Warriors Arise: April 23, 2021
Daniel 6:23 (NKJV) 23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
There are a number of times in the Bible, especially when Jesus was healing people, blind eyes see, deliverance takes place that Jesus said, "Your faith has made you well." "Anything is possible for those who believe." Most of us would like to think we believe. We believe God can do the impossible. Which leads to the question: then why isn't the impossible happening?
I definitely do not want you to feel condemnation from this; but if Holy Spirit convicts you then I hope you will listen to His leading and seek the Lord of how to grow your faith. The first step is to recognize your faith in God is not where in needs to be for your to live as and overcomer, the victor, and be triumphant in battle.
Jesus confronts the father of the boy who constantly threw himself in the fire or in water. You might have read this before and thought, "Jesus is being so heartless." On the contrary it is the father who is without heart, without passion, without belief in what Jesus could and would do for those who believed. When Jesus heard the father's plight, how does He respond?
Mark 9:19-24 (NKJV) 19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
When Holy Spirit brings to your attention, maybe by reminding you of Jesus' response, "If you can believe, Veridee."
How should I respond?
Should I argue?
Get mad at God?
List all the things I do in service to God?
Explain why I need Him to intervene with a miracle?
Leave the fellowship of believers?
Resign from my service positions?
How many times have Christians turn their backs on God because they got offended that He address their lack of faith? How many times have you turned your back on God when He addressed the activation of His miracle was in conjunction with your ability to believe He could and that He would act on your behalf? We would like to think, "It isn't so!"
"I have never turned my back on God."
"I have never walked away from my calling."
"I have never lost my passion to serve in the body of Christ."
"I have never left the fellowship of my Christian family."
But it is true. We all have been disappointed in the answer we have gotten, a hardship in life we have had to be cast into like Daniel in the lions' den, or Joseph in the pit and on into slavery. However, for those who will believe God can bring them through any situation nor matter how devastating it might be, will see deliverance through His love, healing through His power, and life begin where dreams were destroyed.
It was a difficult word for the father to hear, but Jesus doesn't mince words. He addressed the problem because He needed the man to respond appropriately. He needed the man to deal with his unbelief. Why?
Matthew 13:53-58 (NKJV) Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
If Jesus didn't deal with the father's unbelief, He might have been prevented from bringing deliverance to his son. However, this passage in Matthew 13 brings up another area in which we can become faithless. When we are unbelieving we can prevent God from releasing miracles into our lives. Why did the people of Jesus' hometown get offended? Think about this for a moment. If you need to, reread the passage above.
What is a way we can be offended with God? This offense can cause us to prevent God from delivering the miracle we need.
We can get complacent, apathetic because we have because we think we know God when we really have no clue who He is, what He can do and why He wants to be involved in our lives. Don't you think of all the places Jesus wanted to bring the kingdom of heaven was to His hometown? He had seen these people struggle all their lives. Now that the Father had said He could release the kingdom of heaven, demonstrate the love of the Father through healing, deliverance, and empowerment over the enemy, He couldn't wait to share this with them. The very people who should have been supportive of Him were the ones who couldn't because they were too familiar with Him. Are you too familiar with God? Thinking You know Him when you really only know bits and pieces. The things you know and believe about God hold you back from the fullness of the freedom God has for you instead of bringing you the freedom your heart desires. They could only see Jesus in human terms. They couldn't see Him from God's perspective. Do you see God from human abilities instead of supernatural capabilities?
Daniel came through the lions' den without a scratch, because he believed in his God.
Father, You are amazing in all of Your ways. My mind is challenged to embrace the fullness of what You offer. I ask for You to minister to my mind. I do not want to be familiar with You in human terms and understanding. I want to embrace all that You are as my God and my Savior. I want do not want to prevent You from releasing the miracle You desire to give me. I position myself before You. I ask for You to open my heart as I ask, "Help my unbelief." I ask for You to open my mind I ask ask, "Help me see You as God, the one and only who can free me from the bondage of unbelief, sin and oppression." I lift up the name of Jesus and praise Your Holy Name. I invited Holy Spirit to speak to me, reveal if I have an area in my life where I do not have faith to believe You will provide the miracle I need. You are my God. There is no other. I will seek You for my faith to grow in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.