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"His Great Supply" by Nancy Dufresne

God’s plan for us is as great as He is because it came out of Him – it carries His greatness! But the plan that comes out of Him also calls for His supply – that’s why He gives us a divine supply! (Philippians 4:19)

     What we could earn on our own isn’t enough to fund what comes out of Him – it isn’t great enough for God’s great plan and the greatness of what He’s doing. He is the Source and the Provider of His great plan. 

     We are not to see ourselves as a SPONSOR of what He’s doing. (A sponsor is responsible to pay for something.) God just allows us to participate and hook up to the greatness of His plan through our giving, but we certainly could not financially sponsor all that He is doing. 

     God involves us, but He’s not limited to us and our resources. The more that people get involved financially, the more they are blessed by the greatness of the plan they are participating in. 

     We have to think right. We are not to think that God is limited to what we can do ourselves financially, for we have God’s supply. He knows how to bring the needed resources into our hands.

     Anytime God tells us to do something, He also gives us the grace to accomplish it. Contained in that grace are the wisdom, the ability, and all the resources we will need to accomplish it. That’s why we can start with “nothing” when God tells us to do something – because the supply is not of us, but it’s of the grace that comes with the greatness of that plan. God will tell us to do things we ourselves don’t have the money for because He is the Provider and our great Source – He intends to fund it! 

     Everything God has told my husband or me to do, we never had the money ourselves to do it – we always started with nothing. God didn’t ask us to PAY for it – He just wanted us to BELIEVE for it!

     God has wonderful and great things for your local church to accomplish, but you’re not sponsoring it. God only invites you to give so that you can financially attach yourself to the greatness of the plan He has for the church, then that greatness will bless your life.

     We have to think right about money so that we don’t rob from ourselves by thinking that if we don’t have the money for it we can’t have it. Anything God has told you to do is too great for your own resources. That’s why the Word says that “My God shall supply...” – not your resources. Don’t dismiss yourself from the greatness of God just because you looked at your resources. God is not looking for your sponsorship – He is looking for your faith and your obedience to His plan.

     It’s so good to know what God has for our lives isn’t limited to our wallets. Our giving brings blessing to our lives because it involves us financially in what God is doing – but the greatness of His plan isn’t limited to our wallet. His plan is formed independent of our resources.

     Our own natural resources are not glorious enough to fund the greatness of His plan, but when we hook up to His plan with the resources we do have, the greatness of His glory spills over onto us and draws us into the flow of His glory, the flow of His resources and supply. 

     The greatness of His plan calls for His greatness, so let’s put a demand on His greatness to supply and fulfill His great plan.

"Healing – Give God Something To Work With" by Nancy Dufresne

Last month I wrote about a healing testimony that blessed me, but I wanted to tell you another one this month because these testimonies encourage us and give us instruction.

     There was a woman who had a condition that left her bedfast. The doctors had given her no hope. She called for a minister to come and pray for her, and as he talked to her, he knew that he needed to locate what she could believe for so they could get results with their faith.

     Many people just want to receive their answer instantly, which is good, but our faith may not always be at that place. So, to get results, we have to know what we can believe for.

     This minister knew that he needed to find where this woman’s place of faith was. 

     As he talked to her, he told her, “We’ve got to give God something to work with.” They looked to the Lord to lead them as to what that may be. The minister was led to ask the woman who was bedfast, “Can you believe God that tomorrow you will be able to make your own bed?”

     “Yes,” the woman agreed. “I can believe for that.” So they agreed in prayer that she would be strengthened enough to make her own bed.

     When the minister visited her on the following day, she told him, “It took me 4 hours, but I did it! I made my own bed!” She and the minister praised God together that He had strengthened her enough to do that.

     “Alright,” the minister said, “can you believe God to go to the restroom by yourself tomorrow?” 

     “Yes, I can believe for that,” the woman assured him. When he visited her the next day, she gave him the good report. “I did it. It took me a while, but I got to the restroom on my own!” And they praised God together.

     Then she and the minister believed God every day that she would be able to do an additional chore around the house. One day, he arrived to find her up and walking around her house. She wasn’t walking fast, but she was up! A few weeks later, he arrived at her house to find her outside walking around the block!

