04 Dec 401K or 104K (How to Flourish in Famine) Ps. 37:19
Most people don’t lead their lives, they just accept them! Now please don’t mistake me, I am not suggesting we take the reigns of our life back from God. However, I am saying He has given us His Word, His love, His fruit, His armor, His power, His name, His spirit and His authority and said, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed shall live” (Deut. 30:19)!
Whether unemployment continues to rise, home foreclosures continue to increase and the economy continues to sputter…you don’t have to! There are some biblical tools that God has placed in our hands that will allow us to flourish in the midst of famine! The Bible tells us, “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied” (Psalm 37:19 KJV). The New International Version of this same verse reads, “In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”
Over the last couple of weeks we began to discuss these tools:
- Sing in famine (I Sam. 30:1-8).
- Sow in famine (Gen. 26:1-12).
- Stewardship in famine (Acts 11:27-30).
- Insight in famine (II Sam. 21:1).
This week let’s continue our discussion:
- Speak the promises of God in famine (II Cor. 4:13).
In a crisis or an emergency, God created us in such a way that our mind will step aside and our spirit will come to ascendancy. At that time whatever is in your spirit will come out of your mouth (see Matthew 12:34).
Please allow me to give you a humorous example in my life. Twenty years ago, I boarded a plane toTulsa,Oklahoma. I was so excited as I was going to Tulsa to ask Anne to marry me! I had a beautiful engagement ring in my pocket and a never ending smile on my face! When I found my assigned seat on the plane, I discovered I was seated next to a young lady. To my surprise, she was instantly very friendly. As our conversation progressed, she moved quickly from friendly to suggestive, and then from suggestive to brazen! She made it very clear that I could have my way with her!
Now, those of you who attend Joy Church International have seen me…you know what I look like! I was not used to this kind of behavior! I was more used to women getting out their crucifix and garlic cloves to ward me off. I wish I could tell you that in the midst of this crisis out of my mouth came some powerful scripture, or some profound wisdom like, “Thou foul whore of Babylon, I rebuke you!” Instead of either of these, I regret to tell you that what I said was this, “Oh look, a terrorist!”
That’s right, mighty man of God that I am, that’s what came out of my mouth in a crisis (and this was before terrorism was fashionable). The good news was that it totally changed the direction of the conversation (probably because I quickly went from attractive to mental patient) and by the end of the flight, she and I were praying together…for her husband!
It is imperative to put the Word of God in you when you don’t need it, so it comes out when you do! You see, most Christians determine the will of God by their circumstances instead of determining their circumstances by the Word of God! We must learn to speak the promises of God in the midst of famine!
Speak Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” when you are filling up your gas tank! Speak Psalm 35:27, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” when you are balancing your checkbook. Speak Psalm 115:14, “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children” when you are looking over your college savings for your children! Speak Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” as you look over your retirement fund! Speak Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” as you give your tithes and offerings!
Quit speaking what you have and start having what you speak! Quit using your words to describe your life and start using your words to design your life! Quit speaking what you are experiencing and start speaking what you are expecting!
Here is the problem, so many of us are so familiar with these verses that we recite them in almost a parrot-like fashion. We repeat it like “twinkle, twinkle little star” and therefore it has no real power. The Bible tells us, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
This verse is so powerful because it tells us how to get the Word of God from our head to our heart…where the true power lies! “Meditation” is the key. Meditation in the Hebrew language simply means to “ponder and mutter” over and over again. We must meditate on God’s Word until the “nickel drops” from our head to our heart. Then and only then, when we speak the promises of God will we see the power of God released in our life and circumstances!
- Satisfaction in Famine (Ps. 37:19).
If we will employ the following in famine:
1) Sing
2) Sow
3) Stewardship
4) Insight
5) Speak
…then we will have satisfaction in famine!