The Increase

The increase is in our hands, no not of our hands but rather in them placed there by God according to His  pleasure. The only thing between the wonders of God and the release of his power is our thinking. Here I tread on an area of hunger searching myself to understand an apparent truth and to shake it from between my ears to experience it fully in my heart and hands. Let's take to heart Paul's prayer for the Ephesians,  “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 

This truth is related in the completed work of Christ. At salvation we are not invited to order off the menu ala carte nor do we go to God as we might go to Publix and pick off the shelf certain items.  The completeness of salvation is that all we need for the task at hand is completely given. Why?  Because we need it all to complete with passion the  purpose for which we are called. So why is this point important?  Simply this, we will never freely use that which we don't realize we have. See, an inheritance is something we do not have to work for.  It is given to us.  It gives us a head start to allow us to build on a foundation already laid. 

Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark tried to get his disciples to realize this when he looked at the crowd of people and said to them, “you give them something to eat.” Why after preaching the Gospel, casting out demons and healing the sick they still struggled to understand that the increase was in their hands,“ they asked are we to go and spend that much on bread”? Oh the distance between the heart and the head is both ever so short and ever so long. Jesus started with what the Father already provided as He broke the bread and the fish and gave it to his disciples, and as they distributed it, the increase was in their hands. Even now God wants us to realize, “the incomparable great power for us who believe”.

So what is the point?  Let us no longer wait for what we already have. God said to Gideon after he tested God and then God tested him, “go in the strength you have”.   Gideon was living in impoverished Israel, in the poorest clan and the least of which. Even the newest of Christians are completely endued with incredible power. All they need do is step out,  to go in the strength you have  is the show up strength, relying on the power of the Spirit in us. Peter got it, he said “ silver and gold have I none but such as I have I give unto you rise up and walk” Yes the first step in giving something away is to realize we have it. 

Now that I am done speaking to myself, I invite you to join me and step out in the power we have in Christ. Speak words of life, create life giving experiences and spiritually feed and heal the sick, the hurting and the lost.  

Let us remember when the disciples were straining at the oars and  Jesus was about to pass them by, they cried out. Jesus did not intend to get in the boat. Yes our Lord is always faithful and He hears when we cry out. But Mark 6 states “they did not understand about the loaves”. And what did they not understand was simply this, that the power they needed to calm the storm was in their hands. Our God  has not held back one thing but rather has provided all. 

Trust God, show up and step out, incredible things will happen ! 

Ask God in what ways you can step out.