Increase Your Faith

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good. Proverbs 15:3 (NET)

Pastor’s Commentary:

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. Psalm 34:15 (NKJV)

“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NASB)

People say, “God can see everything”, and rightly so. He can. The question is, do most people truly believe that? Behavior is the best indicator of what one believes. If a person really believes that God’s eyes are on him or on her all the time, how should they act at all times?

How should the righteous act based on this knowledge? The righteous should be as bold as a lion, fearless, and indomitable! Why? Because, the Lord’s eyes are upon him. Consequently, she knows that wherever she goes, she is NEVER alone, NEVER without covering, NEVER without help, NEVER without favor. He knows that the Jehovah-Jireh is with him. Jehovah-Jireh literally means “God sees and He WILL provide”. Glory to God! How do I know that God will provide? I know He sees me, and since I know that God, who is Love sees me, He will not leave me without His powerful help and provision.

As believers, we often say that God loves us, and yet we tolerate the most horrendous of situations. We need to get the revelation that He sees us and that He will not leave us as helpless orphans.

Look at what the Apostle John said: This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And IF WE KNOW that He hears us in whatever we ask, WE KNOW that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1 John 5:14, 15 NASB, emphasis added) The source of our confidence is that we know He hears us, or we could say we know that He sees us. Therefore, you can boldly say, “I know I have what I have requested of God because I know He sees and hears me. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, that’s me! And, His ears are open to my cry.” Amen!

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You will not be afraid of sudden disaster, or when destruction overtakes the wicked; for the Lord will be the source of your confidence, and He will guard your foot from being caught in a trap. Proverbs 3:25-26 (NET)

Pastor’s Commentary:

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord…Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:5, 7 NKJV)

I believe one of Charles Dickens’s books begins with the phrase “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” This insightful statement sums up these current days, which are the last days on earth.

For some, particularly the Disciples of Christ, these days will be the most glorious and fabulous, but for the wicked and the unbelieving, they will be the absolute worst.

The word “wicked” comes from the same basic root word from which we get “wicker”. Wicker furniture consists of twisted pieces of wood. That’s what “wicked” means: twisted.

America and the nations of the world have become wicked or twisted. To twist something, one must have or had some knowledge of the truth. Godly marriage between a man and a woman, for instance, is a concept that has stood unchallenged for millennia, but today it is twisted on both the political right and left to satisfy fleshly desires. The Bible tells us that sudden destruction will overtake the wicked, so we shouldn’t be surprised by the horrors that have transpired or those yet to come upon these shores.

On the other hand, the Word of the Living God says to every believer: You will not be afraid of sudden disaster, or when destruction overtakes the wicked; for the Lord will be the source of your confidence, and He will guard your foot from being caught in a trap. In other words, in the midst of such tragedies, those who put their trust in God will not be visited by these misfortunes. Praise God!

Keep your trust (confidence) in the Lord by obeying His Word. Keep His Word in your heart and in your mouth. It is simply the wisest thing you can do.

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My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands within you, by making your ear attentive to Wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, indeed, if you call out for discernment – raise your voice for understanding – if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. Proverbs 2:1-5 (NET)

Pastor’s Commentary:

For the Lord gives Wisdom, and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6 NET)

It is an indisputable fact that God is the Source of ALL authentic Wisdom. According to 1 Corinthians 1:30, Father God has made Jesus Christ Wisdom for us. The point I am making is this: God has done His part in reference to Wisdom. Now, we must do ours.

Today, in my humble opinion, there is an overfocus on God’s responsibility in the Covenant and an underappreciation of the role that each of us must play. Although Wisdom is readily available to all, each of us must do something to tap into the awesome benefits thereof.

Proverbs 2 begins with the process for obtaining the benefits of Wisdom:

1. We must receive the Word of God and store His commandments within us.

This is a conscious act of will on our part. We have make up our minds to receive the implanted Word of God and keep Him (the Word) within us.

2. We must make our ears attentive to God’s Word and turn our hearts to understanding.

In Scripture, Jesus uses a recurring phrase and theme. He says many times, “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear…” Once again, this is a conscious act of will. The only people who can hear the Voice of God, which is the Voice of Wisdom, are those who make a decision to hear Him. Hearing God is NEVER accidental; it’s always deliberate.

3. We must call out for, or place a demand on Wisdom.

James 1:5 says, “But if anyone is deficient in Wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” In other words, to capitalize on Wisdom, one must call out for Him by asking in faith. Placing a demand on Wisdom when we are deficient in some way is paramount to receiving a timely and necessary word from God.

