Let Jesus Serve You

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
—John 13:8

Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, believing he was utterly unworthy of his Master’s care and attention. While Peter was undoubtedly right in his assessment of his own unworthiness, he overlooked a crucial truth. Jesus’ service to Peter wasn’t driven by Peter’s unworthiness, but rather by His profound love for him.

Despite Peter’s humble refusal, he was actually resisting God’s will and refusing because of his pride. Pride isn’t just about inflating yourself above what is fitting; it can also be about deflating yourself below what is fitting. Pride is really being self-centered instead of being submitted to God’s will. Peter ought to have been humble enough to know His Master knew what we was doing; Peter should have surrendered to Jesus’ desire to serve him.

Some Christians think they are undeserving of God’s favor because they are so consumed with their unworthiness instead of being consumed with the gift of His redeeming love. They beat themselves up in penance, working to prove to God how humble they are. It is true that our actions don’t earn God’s favor, but a genuinely humble person can expect the Lord’s blessing as a demonstration of His love (James 4:6). It is only by the Lord’s grace and not through our works that His grace really becomes free and undeserved (Romans 11:6). The moment you start relating God’s blessings to anything you have done you void His grace in your life. You void Him serving you. Humility that is misplaced is just as harmful as pride.

Peter desired to serve Jesus, but he was reluctant to allow Jesus to serve Him by washing his feet. Jesus emphasized that unless Peter allowed Him to serve him, Peter would be unsuitable to serve. Since we cannot make ourselves or anyone else suitable to Jesus, we are totally dependent on God’s grace. Only in total surrender to God’s grace do we become fully equipped to serve others.

Before we can serve others with God’s unconditional love and grace, we must continually surrender to Jesus and allow Him to minister to us. It is only when we trust in Him to bless us in the way He chooses can we become the blessings we desire to be to God or anyone else. When we allow Jesus to serve us and surrender to His grace within us, we are driven by His profound love and give to others the grace we receive. 

Will you allow Jesus to serve you so that you may serve others with His goodness and grace? Jesus’s purpose manifesting in you and blessing others through you is the greatest fulfillment in this life.

Who is Your Most Important Person?

Our pastor made a profound statement yesterday: “The will of God for your life probably involves others.” God’s will certainly involves others! We each have the calling and privilege of sharing the love of Jesus with those we come in contact with! 

Debbie Sivley and I have come to realize the truth behind this statement. Every week, we visit shut-ins, offering our prayers and time to make a positive impact on their lives. Jesus calls us to emulate His presence in this world, radiating His love, offering His touch, providing comfort through His words, and attentively listening to their spoken and unspoken concerns. Some individuals yearn to be heard, while others require encouragement in their faith. Still others simply need our presence, allowing them to experience the profound love of God both emotionally and physically. 

I have always found comfort in Psalm 46:10, which proclaims, “Be still and know that I am God.” Yesterday morning, our pastor encouraged us to take a few moments to be still and meditate on this verse before he began sharing the Word. It was akin to a Quaker meeting, where you silently await the Holy Spirit to move upon your heart. Yesterday, the Spirit touched my heart, reminding me that in being still, I can connect with God and receive His love. The love I have received in Jesus isn’t meant to be concealed within me; it’s meant to be radiated outward. I have freely received it, and I must freely give it to others. 

This picture depicts Debbie and Melba Harris. Melba is responding to our visit with her. I wish I had a picture of the radiant smile and overwhelming joy that lights up Melba’s face every time she looks at Debbie and connects with her. If you could witness the sudden burst of happiness and life in Melba’s eyes, you would see her coming alive in the love of Jesus. You would also see her returning the love she is receiving—Melba is ministering to Debbie in return!

The world is yearning for this love. The grumpy man down the street is yearning for it. The woman who uses offensive language is yearning for it. The angry one who constantly pushes you away is yearning for it. The child who has turned away from his faith is yearning for it. The shut-in in the nursing home is yearning for it. The lady who can’t see but believes in her healing is yearning for Jesus’ love and physical touch. They all need His grace. They all need His unconditional love. They all need Jesus loving them through you. And you may not realize it, but you are starved for His love when you aren’t letting Him love through you.

Years ago, even as my parents lost ground to dementia, they inspired me with their love for Jesus. But they still needed something from me. I asked the Lord to reveal their hearts to me. And these were their unspoken words He spoke in my heart.

“Sometimes I feel so alone in my world and so afraid. But then I feel your hand on my arm and I know you are with me and will take care of what I can’t. God doesn’t abandon me now that I am old and gray and lost to even myself. I feel Him in your love, in your words, in your touch, and in the moments that you give me. No matter how lost I may become, I am still me. Remind me of who I am when I have forgotten and love me through times which may break your heart. As long as you love me, I know who I am through you.”