     No, her healing wasn’t instant, but it was still divine healing. The doctors had helped her as much as they could, but they could give her no hope of ever getting out of her bed. But with God, there is no such thing as “impossible” for the one who believes.

     This woman didn’t just lay down her faith because she couldn’t believe for instant healing, but she hooked on where she could and gave God something to work with.

     Don’t lay down your faith just because you may not be able to believe for instant healing. What can you believe for? Give God something to work with!

     Look to the Spirit of God to lead you as to what to hook your faith to. He’s our Counselor. He will counsel you as to what your faith can hook on to.

     I love a statement that Dad Hagin made. “I can’t promise anyone instant healing, but I can promise everyone healing!”

     Thank God for instant healings, but we don’t have to dismiss ourselves from healing just because it doesn’t show up instantly. Give God something to work with! What can you believe for today? Find where you can hook on with your faith and get results, then just keep hooking on every day, and it will all come to pass!

"Is What You See Greater Than What God Says?" by Nancy Dufresne

I'm reminded of a testimony of healing I heard years ago that I often think about. A woman had gone to the doctor and was told that she had a growth in her breast, so they set up another appointment for further tests. At her next appointment, they did an ultrasound on her. With the ultrasound equipment, the doctor was able to display an image of the lump in her breast on a screen. As he did, he turned the screen toward the woman so she could see the lump.

He pointed to the screen as he explained to the woman what they were seeing. When she saw the lump pictured on the screen, she spoke quietly in her heart to the Lord. “Oh Lord, if only I hadn’t seen it. Seeing it makes it more real.”

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The Lord spoke back to her, “Is what you see greater than what I say?”

How that question checked her! She caught herself, realizing her wrong thinking. “No, Lord,” she answered, “what I see is not greater than what You say.”

Then she reminded herself of what He had already said in His Word. Quietly to herself, she rehearsed His Word. “Your Word says that ‘Himself took my infirmities and bare my sicknesses.’ Your Word says that ‘by Jesus’ stripes I was healed.’ ” As she lay on that examination bed, she quietly refocused her attention on the Word instead of on the screen.

As she lay there, continuing to put her attention on God’s Word and worshipping Him for it, suddenly a wide, bright circle of light appeared on the screen. Everyone in the room saw it. Slowly that bright circle of light began to close in and grow smaller and smaller around that lump. As the circle of light grew smaller, it completely encased the lump, and when it did, the circle of light disappeared, and then the lump was also gone off the screen! The lump had dissolved, and she was completely healed!

That miracle happened for the woman because she redirected her attention away from what she was seeing and toward what God said. The Word was greater than what she saw, and when she focused on the Word that was greater, what she saw changed.

How often we are surrounded by circumstances that are so visible, hear things that are so audible, or feel things that are so tangible. Yet, we must always remember that what God says is greater than anything we may see, feel, or hear.

Don’t believe anything more than you believe the Word!

Just because circumstances may be so loud or so tangible, that doesn’t change the truth of God’s Word! His Word is greater!

As Christians, we live by words — God’s words! Those around us are living by what they feel, see, and hear, but not us! We live by words! Since God said it, that’s what we hold to, regardless of all we may feel, see, and hear. Living by what God says gives us the best life. It’s such a joy to know that we aren’t destined and doomed to live by circumstances that are constantly changing, but we get the privilege of living by what God says, which never changes.

One key to enjoying the kind of life that God authored for us involves our attention. When that woman had her attention on what she saw, she was troubled. But when she turned her attention from what she saw to what God said, she partook of the best flow — the flow of the Word, the flow of healing.

We must practice holding our attention on God’s Word when circumstances are so loud and boastful all around us. We don’t get good at anything without practicing – that goes for spiritual things as well as natural things.

Many think they have faith problems when they really have attention problems. Your faith is connected to your attention. Where your attention goes, your faith goes. Some frantically struggle to get more faith, when they really need to discipline their thought life to hold their attention on the right thing instead of on the wrong thing.

Let’s practice every day on the small things of daily life – holding our attention on God’s Word instead of on changing, shifting circumstances.