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BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY BLOG@ Rhythms of Grace: a Journey into RestSustenance for the journey into rest and peace
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GOD’S COVENANT OF PROVISION 1. It's Harvest-time, Let's Celebrate! 2. Ruth: A Story of Grace 3. Abraham's Reward 4. An Irrevocable Pledge 5. Jehovah Jireh, My Provider 6. The Cross is Everything 7. Living in Abundance  We have seen that God doesn’t send relief parcels from afar, He comes Himself; He Himself is our provision and in Him is everything we need. This found its ultimate expression on the Cross where His covenant of provision was signed in His own blood (see last post). Designed for the Garden of Eden, we instead live in a fallen world; and our needs and distresses are largely due to the activity of the Evil One and his minions in that diseased environment. On the Cross, Jesus took on the Powers of Darkness and triumphed; cancelling out their operations in our lives and setting us free—a freedom which we access by faith--and perseverance [Hebrews 6:12]. But it didn’t finish at the Cross; Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven when He sent the Holy Spirit to us to finish the job. Our needs aren’t just met by the cancellation of the Evil One’s work; they are met by the pulsing life of the Spirit working in us. Remember the leper who came back to Jesus to thank Him [Luke 17:12-19]? Scripture records that he received ‘sozo’ which means deliverance, wellness, restoration, wholeness—and salvation. The other ten, who did not return to give thanks, were cleansed (katharizō)—a great result undoubtedly, but they missed the best part. When asked about the works God requires from us, Jesus replied that the one important thing was to believe in Him [John 6:27-29]. Believe in everything He accomplished on our behalf. Not only have we received the wonderful gift of forgiveness, we also have been made new, and given His righteousness. It’s not just about healing our sickness, but about filling us with His life; and as well as answers for poverty, He desires to release Heaven’s resources. Not only does He enable us to forgive others, but ultimately He wants to restore relationships. And it’s not just about mending our brokenness, it’s about re-positioning us as sons and daughters of the King of Kings. The Bible trumpets the good news that God is not parsimonious! He doesn’t give us just enough to get by; He is the God of abundance—life that wells up and runs over; the provision of more-than-enough—not just because He wants to bless us individually, but because there’s a world out there which needs Him too. And it’s through us, Abraham’s spiritual offspring, the families of the world will be blessed [Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:5-9]. HOW DO WE ENTER INTO THE ABUNDANCE HE HAS COVENANTED TO GIVE US?  1. If you have not already done so, take time to reflect on and receive the benefits purchased at the Cross. (See the last post, 'The Cross is Everything' for help on this.) 2. Ask to be filled (again) with the Holy Spirit. The page ‘The Holy Spirit and You’ will lead you through the process. 3. Declare over yourself the truth of God’s provision, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. You can find 90 such declarations in the following resources: Reflections on the Cross Reflections on the Resurrection Reflections on the Holy Spirit I have an inexpensive MP3player, on which I have recorded hours of scripture and declarations. I often listen to them before I go to sleep at night, and at quiet times during the day, especially if I am facing particular issues; I have found it an enormously valuable tool over the years. 4. Give thanks for what the Lord has already done in your life; but also thank Him for the promises which haven’t yet manifested. Take a leaf out Abraham’s book; you can face the present ‘reality’ and yet still believe God’s promises: Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead —since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. [Romans 4:19-21] God has covenanted to meet all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus [Philippians 4:19]; let’s enjoy His provision! THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM:
NEXT WEEK: NEW SERIES: FREEDOM IS A JOURNEY 1. Liberation: the Journey Begins The relevance of an ancient story for today's believer... GET IN TOUCH!
[Photo credits: Jered Erondu (waterfall); Joanna Kosinska (blueberries); Adam Solomon (neon sign) @ Unsplash, with thanks]
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