Walk By Faith
Manifestation. I mentioned it in a previous blog post, but I felt that I should expound on this concept in its own post. The world says things like, “Speak things into the universe and the universe will give it to you.” We agree with statements like this because it makes sense. We see examples of others believing in who they are, what they are, what they want and receiving it. But, I’m here to tell you it’s not because the universe gave it to them.
The universe, the galaxies, the stars and whatever else the world looks at to direct our paths was created by God. If all these things don’t function or exist without God, why are we going to anything else other than God about our dreams and aspirations? Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God wants to give us the desires of our heart. As the scripture says, He wants to prosper us. However, sometimes, we feel that means what God blesses one person with, we should receive the same blessing and that could not be further from the truth. God created us all unique. It never matters how similar two people are to one another, there is always something between the two that makes them uniquely different. It is those differences that equips us for different spiritual gifts and ministries. Furthermore, because we have different personalities, tastes, etc., our blessings will be uniquely tailored to us. Therefore, if there is something you want or desire, go to God. God will either say, “Yes,” “Not right now,” or “I have something better for you.”
Besides the world having a problem with recognizing God as Lord and Savior, the world also has a problem with being still and listening. Psalm 46:10 (NLT) says: “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The world tells us that “it’s my money and I need it now.” However, God doesn’t hand out quick fixes. He wants to prosper us. Prosper has the connotation of meaning for an extended period of time. For God to prosper us, He has to make sure that we are equipped to handle the blessing that He wants to give to us. Sometimes, this comes through tests and trials. For instance, I desire to be financially stable, which means at this current moment in my life, I can’t go to every concert and event I am interested in. It means I have to budget. Once I made the conscientious decision to stick to a budget and limit my outings, it seemed like every concert and event I was interested in started selling tickets. I realized that if I was going to succeed in my goal of budgeting, then I was going to have to start saying “no;” otherwise, I was going to be met with the same test over and over again until I learned my lesson.
When we ask God to bless us, we should also ask God to help us to become better stewards over what He has already blessed us with. Moreover, we should pray for wisdom, knowledge and responsibility to handle what God will bless us with. Think of the countless celebrities who have earned millions of dollars and then lost all their earnings. This usually resulted in a lack of wisdom and stewardship. It does no good to ask for a blessing and then squander it. Think of a loved one asking you for an expensive gift. Because you love them, you suck it up and buy them said gift. However, because of their lack of responsibility, stewardship and wisdom, the loved one either damages or loses the gift. Now, imagine they have the AUDACITY, THE UNMITIGATED GALL to ask you to spend your hard-earned money to buy them the same gift over again. You would have a fit, wouldn’t you? Maybe, give a lecture about responsibility? That’s exactly how God feels, except He knows how you’ll handle the blessing before you get it, which is why He sometimes asks us to wait.
Now, after you talk with God; get confirmation that what you are asking for is for you; ask for increased wisdom, stewardship and responsibility; here’s the part that the world tries to twist and pervert…you begin walking and talking by FAITH. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This means that you must trust that God is sending your blessing. You can show this in a myriad of ways. Start believing it. Start speaking it. Start writing it down. Whatever will help remind you that God will come through on His promises. Mark 9:23 says: “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
The problem in manifestation is that it puts the success on the universe or on the individual hoping for the changed outcome. It pushes God out of the way. However, God is the ONLY way. He is Alpha and Omega. We can’t do anything in this life without Him.
Moreover, before I end this blog post, I must also point out that God is God, meaning He is not something or someone you can manipulate for your benefit. You can’t say “Oh, I want a new car. Let me go to church, start paying my tithes, fast, pray and read my Bible so I can get this car,” but after God blesses you with it (if He decides to do so), you go back to how you were living beforehand. God knows your TRUE motives; He knows your heart. He knows when you are being sincere and when you are not. Therefore, do not simply believe in God for what He can give you, believe in God because of the love, grace and mercy He has shown you. The blessings we receive from God are a bonus, not the reason.