Who is your most important person? Is it someone else or it is you? Are you loving the shut-in, your neighbor, your friend, and the one who annoys you so much? Are you loving them so they can know how much Jesus loves them? Are you laying down your life for them as Jesus laid down his for you?

In her time with Debbie, Melba knows she is loved. She is loved as she longs to be loved, and she returns it with joy. In that moment, Debbie receives the blessing of the one she has blessed. 

God blesses us to bless others. Love those He brings into your life with His love. Share His Word and take the time to genuinely listen to them. Pray for His wisdom and ask the Holy Spirit to continually guide you. Sharing God’s unconditional love and grace with others is your highest calling; never run away from it; run to it! There, you’ll find your joy, peace, and purpose! 

God's Abundance for Every Good Work

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
—2 Corinthians 9:8

In chapter nine of 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks about financial giving. He declares in 2 Corinthians 9:8 that God can make all grace abound toward us so we can trust His provision, enabling us to be generous. In Philippians 4:19, Paul also assures us that God will supply all needs according to His riches in glory. God’s grace isn’t just for salvation but also for empowering our daily lives. He supplies what we need to accomplish His work in this world. His provision is unlimited.

This verse doesn't say, “God will make all grace abound toward you.” It says that God is able and willing to supply every need of a cheerful giver, but this supply doesn’t just happen. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” 

2 Corinthians 9:8 also dismisses the idea that God only supplies our bare needs. He is willing and able to make “all” grace abound toward us. 

“Charis” is the Greek word for “grace.” One derivative of “charis” is “charisma,” which translates as a “free gift” (Strong’s Concordance). Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines “charisma” as “a gift of grace, a gift involving grace on the part of God as the Donor.” God is our donor. He graces us with His provision so we can grace His work in the lives of others.
 
The word “abound” means “to be great in number or amount; to be fully supplied” (American Heritage Dictionary). Whatever hardships we face in this life, God’s grace “abounds” much more (Romans 5:20). The Lord desires that we are “fully supplied” and have “sufficiency in all things.” It is not God’s will for us to suffer financially. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 states, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

People who argue against financial success point to examples of people who have sought riches to fulfill their own lusts. They rightly say these people are selfish and corrupt because of their greed. God desires us to be prosperous not for our selfish ambitions but for His purposes.

Genesis 12:2 says, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”

The intention of God’s prosperity is to bless us so that we can bless and help others. If we are unselfish with our prosperity, those blessings are wonderful. If we are selfish with our financial blessings, we degrade the grace with which His blessings were given to us.

2 Corinthians 9:8 describes abundant financial blessings in our lives, where we can “abound in every good work.” This means we should never be unable to give to any good cause. Satan has convinced many Christians that God wants them to always be poor, causing many good works to go unfunded. 

Money isn’t evil. It is our love of money that is (1 Timothy 6:10). If you're always thinking about the amount of money you have—whether it is a lot or too little, you are thinking about the wrong thing. What money can do for you is your concern. You are thinking about yourself and your needs instead of others and their needs. If you are blessed in this life, God has blessed you to have an abundance for every good work. He has given you sufficiency in all things. As a man thinks in His heart, He is (Proverbs 23:7). Believe Him for even more abundance so you can bless others as He has blessed you. 

God desires you to have an overflow of His blessings so He can overflow into the lives of others. He wants you to have His abundance for “every” good work, not just one or two. God has given you sufficiency in all things. Never limit Him. Never forget that He gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6). Believe Him and expect to be more blessed so you can be a greater blessing in His Kingdom. Favor others abundantly as God has favored you. 

What Are You Sowing in Your Heart?

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 
—Philippians 1:19-20
 
 
Paul preached the Good News of Jesus Christ. The message of new life in Christ was his absolute focus. Paul had the unwavering expectation and hope that God was with him at all times, guiding and empowering him to share the Gospel. God’s grace was sufficient in everything, and nothing could keep him from God’s will. Paul had an earnest expectation and hope that no feeling or circumstance could compromise his faith. He was bold because he allowed the fruit of his relationship with Jesus to be bold. Paul knew who Christ was manifested in his life. He had assurance—he trusted—and he expected God to magnify Himself in his life. He was willing to give all for the grace of Jesus to be known and lived out in the lives of others.
 
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only one who makes all the difference in your life. He is the only one who gives you a new life. You were also Paul’s focus. Jesus Christ is the life Paul offered to you. Paul endured persecution for the sake of Christ so you could experience the fruit of your relationship with Jesus. Your expectation and hope make all the difference in how you live this new life.
 
Look at the phrase “according to my earnest expectation and hope” in Philippians 1:20. 
 
