This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.” Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
Read Luke 5:1-11, 2 Kings 4:1-7, and John 6:1-15
We have been looking at the story in Luke 5 for a few days. Today I will add two more passages to it. I will reference 2 Kings 4:1-7 and John 6:1-15. The overall theme will be about believing God for supernatural provision.
Here’s a quick recap of Luke 5. Simon worked hard all night fishing, and he had nothing to show for it. All his human effort yielded a return of ZERO. In the morning, while cleaning his nets and getting ready to go home, Jesus walked up to him and asked him for help. Simon gave Jesus his time, talent, and treasure. Jesus received it and performed ministry. Afterward, Jesus offered Simon an opportunity to reap a harvest on the seed that was sown. Jesus told Simon to launch out into the deep water and let down his “nets” for a catch.
Simon was not truly convinced. He did not plan for the supernatural. He launched out with only one net, not the “nets” Jesus told him to cast. Simon put that single net into the water, and it was like the fish were jumping into it. There were so many fish that the net began to break, and the boat began to sink. This was a net-breaking, boat-sinking load of fish! But if Simon had put more nets in the water, he would have received a larger catch. If he had planned better, if he truly believed what Jesus said, if he had the faith to truly prepare for the supernatural, this story would be even more amazing.
In 2 Kings 4, there was a woman whose husband had served the prophet Elisha. Her husband died and left her in debt. The debtor was coming, and if the woman did not have the money to pay her debt, the debtor was going to take her two boys and make them slaves. She asked Elisha what to do. Elisha, the prophet, asked her what she had. See, God is always looking to work with what you have. For Simon, it was his nets. For this woman, it was a jar of oil. That’s all she had, so thats what God worked with.
The prophet told the woman to gather as many pots as she could. He told her to borrow pots and to borrow as many as possible. He said, “Don’t borrow a few.” This woman did not know what was going to happen, but she had to prepare for the supernatural. She did what the prophet directed her to do. She borrowed as many pots as she could.
The prophet then told the woman to lock herself in her house with her boys, to lay out all the pots, and to begin to pour oil from their SINGLE JAR into the pots. Like the case with Simon, who had toiled all night long, this made no sense, but they did it by faith. They filled pot, after pot, after pot, after pot, supernaturally. Every time her boys brought a new pot, the oil kept flowing. The SINGLE JAR did not run out of oil until they ran out of pots! The supply did not stop until the demand stopped. Once again, if Simon had more nets, he would have caught more fish.
The prophet then told the woman to sell the oil and return the pots. With the money she made selling the oil, she was able to pay off her debt, and she had so much money left over that she and her boys lived off the rest. This is a picture of supernatural provision, and it is one where you plan for the supernatural.
In John 6, when Jesus asked Philip where they could get bread to feed the crowd, the analytical disciple did the math and calculated that it would take eight months’ wages to buy enough bread for each person to get just one bite. He was trying to figure out how much WORK (or human effort) it would take to finance God’s will. The Bible says that Jesus already knew what He would do. Jesus knew that He could not accomplish everything He was born to accomplish in 3 1/2 years of ministry if he had to rely on human effort and hard work to PAY for everything. What Philip said would take eight months of work was accomplished in eight seconds of faith.
So what does this mean for you today? I will attempt to give you things you can apply from all of this.
1. God wants you to see Him as your source, and He also expects you to factor in His supernatural power!
Do you believe God is your source? If so, are you believing God to provide for you supernaturally (beyond your human effort), or are you expecting to live your life like those who do not know God? In other words, do you have supernatural expectations where your provision is concerned (especially now, when all the experts say a recession is coming), or do you look at your financial situation like everyone else, even those who do not know God? God wants you to believe Him to do things that only He can do. This applies to life-threatening diseases, but it also applies to your provision.
2. God has the supply, but do you have the faith-based demand?
— The issue is never with God’s supply. God always has more than enough. The issue is always with our demand. Our faith puts a demand on God’s grace.
— If we don’t have any demand, we will fail to access God’s limitless supply.
— When God is moving, the supply does not stop until the demand stops. I have been places where the power of God to heal is flowing, and people come to the altar to receive their healing. The people “pull” on the anointing that is present. Their faith accesses God’s grace. But when the demand stops and no one is believing God anymore, the anointing “lifts.” This is what happened with the woman in 2 Kings 4. The oil was flowing until she ran out of pots. Once the demand stopped, the supply stopped. This also happened with Simon Peter. He only let down one net, so that is what God filled. If he had let down more nets, they would have ALL been filled.
— You are only limited by your capacity to believe God. God is a God of no limits, but you limit His operation in your life by your capacity to believe Him.
3. Faith prepares for the outpouring of God’s grace.
— When you plan for the supernatural, you start making preparations for God to do what you are believing Him to do. You may not know how He is going to do it. You may not know when His glory will be manifested. All you know is what you believe, and you start preparing, in faith, beforehand because you know it can happen at any time!
— You “say” you are actively believing God for this or that. I will then ask you for proof that you truly believe. The proof is in your preparation. If you are not preparing, then you are not truly believing, and you are not ready.
— What God has called you to do is much greater than anything you could ever work to attain or earn in this world.
4. Your work alone is not enough.
In John 6, when Jesus asked Philip where they could get bread to feed the crowd, the analytical disciple did the math and calculated that it would take eight months’ wages to buy enough bread for each person to get just one bite. He was trying to figure out how much WORK (or human effort) it would take to finance God’s will. I said earlier, “What Philip said would take eight months of work was accomplished in eight seconds of faith.”
— If you had to earn the money (by human effort alone, without the grace of God) to pay for God’s vision for your life, you would be too old by the time you raised the money.
— God’s provision is not just tied to your work. If it were, God would be limited by your paycheck. NO! God’s provision is tied to your faith. God is limitless, and what He wants to do in your life far exceeds your paycheck. That’s why He requires your faith! If you have the faith, He has the resources.
— Unfortunately, many churches don’t understand God’s provision, nor do they understand the Biblical principles of sowing and reaping. As a result, they attempt to fund God’s projects with human ability, power, and strength. This doesn’t work, and it is never God’s will. You can’t wash enough cars, fry enough fish, sell enough chicken or play enough Bingo to fund God’s vision. God’s vision is always greater than human effort. That’s why He is not asking you to pay for it. He is asking you to BELIEVE for it!
I will stop here and pick it up from here tomorrow.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
You are teaching me about miracles, and there are messages in each miracle. As I study the miracles, You are speaking to me about the supernatural things You want to do in my life this year. I declare that I believe You, and I OPEN MY HEART to what You want to do!
As proof of my belief, I plan and prepare for Your manifestation. I do everything I need to do to get ready for You to move. I don’t want to be the one holding You back. I plan, I prepare, I pray, and I position myself for the supernatural.
When I am ready, I enter every day with great expectations, knowing it can happen at any time!
Your supply is unlimited. I am growing my faith to the point where my demand (of faith) can pull on Your supply (of grace).
Whatever You call me to do, I know I have the grace to do it, and I know that since You gave me the vision, the provision is waiting on me. It is only a matter of time before I receive, on earth, what You have released for me from heaven.
I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
