Frank Friedmann
In the incarnation, Jesus voluntarily restricted the use of His Divine attributes, so that He could function in full and complete dependence on God, as a man, the way man was designed to do so. This is Glory! His walk of dependence on the Spirit was not only a pattern set for us, but a promise that when we walk in the Spirit, we too could live that same supernatural life of love, grace, mercy and strength as we journey through this fallen world. Put simply, man in His original design was created to live from God, with God supplying to man all that man needed to live as the dynamic expression of God to the visible and physical world. Jesus re-established the life of faith as the normal method by which man was intended to live.
One of the by-products of this awe-inspiring life He experienced by faith, was to affirm the trustworthiness and goodness of God to man. Ever since the garden, the goodness of God to man has been in question. Remember, how the enemy tempted Adam by calling God's goodness into question? The serpent made it sound like God was holding out on man. How those words have been repeated in the minds of manifold men and women since that day --- "Indeed, has God said..."
When men and women buy into those words, they will fail to see how good God is. When they doubt how much He loves them and longs to do for them, they will not look to Him for His provision in their lives. Tragically they will search in other than God for the life they so desperately need. In doing so, the abundant life God has already provided for them in Christ, will not be experienced by them through their failure to walk by faith in Him.
In His life of recklessly abandoned faith, Jesus proved that God was indeed trustworthy. He walked victoriously through the valleys of suffering He encountered in this fallen world, even to the point of victory over the grave itself. The life of Jesus proved the words David had proclaimed so many years ago, “The Lord is My Shepherd. Even when I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for He is with me!" Own those words! In this fallen world, we will encounter deep and dark valleys. But we will not descend into those valleys never to be heard from again. Because He is with us, WE WILL WALK THROUGH THEM!
And do not miss what the Holy Spirit calls those valleys. He calls them shadows. A shadow can scare us, but a shadow cannot hurt us. And by the way, there can be no shadow unless there is a light shining somewhere. And the light that casts this shadow over the valleys of death we encounter, is none other than the light of the love of God that He has for His kids. He is infinitely good! And because He is, we can trust His love and caring presence to bring us through the dark and desperate valleys of this world, and into the victory banquet He has prepared for us.
Dear Ones, forever remove from your minds those deceitful and untrue words, “Indeed has God said?” Do not let anyone or anything ever put the love and goodness of God that He has for you in doubt. Replace those words with, “Yes, God has said, and God cannot lie (Titus 1:3)! He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)”
Believe God and walk in the confidence that we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Be convinced and stand courageously that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Let the world stand in awe of your life, as you experience His goodness and provision through your faith walk in Him.
Frank is the founder and CEO of Our Resolute Hope. He also serves as a Board Member of IOM America. Review his IM Masterclass messages HERE.
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