A quote worth considering:
"It is possible to be saved, called, and chosen of God, yet live like the children of Israel, to live and die without ever entering into your promised inheritance. It is possible for your entire Christian walk to be one of wondering and wavering, trials and temptations, never knowing exactly where you are or where you are going." ~ Jim Richards ~ Taking the Limits Off God
Now...I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a fruitful way to live. Always striving. Always questioning. Always wondering if God is going to "show up". However, many believers live in this perception. Their circumstances have become much louder and much more visible than the promises of God. Not only that, but due to this perception (which becomes their reality), the presence of God seems far away.
In this mindset, faith becomes a work rather than a lifestyle. When the norm of our Christian life is simply waiting for God to "break through", we fail to recognize the reality of His presence. 2 Peter 1:3 assures us that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence". The moment we allow these words to be established in our hearts, the easier we will be able to speak to our circumstances instead of allowing them to speak to us.
A lot of the teaching/preaching on this subject rather than fuel our faith can cause it to falter. We place all of the things we need somewhere outside of our reach. Sermon titles such as "Getting Your Next Breakthrough" or "Expecting Your Next Miracle" will always place your hope in the future rather than in your present. It will also cause you to view things from the mindset of poverty instead of abundance. My friend, God wants you to live in the reality of His presence. He wants you to view things from a fulfilled covenant mindset rather than a futuristic one. It may take a little work on your part but in the end you will discover a faith attitude that you did not realize existed.
Allow me to share some things that helped me in this journey:
#1 - Firmly Establish Yourself in the Love & Goodness of God
When I talk to people who are struggling to see God in their circumstances, it doesn't take long to discover what is really going on. The question that tends to come up is "I know God loves me but why...?" This mentality needs to go and never return. Jesus taught His disciples a very valuable lesson when He said "If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?" (Matthew 7:11). This is an abiding truth for every child of God. When you learn to firmly establish yourself in the love and goodness of God then you will not allow your circumstances to sway your feelings. Not only that, but you will stop asking for things that you already have in Him. Take some time to read through the names of God. They reveal His character - which does not change - and you will begin to understand the heart of your Heavenly Father.
#2 - Allow the Promises of God to Fight For You Not Against You
Let me explain. The common problem for most people is that they will place their circumstances against the promises of God and immediately believe that the promise doesn't line up. What happens next is we put ourselves in a position of lack and misunderstanding. The proper way of handling any situation is to take the problem - hold it up against the promises of God - and recognize that it is the problem that isn't lining up. Therefore, the problem needs to change NOT the promise. Make sense? Our circumstances cannot be allow to dictate the promises of God in our life. The Bible clearly tells us that the "promises of God are YES and AMEN in Christ." God doesn't repeal His "yes" or His "amen" because we have a difficulty. Those things are firmly established in Jesus. You get to take God's promises and fight against the problem. Remember, you are fighting from victory - not for it.
#3 - Always Live in the Reality of His Presence
The Holy Spirit indwelling your life means something very significant. It means that He never leaves you and He never forsakes you. In the midst of difficulties, He is with you. Every problem that you face, you do not face alone. The reality of His presence will keep you from feeling isolate. It will keep you from wondering where God is at during your trials. What you need to do right now is practice His presence every day so that when problems arise you aren't trying to figure it out. Do whatever you need to do. Get alone in a quiet place. Put on some worship music. Pray and/or read the Bible. Give Him an opportunity to speak to you. Feel His presence within you. Allow Him to demonstrate to you JUST HOW REAL He is in you. This is something every believer should practice regardless of what they are going through because it will move their faith into the spirit realm rather than focusing on the mind or the flesh.
If I could add one more thing it would be this: REST!!!
The Bible teaches us that there is only one thing we need to labor into and that is rest. Resting in Him means that we completely trust His nature. It means that we have learned the the grace of God is sufficient in our lives. It means that we don't have to figure it out, we don't have to strive, and we don't have to make things happen. We are learning to discover the reality of God in our lives and how to approach life through Him. We are becoming confident in who He is and who we are in Him. We will learn how to throw worry out the window, pray from a place of provision rather than lack, and we will not freak out because things aren't going the way we planned.
Life is a journey and every journey has mountain tops and valleys. You will learn how to walk through them all. You get to establish the norm of your faith. And you will discover what it means to "count it all joy" regardless of what life throws in your direction. Be blessed.
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