Today we continue our series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 19.
We have been looking at the Parable of the Sower. For the past few messages we have been looking at the thorny ground in the passage. Let’s get back to it again today. Jesus said:
“Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.” (Mark 4)
For days now we have been focused in on the line, “the worries of this life,” or as other translations read, “the cares of this world.” Today we flow in that same vein with a message about taking God at His Word and entering into His rest.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- When God gives you a Word, He expects you to take Him at His Word. He is good for it. When you release faith in what God said, you are demonstrating your confidence that He will do what He said He would do.
- You must resist the urge to take on “care” while you are waiting on God. Most of the time there is a space between the promise you get from God and the performance of it. In the space between the promise and the performance satan will do all he can to get you to take on “the cares of this world.” The enemy does this, because as Jesus explained in this parable, the cares of this world can choke-out the Word from working in your life. Satan does not want to see God’s promises come to pass for you, and he knows he cannot stop God. But he also knows that if he can get you frustrated, distracted, unfocused, and full of fear/doubt/unbelief/worry then you may not see God’s promise come to pass. And it had nothing to do with God or His faithfulness. It had everything to do with you, and your failure to walk and live by faith. This is why it is so critically important that you protect your mind and your heart. You must remain IN-FAITH throughout the space between the promise and the performance. If you do, the following will be written in your life’s story: AND IT CAME TO PASS!!! I love those five words. I love saying that God’s promise CAME TO PASS in my life. Hold on! Remain in faith. It SHALL come to pass!
- When you have confidence in God, you believe His Word is good, and you start to make decisions and perform actions based on what He said, that is called FAITH and this is how we are supposed to live!
- Living by faith means you are living by God’s Word, you have the confidence to take Him at His Word, and you resist every inkling to fear, doubt or worry in the process.
- We are called and commanded to walk and live by faith. True faith has a rest component to it. When you are in-faith you are also in-rest, knowing that God already did what He said He was going to do. He did it by His unearned grace. He did it from the foundations of the world. He did it within the halls of eternity and it simply has not manifested itself in time yet. Living by faith means you believe God’s promise is already done in heaven and the manifestation of it in the earth is merely a matter of time.
- Receiving God’s peace is great, but entering into God’s rest takes you to another level. When you enter into God’s rest concerning something, then that’s it! As far as you are concerned, it’s a done deal. No matter how long it actually takes to manifest in the earth, you know the matter is settled in heaven and you are not moved by anything you see. When you live this way you do not allow “the cares of this world” to choke out the Word.
- Once you enter into God’s rest, the pressure of the situation has no power over you. You don’t take on any care because you are confident in God and what He said. The enemy can try, but the pressure he attempts to put on you, while you are waiting on God, is resisted because you have entered into God’s rest concerning it. This is a picture of how we are supposed to live.
- Once you enter into God’s rest you feel no “pressure to perform” to earn it or deserve it. You simply believe for it. You know God’s blessing is not contingent upon your goodness. God blesses you because He is good, not because you are. That’s grace!
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is tied to Your Word. I take You at Your Word Father. Your Word is good with me. If You tell me something, then as far as I am concerned, it is already done! This is how I live by faith. This is how I am called to live. And living this way, I get to enter into Your divine rest. I resist the pressure to perform. I don’t take on any pressure to attempt to work for it or earn it. I resist every inkling of fear, doubt and unbelief. I enter into Your rest. No more sleepless nights for me! I rest in You, trust in You and believe in You. I will accomplish all You have called me to do; not by my power, but only by Your amazing grace! I live stress-free, worry-free and carefree! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
