Today we continue our series entitled, “Press through it! Last week I taught a message from Hebrews 10:35,36. I want us to go back to this passage again today. Let’s look at it from the Amplified Bible.
(Heb 10:35,36 Amplified Bible)
Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.
I also want to us to take a look at John 10:10. Let’s look at it from two different translations:
(John 10:10 New International Version)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10 The Passion Translation)
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!
So what does this mean to you today? I am only going to give you three things today. I want you to meditate and medicate on the verses I provided. Let’s get into these three things.
1. God wants us to die empty. God wants us to pour-out everything He deposited down inside of us while we are in the land of the living. It is the will of God that we complete our divine assignment before we die. The text says, “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God…” God wants us to “fully” accomplish what He sent us into this world to accomplish and to get it done before we die. In order to do so, the text says that we need patience. The word translated patience here is a Greek word that literally means, “the force of consistency.” If you want to complete your divine assignment before you die you are going to have to be consistent. Bad things will happen. Opposition will come. People and circumstances will change on you at the last minute. But you cannot change. You must believe God and remain consistent, day-in and day-out. This is the only way you will arrive at God’s overall expected end for your life.
2. God wants you to have and enjoy life. The writer of Hebrews told us that if we operate in faith and patience we will “receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” Jesus Himself said, “I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!” Paul taught us that God gives us, “all things richly to enjoy.” It is clear that God is not opposed to you having and enjoying life. The issue is not with God. The issue is with us. The only way we are going to have the life God destined us to have, and to enjoy life along the way (as we seek to perform His will before we die), is if we remain consistent, steadfast and unwavering in our resolve to live by faith. Challenges will come. People will rise up against you. But you have to press through it. You have to endure. You have to overcome. Jesus already overcame for us. Our job is not to obtain the victory. Jesus already did it. Our job is to receive and walk in the victory Jesus already provided. It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it.
3. God is a God of overflow. Everyone wants overflow, but many lack the resiliency required to get to that point in their lives. It is clear from several scriptures that God is not opposed to you having and enjoying life. God is not opposed to you walking in overflow. God actually wants you to have a surplus and excess, because true ministry takes place out of our overflow. When you have an overflow of love you can give love away. When you have an overflow of peace, God can use you to minister peace to those who lack it. When you have an overflow of finances, God can use you to fund Kingdom projects. But you won’t focus on giving love is you are struggling with love yourself. You won’t be concerned with ministering peace if you are searching for peace in your heart. You won’t ever fund Kingdom projects if you cannot even pay your own bills. This is why our God is a God of overflow. He is not opposed to you having more-than-enough of everything. There is no lack in God. But God also requires us to live by faith in order to get to that point. Not just faith, but faith and patience. We must operate in faith and we cannot allow circumstances or situations to cause us to give up on what God said. The text says that if we hold on long enough we will “receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.”
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for wanting me to have and enjoy life TO THE FULL! Jesus came that I would not must have life, but that I would enjoy it. It is Your desire that I have and enjoy life, to the FULL, until it overflows! To do so I know I must operate in both faith and patience. I declare that I have the faith to believe everything You have promised me. And I have the patience to endure long enough to see Your promises come to pass. Living this way, I declare what the writer of Hebrews decreed. I will “receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it 0and prosper!