You are expecting something in life whether you are aware of it or not. Look at your expectation as soil from which your life grows. A pessimist only expects a negative life. An optimist discovers something positive in every circumstance and thing that happens. If you fill your life with negative influences—negative thoughts—negative things, you will wrestle with negative expectations.  If you dwell on the mistakes and sins of the past, you will find yourself expecting more of the same in your future. Your attitude—your approach to life—is extremely powerful. 
 
Your expectations are either based on God’s promises or on your fears and failures.  Hope comes alive as a result of positive expectations. Hope in God’s promises can only grow from the soil of your positive expectations. Since faith is the substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), a negative approach to life can never inspire your faith to grow. Faith can only be inspired and exercised when positive expectations and hope are alive. Negative expectations are why so many Christians struggle to live in victory.
 
Expectation, hope, and faith spring from a promise God has made to you. These grow in your life from a seed that has been sown in your heart.  Every promise of God activates your faith, and faith comes when you “hear” His Word in your heart (Romans 10:17). God never lies. It isn’t His nature to lie. And God has designed seeds to multiply according to their nature. A farmer who plants seeds expects a harvest. A believer who sows God’s grace and His love into the lives of others can also expect a harvest. What you invest will be multiplied and returned to you.
 
What do you expect in your life? What is the source of your attitude? If you are basing your life on God’s promises—if you believe you will reap a harvest from sowing His truth in your heart, you will without doubt live a life of faith. If you see everything through the eyes of a pessimist, you will be left to your own strength. You will experience a stingy life when you could have had an abundant one.
 
Paul had the expectation, hope, and faith that the Holy Spirit would supply all his needs as he stepped out to share the message of grace so you could, also, plant the seed of God’s truth in your heart; so you, also, could choose to live by faith and not by sight; so you could, also, believe. 

What are you sowing in your heart? It’s going to multiply.

—Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 15:13
 
 

A Vessel of His Love

Many people who deal with sickness find themselves in a place of helplessness. Some believers try to work up their faith to believe they can be healed. Others hope that some medical help will be their answer. Others live in total despair that there is hope.
 
Here’s Jesus’ instruction to us as the body of Christ. 
 
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
 
Jesus instructs me to give what I have received freely. Do I really believe that I have freely received healing as a gift from God? Do I believe in healing as an expression of God’s goodness?
 
1 Peter 2:24 says, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
 
According to 1 Peter 2:24, I have been healed by Jesus’ stripes. According to Matthew 10:8, I am to give freely what I have been given. Through my faith, can healing be a gift of love freely given to someone who is hurting? 
 
“Believing unto righteousness” (Romans 10:10), the new birth, is a spiritual transformation of personal faith. Healing is a physical transformation that also requires personal faith.

Receiving healing can be an act of personal faith, a gift through another's faith, or simply a miracle that comes through God's goodness, who makes His rain fall on the just and the unjust. 
 
Peter had faith for the lame man (Acts 3:6-7). The centurion had faith for his servant (Matthew 8:13). The Canaanite woman had faith for her demon-tortured daughter (Matthew 15:28). Jairus had faith for his sick daughter (Mark 5:23). In each situation, the faith of another person brought the gift of healing to the one who was suffering. 

Lord Jesus, help me to receive the revelation of this truth in my heart. I am to impart You freely. I never need to burden a suffering person with working up their faith to believe in their own healing. Rather than frustrating someone who is hurting, I can be a vessel of Your love and bring healing to them. You are that good. Lord Jesus, I am willing. You are the potter. I am the clay. It is Your excellence. I have none. Lead me, Lord. I will follow You.
 
 

Come in Confidence

 

 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
—Hebrews 4:16
 

The only way we can come to God is in humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Humility before God doesn’t demand anything based on your accomplishments or worth. Humility is also not groveling and bargaining with God to answer your prayer. Humility before God is coming to Him in confidence, knowing He gives mercy and grace in your time of need. It is knowing the worth Christ has placed on your life.
 
When you come boldly to the throne of grace, it doesn’t mean you come instructing God. That is not the surrender that expresses humility. That is pride. When you come boldly to God, you come in the assurance of your relationship with Him. You come knowing your right standing with God. When you believe in your heart the truth of everything Jesus has purchased with His blood on your behalf, you have confidence in your relationship with the Father. 
 
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
 
Do you have the confidence to approach God boldly? If you ask anything according to God’s will, He will hear you, and you will receive it. Do you believe this? If what you ask is promised in the Word of God, it is without question God’s will. 
 
When you believe who you are in Christ, you are at peace in your relationship with God. You walk in the freedom His grace has given you. When you have a need, you come freely to God without fear of reproach, judgment, or retribution. You come knowing what the grace of Christ has given you. You come knowing your Father loves you, and you will receive His mercy and grace to help you. You come with a heart of praise because you believe.
 
