REMEMBER EGYPT !!

You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.—Deuteronomy 7:17–18 NIV

Nothing can sabotage radical belief in the promises of God quite like calculation.

The Israelites were facing a seemingly insurmountable task. They were about to enter the Promised Land and face not only a multitude of enemies, but enemies who were clearly stronger and more capable than them. God knew what would happen: they would ask the faith-shattering calculative question, How?

And so He preempted their question with an instruction: Remember Egypt. Essentially, Don’t try to calculate how I’ll do it … just remember how I did it.

God’s instructions haven’t changed much thousands of years later for those of us facing uncertainty as to how God is going to come through for us. You might be wondering how God is going to provide for your family now that you’ve lost your job. Or how He is going to cover the costs of your education. Or how He is going to do any of the other number of things you need Him to do.

Well, I don’t know how. Neither do you. And the truth is, we don’t have to know how. We just need to know that He can. And the way we know that He can is by calling to mind what He’s done.

And He’s done plenty. Your life is littered with signposts of God’s faithfulness. Regardless of your circumstances, take a moment and take a look at them. Remember Egypt. Remember what God has already overcome in your past as you face your present. Then leave the how to Him.—Pastor Furtick

NO BANKRUPCY

When I think about those whom I look up to and see as my role models, they’re all people—known or unknown—who have chosen lives of sacrifice and service so that others would come to know the Lord in a personal way.

Sure, a lot of them don’t seem to have much tangible success, things that can be counted and measured, the material things of this world. Some of these people don’t think too much of themselves, especially when they look at their situation and they measure it against earthly standards. However, they’re great in my eyes.

I think—and the Bible bears this out, as it shows clearly God’s point of view—that He sees those who have chosen lives of sacrifice and service as wise investors who have put time and effort into things that last, and are storing up riches and treasures which will never be taken away.1 These are the people that He considers great. These are also the people that I look up to—those who have sacrificed and given of themselves so that others may live.

If you are one of those people and you’ve made difficult choices for many years and you don’t feel that you have received much payback yet, I believe that you will eventually see that the payback for your investment will be far beyond your biggest expectations; if not in this life, certainly in the life to come.

You have been the Lord’s faithful employee and have given as unto Him. In a time when so many in society are losing their job security and retirement pensions, you can be sure that, even though the Lord’s blessings don’t always come in physical manifestations, and can’t necessarily be counted in dollars and cents, in God’s service there is never unemployment or bankruptcy, and He takes care of His own.

God still offers the best job security, health care, and benefits that you could ever wish for. Sometimes it takes a while to receive all those benefits, and sometimes they don’t come in exactly the form you were hoping, but it helps to remember that you have unlimited access to whatever you need through your heavenly bank account. The Lord is good, and every man or woman who trusts in Him will be blessed.

Dear Jesus, help us to focus on Your steadfast promises to us. Help us to remember how short life is, and to focus on the everlasting dividends of living for You and giving Your love to others. Remind us regularly of the principles of Your Word and how we can never fail when we live by them.—Maria Fontaine

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God’s ways are not man’s ways, and His ways are above our ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His ways above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts!

God’s Word and His guarantees have no restrictions, no limitations, no qualifications except our faith. He is not bound by time nor space nor land nor place! “Forever His Word is settled in heaven,” and His promises are forever!6 Our future is as bright as the promises of God, as long as we obey and trust Him.

When we obeyed, He kept His promises, He fulfilled His guarantees, and He supplied all of our needs according to His riches in glory. We only have to depend on God and His riches. He’s a big God and He has great riches and will never fail!

Sometimes Jesus’ own disciples admonished Him: “How can You do this, Lord? How can we do this, Lord? This is impossible! We can’t afford it!” And the Lord simply answered, “With man it is impossible, but with God, nothing shall be impossible!”

Let me tell you right now, God is our greatest source and He has the greatest income, and the best place in the world to be is in His will, to make sure that you’re well taken care of!

“So what are we going to do now?” We’re going to do just what we’ve always done; we’re going to trust God and obey God! I know one thing for sure: by His Word, and His guarantees, He is going to keep us going and He is going to take care of us, no matter what! He is going to continue to supply our needs.

Who knows how God’s going to do it? Who knows how He’s going to supply it? He may have methods and ways that He’s going to do it that we have never dreamed of! All we have to do is obey; all we have to do is what Jesus said.

Keep going for God, and He will never fail you! You can count on God’s good guarantees forever

1 Matthew 6:19–20.

2 Matthew 19:21.

3 Jeremiah 17:7.

4 Originally published March 2011.

5 Isaiah 55:8–9.

6 Psalm 119:89.

7 Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37.