‘Take Possession!’

There are times in my life when I lose sight of what is true and what is truth.  It seems that I know it, yeah, that this is an absolute truth.  It is, if you will, bulletproof.  And yet, there I am floundering in my thoughts about the way things are, and even forgetting at times, there is nothing that God has ever promised to me that has ever failed.    The dictionary defines the word true, as exactly or accurately.   The word truth is defined as factual and an actuality.    All who God says He is is factual and an actuality. There is no denying His being, we are living proof of His handiwork. All God does is done exactly and accurately.

“Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel, all came to pass”

Here in this passage, not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All of it came to pass.  God was completely faithful in regard to the land He promised them….Israel, on the other hand was not.  Any kind of failure to fully possess what God had promised them was not God’s failure.  It wasn’t because God didn’t provide the land , Himself, for Israel to secure the land.   It was fully because Israel had failed to follow the Lord.

With us, no doubt, God has been completely faithful to us,  He has made provision for a continuing victory in Christ for us.  God has given greatly to us……the question for all of us today is; of all God has given to you to possess, how much of that do you possess?

 When I began to size up all God has both given  and provided, can I say that I have taken possession of His promises to me.

In most cases the promises of God begin in reading and hearing His Word. He say’s it, pricks our hearts to enliven us, and then asks us to step forward in faith to receive it.  I recall three months ago the promise God gave me.

When I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon cancer, my world was devastated.  All that I held dear of His promises for me in Ministry, my calling, seemed like was no longer visible to me.  I had always held the truth of God’s Word closely to my heart, and had seen  so many times His promises received by others in the season God saw fit.   As for me, this would become the beginning of the biggest test of my life.  Would I continue to see His promise as truth or was this the end of the line for me.   It was at that lowest point of my consciousness, that God reached out and gave me the factual and reality from His perspective that would forever change my life.  He gave Patty and I this promise in John Chapter 11.  

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha………therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”  John 11:1-4

This promise was exactly what I needed. God provided me with something I could hold on to.  As the months went by, I would occasionally be troubled with the largeness of my chemotherapy treatment. I have to tell you there have been times I have felt like quitting.

And then comes today, Patty sends me this passage and the Lord clearly speaks to my heart, asking me the big question; “Marty, I gave you My Word, that “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God would be glorified thereby”. As of yet, Marty you have yet to take possession of it.  Stunned, I replied, ‘yes Lord, You’re so right, I really didn’t think I had to, I had received  the promise, but I had not taken possession of it.   

Until you take possession of the promise God has given you, how are you ever going to receive all God has prepared for you.

 “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel, all came to pass”