking for your faith to receive it. God’s grace for your success is already there. The question is, will your faith be there?
4. Where there is no grace there can be no faith. Faith begins where the will of God is known. In order to release faith you must be able to discern what God has already given you by grace.
5. Faith peers into God’s realm (eternity), from our realm (time), and then comes back and makes decisions based on what was seen.
6. Faith enables a believer to live on earth, informed by heaven, so we can experience heaven on earth.
I will stop here for today and continue in this vein tomorrow.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I have brought my life into focus in 2016. You have taught me about the plans You made for me before the world began. You then taught me to SEE and HEAR in the Spirit. My success is connected to Your plans for my life. The only way I can succeed in this world is by FINDING, FOLLOWING and ultimately FINISHING Your purpose. I declare that I will! I am born from above. Your Spirit lives IN me. I am no longer limited to operating as a mere man. I am a God-man. You gave me Your Spirit so I could SEE and HEAR You! I am able to peer into heaven, from the earth, so Your will can be done, on earth, as it is in heaven, through ME! I enter this day determined to LIVE OUT what You already planned! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