4. We must seek for Wisdom above all else.

God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Wisdom says, “I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently will find Me.” (Proverbs 8:17 NKJV)

The casual search for Wisdom always results in frustration. Finding Wisdom requires focused, deliberate, and diligent seeking. To receive the fullness of Wisdom, we must seek for Him above all else.

God wants each and every one of us to succeed in life. That’s why He has made His Wisdom available to all. We must, in turn, do our part to receive His Word and live the victorious life He has always had in store for us.

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But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless. Proverbs 31:8-9 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

and [He] has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6 NKJV)

This is the mandate on the life of every king: To defend the helpless and give justice to the vulnerable.

Listen carefully to the Lord in Psalm 82:

God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable. I said, “You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. (Psalm 82:1-6 NKJV)

The Lord holds His mighty ones (gods) accountable for how they minister to the needs of the poor and fatherless. There is no entity on earth more powerful than the Church. As mighty ones, we must collectively and individually allow God to increase us, so that we can provide for those who are too weak to do so for themselves. Selah.

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There are two things, Lord, I want you to do for me before I die: Make me absolutely honest and don’t let me be too poor or too rich. Give me just what I need. Proverbs 30:7-8 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV)

The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22 NKJV)

Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:19 NASB)

Many people look to Proverbs 30:7-8 as both the model and appropriate prayer in regards to financial wealth. They fail to realize that although these verses are in Scripture, they are merely the personal preference of one man. This prayer request is NOT inspired by God. We know this because it is inconsistent with the plans expressed by the Lord in Scriptural verses such as Deuteronomy 8:18.

The purpose of wealth, which is given by God, is for the establishment His covenant in the earth, specifically He said: I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing… and in you all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3 NKJV)

Augur’s prayer says, “Give me just what I need.” On the other hand, God’s says, “I have empowered you to possess such a financial superabundance that you will have more than enough to meet your needs and the financial needs of others, thereby establishing my plan in the earth.” The choice is yours: Align yourself with Augur’s way of thinking and have just enough for you and your family or align yourself with the plan of God and feed nations.

Certainly, we should desire enough provision to meet our own needs. God has given us authority to eat from the wealth and riches He so graciously provides. Additionally, however, He demands that we provide for orphans, widows, the disabled, and the local church. To do all of these things, we must have more than just enough for ourselves.

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If you don’t confess your sins, you will be a failure. But God will be merciful if you confess your sins and give them up. Proverbs 28:13 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 (NKJV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

The acknowledgement of sin and the scriptural disposition of it is really the difference between those who succeed and those who fail. Nothing else predicts the outcome in our lives quite like how we deal with sin.

This is an immutable fact: those who confess their sins and give them up receive the mercy and power of God. Those who make excuses for iniquity continually fall short of God’s best and flounder in life.

When you recognize sin in your life, remember that Jesus is your Advocate. Simply confess your sins and He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

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Listening to good advice is worth much more than jewelry made of gold. Proverbs 25:12 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 (NKJV)

Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. Proverbs 15:22 (NKJV)

Develop a council of close, trustworthy, and godly counselors and surround yourself with them. Membership in this group should not be based upon how much you like or respect prospective members. The criteria for selection should be based solely upon the results each person gets in their own life.

Those who consistently receive God’s best in the area you want direction in should be more highly valued than those who don’t, even if you love them. For example, don’t get marital counseling from beloved family members with horrible track records in interpersonal relationships. Don’t take investment advice from someone who has no investments or a series of failed ones.

We all need advice at times, so let’s make the best of it. Follow the counsel of those who have, or are successfully and consistently doing what you want to do.

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Wisdom is like honey for your life— if you find it, your future is bright. Proverbs 24:14 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV)

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. (Proverbs 3:13-16 NKJV)

Every good thing you’ve ever desired is found when you find Wisdom!

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Respect and serve the Lord! Your reward will be wealth, a long life, and honor. Proverbs 22:4 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:2-5 NKJV)

Don’t let satan and his children (the world) fool you. There are great benefits in serving the Great God Jehovah!

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If you won’t help the poor, don’t expect to be heard when you cry out for help. Proverbs 21:13 (CEV)

Pastor’s Commentary:

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27 NASB)

The God of Heaven and earth has a heart that is easily touched by the suffering of the vulnerable on this planet. Time and time again, He commands those of us with the financial wherewithal to aid those who are poor and destitute. In other words, we are required to help those who cannot, in their own power, affect their economic or financial situation.

Faith begins where the will of God is known. Clearly it is the will of God to feed, clothe, and house the needy. When we obey, it is an act of absolute faith and the Lord honors the faithful. When we contribute to the welfare of the poor, God obligates Himself to taking care of us. He promises to answer our every cry for help.

Remember what the Scripture says: Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10, 11 NKJV)

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