Grace and Truth (Part 66): What You Need Has Already Been Provided

by Rick

Today we continue our series entitled, “Grace and Truth” by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus.  Our main scriptures are John 1:14 & 17.  Let’s look at them again.

(John 1:14 New International Version)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John 1:17 New International Version)

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

After studying grace from the perspective of the Apostle Paul, it is good to see how this actually plays out in a person’s life.  Teaching principles and precepts are always good. But I like to add examples. With that in mind, yesterday we looked at the life and call of Jeremiah with an emphasis on God’s grace.  Today we will continue to flow in this vein.

The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I knew you.  Before you were born, I chose you for a special work. I chose you to be a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah responded, “But, Lord God, I don’t know how to speak. I am only a boy.”  The Lord then responded to him, “Don’t say, ‘I am only a boy.  You must go everywhere I send you and say everything I tell you to say.  Don’t be afraid of anyone. I am with you, and I will protect you.” (see Jer 1:5-8 ERV).  

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

1.  God had already prepared where Jeremiah needed to go.

a)  God said to Jeremiah, “You must go everywhere I send you.”  Jeremiah did not know what he needed to do as a prophet.  He did not know where he needed to go. But God did! God had already mapped out Jeremiah’s assignment.  The good news is that what is true for Jeremiah is true for you. The plan for your life was prepared before you ever lived one day (Palm 139:16).

b)  God anointed Jeremiah for a specific assignment.  The young man was equipped by God to go to specific people in order to communicate a specific message.  While Jeremiah did not know WHERE he was going, all he needed to know was WHO he was following. The same is true for us today.  You may not know where God is taking you, but God knows. Just as long as you know who you are following, you will be okay.

c)  Being led of God down the path to your destiny is amazing.  God won’t give you all the answers upfront. He will give you enough “light” to make the most of the season you are in, but He won’t always tell you what is down the road or around the corner.  This means you have to trust Him. If you do, if you learn to be led of God every day, in every way, you will wake up one morning and realize that your life did not turn out the way you planned, but it is far greater than anything you ever imagined.  

Isabella and I are a witness of this.  We arrived in the Northern Virginia area in 2010.  We thought we would be here for 2-3 years, retire, and move to Florida and start a church.  Along the way, God made it clear to us that He had other plans. We submitted. So when we retired from the Army in 2015, we knew were we not moving, but we were also not sure what we were going to do.  We prayed and we somewhat had plans. But once again, God’s plans are greater than ours. Solomon said it this way, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” (Prov 19:21).  If you are being led of God, and you are obedient to His leading (meaning that you will go wherever He tells you to go and do whatever He tells you to, even when it is NOT what you wanted), you will wind up living the life God planned for you before the world began.  It may not look anything like what you planned. But believe me, it will be far greater. Isabella and I laugh all the time about the fact that our life is not what we expected. It is far greater. It is God’s will. Please be open to it. God already prepared where you need to go and He has already given you the grace to do what you need to go when you get there!         

2.  God had already prepared what Jeremiah needed to say.

a)  God said to Jeremiah, “You must go everywhere I send you and say everything I tell you to say.”  The job of a prophet is to speak God’s words.  Jeremiah did not know what to say, but God knew.  All Jeremiah needed to do was open his mouth and allow God to provide the words.

b)  God had specific messages Jeremiah needed to deliver.  Like Jeremiah, God has specific things He has destined you to do.  Your job is to simply STOP fighting the process. Flow in God’s grace.  Submit to God’s will. Powerful things happen when you make a human alignment with God’s assignment for your life.

c)  Since Jeremiah was called to be a prophet, what he needed was words.  God had already provided the words. Jeremiah just needed to provide the mouth and the voice.  In your case, you may need more than words to do what God called you to do. But whatever it is (money, buildings, relationships, people, machinery, etc.), it is already stored up for you and your purpose.  God planned for your arrival. You are destined for such a time as this. As you are led of God’s Spirit, and you are obedient to His leading, you will gain access to everything you need to do what He called you to do.

3.  God had already prepared the protection Jeremiah would need along the way.

a)  Jeremiah was going to have to deliver messages people did not want to hear.  This could be dangerous. But since God was the one sending him to deliver the messages, God had already prepared Jeremiah’s protection.

b)  When you are doing the Lord’s work, never be afraid.  Where God leads, He feeds. Where He guides, He provides.  Where He sends, He protects. Walk into your destiny with fearless confidence.  If God is for you, He is more than the entire world against you! (Romans 8:31).

4.  Life is much better when you are living in alignment with God’s assignment.

a)  While millions of people are stressed out, trying to MAKE A LIFE for themselves on their own, with their own power, ability, and strength, God is looking for you to REST in His Finished Work!  If you ever get to this point, you will live a life that is far beyond anything you could ask, dream or even imagine (Eph 3:20).

b)  Instead of attempting to get God to provide for the plan you came up with, why don’t you try simply receiving what He has already provided?  Said another way, stop coming up with plans and then asking God to bless your plans. When you ask the Holy Spirit to show you the plans God already came up with for your life, you don’t have to ask God to bless it.  Because His plans are already blessed. The life of faith is not about you trying to get God to put a “YES” on your plans. The life of faith is about God trying to get you to put a “YES” on the plans He came up with for you, before the world began!    

Declaration of Faith

Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your amazing grace.  The more I learn about Your grace, the more I willingly die to self.  There was a time in my life when I made my own decisions, I pursued my own desires, and I chased my own dreams.  Living that way led to frustration. I now die to self. I yield to You. I pursue Your dreams for my life. I live in accordance with Your purpose.  I make decisions that line up with Your will. Living this way I get to enjoy everything You already prepared for me. I have and truly enjoy life now because I am not STRESSING anymore.  I am RESTING in Your Finished Work! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word.  Apply it and prosper!

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