Oh, the beauty of Jesus! The more we see of Him and His finished work, the more we love Him with an ever-increasing passion. As we feast on His great love for us, His goodness in our lives becomes boundless. He is always giving to us, and our hearts cannot but help responding with an overflowing gratitude.
For years He has been revealing to me the extravagant provision of being “in Christ.” Jesus is the provision of the Father; there is no blessing that is gained apart from Him. There is no other thing, person, possession that is given to be an eternal source to every believer who will exist in Him. In Him, we live, move and have our beings. The health of our bodies, our souls and prosperity of our lives is sourced from being “in Christ.”
“‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring'” (Acts 17:28).
In a recent episode of the Revealing Jesus podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network, Christina Perera reminds listeners Jesus is every provision we need today.
When we understand through revelation that Jesus is the source of our lives, it does not matter what is happening around us, we will prosper in spite of it. This is how we become like the tree planted by the river continuously producing fruit despite negative circumstances.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green, and it shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8).
My desire is for you and every believer to prosper in all situations and circumstances in spite of what our natural circumstance may resemble. My prayer and declaration since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has been that even in this we will prosper as a ministry, a family and a nation. The Bible also says that in this world we will face trials and tribulations, but be assured we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. From here we can pray from victory because you already have it in Jesus. For every believer your righteous identity exists in Christ Jesus alone, completely apart from the circumstances of the world.
“For whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that overcomes the world is our faith” (1 John 5:4).
We overcome the world through our faith in Christ alone. Through our faith in our new identity, seated with Him in heavenly places, blessed with every blessing based on what He has accomplished for us. Be encouraged; Jesus has given Himself to the utmost for your eternal supply and security. I love the imagery David uses in Psalm 23 when he describes the feast to which God has invited us all in Jesus! I love that in the midst of our enemies, God Himself prepares a table before us; it is not in the absence of our enemies that we feast but in the midst.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23).
This beautiful psalm is a picture of Jesus and the holy communion under the new covenant of grace. The feast we have been invited into is the provision of Jesus! Eat of His broken body for your healing, drink of His blood for the permanent cleansing of your soul. Come and be made right in a manner that is only attainable by intimate knowledge and association with the eternal Christ. What joy Jesus has, what prosperity He has in His soul, and in Him all good exists.
“All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created” (John 1:3).
The Creator of all things is the life giver; where do you need life today? Your prayers do not twist the arm of God to provide for you because He has already given us His best: His beloved Son! The Lord asks us to pray in faith, knowing He has provided. Faith is being sure of the substance already. Our prayers should be more like, “Oh thank you, God, that You have provided,” not “Oh God, please provide.” The truth is that “in Christ,” you already have what you need! Seeing this allows you to declare what you need in faith, knowing you already have of God what you have asked.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24, NIV).
Our understanding of God’s goodness and willingness to provide is also vital to our understanding. For He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31-32, MEV).
Come to Him, knowing all the promises of God in Him are yes, and we have our amen. What a beautiful Savior, what a bounty set before our eyes, what a feast we have been given to enjoy in the presence of our enemies! Truly “in Christ” goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. It is my hope and prayer that God will grant to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand what it means to be in Christ.
For more on how the abundant life is yours when you entrust your life to Him, listen to the full episode here. {eoa}
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