True humility does not promote self. Neither does it demean itself. True humility only glorifies the Father. When you have confidence in your relationship with the Father, you don’t need to beg for mercy and grace. You don’t need to beg God to give you anything He has already provided in the gift of salvation. You don’t need to beg for forgiveness, healing, or your needs to be supplied. Jesus paid the price for all of these long before you were made in your mother’s womb or wrestled with sin, illness, or need. You received His complete salvation when you were born again. There is nothing left to earn. His love earned it for you.
 
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).
 
God pours more grace into the lives of those who walk in true humility and are confident in their relationship with Him. He pours more grace into those who depend only on Him. True dependency on the Father promotes confidence in Him and not in yourself. 

Resist pride’s temptation and receive more of God’s grace in every moment of your life. You will believe the Father for what the rest of the world believes impossible. Present your requests to God confidently, knowing Christ has made you worthy to receive the petitions that you have asked of Him. 

 

How Are You Rich?

He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 

So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

—Luke 12:15-21

*******

The dictionary defines covetousness as: “Having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.” However, in this parable the rich man didn’t want what someone else had. He wanted to hoard what he had. Part of what we have belongs to God and others. Keeping everything we possess for ourselves is covetous and greedy.

This rich man thought his abundance was just for himself. He missed the truth of Genesis 12:12, where God says, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” The rich man also missed the truth of Deuteronomy 8:18, which says, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

The New Testament reveals the reasons why the Lord desires us to work. Through our labor, we can provide financial support for others (Ephesians 4:28) and abound in His good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). True prosperity isn’t selfish. It’s surrendered to God’s purpose and enables us to give (Acts 20:35). Those who use their money to meet only their needs are like the rich man in this parable—a fool.

This rich man wasn’t just scraping by. He had barns that were full. But he had harvested so much he was going to tear down the barns he had and build bigger ones. How much prosperity do we need to be satisfied? How much money do we require before we stop focusing on just our needs and begin meeting the needs of others?

Those who persistently seek more wealth in life, surpassing what is necessary to provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8), are like the foolish man depicted in this parable. It’s foolish to gather wealth and hold on to it. We don’t know what is coming (James 4:13-15), and we certainly can’t take it with us when we die. 1 Timothy 6:7 says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Only a fool takes all he can get in life and uses it only for himself. The way we are rich financially toward God is to use our money to prosper His Kingdom and bless others (Matthew 25:40).

How would the Lord have responded if this rich man had given away his harvest and planted again to produce an even greater harvest? I think this rich man would have been praised, his wealth would have increased, and he would have been blessed throughout eternity (Mark 10:30). You can look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-23 and know the Lord wants increase, but that increase isn’t just for us.

This doesn’t mean we should have nothing. Those who give will be blessed with abundance in return (Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6-10). The Lord “has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27). We can never out give the Lord. But money is God’s gift to give away. It profits us nothing if it is buried like the one talent in Matthew 25:18. We don’t give to receive. We give because it not only benefits others but also brings blessings to the Lord and our own hearts. Increase in our heart is what is important.

Our Pastor said yesterday, “We don’t determine how we die. We determine how we live.” Your life isn’t defined by what you own, your prosperity, or your success. It is defined by the Savior you allow to live and prosper in you. God wants you to thrive in this life to be a blessing. Your focus must never be on yourself, but on others and prospering His Kingdom. When you believe in your heart that the Lord has blessed you to be a blessing, you get your priorities right. You give out of your resources, knowing His resources are endless. 

If you are faithful over a few things, God will make you ruler over many things (Matthew 25:21). What you invest in His Kingdom and the lives of others will be richly returned. Nothing will destroy or steal the riches you lay up for yourself in heaven (Matthew 6:20).

Where is your treasure? Are you rich toward God? Where your treasure is, there lies your heart.



 

Have You Heard God?

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 
—John 10:27 

 

Do you hear God? John 10:27 says if you know Him, you can hear His voice. Hearing God is the key to living in faith, victory, and peace. Hearing Him brings perseverance and success in every area of your life. 

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:7-8). 

Abiding in Him can be compared to a continuous meditation on His Word, which the Holy Spirit quickens to your spirit. When His Word is quickened in you, it is referred to as “hearing” or “revelation knowledge.”

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”(Romans 10:17).

When you have truly heard from God, faith will come alive. No matter what the circumstances might be, you will be alive to God’s will, you will have vision, peace and perseverance. There may be obstacles that once seemed impossible to overcome, but a word from God makes them look small. Nothing can stop you. That word has unlatched an overcoming faith in you.

We must come to a place where God's Word is so real to us that it is God speaking directly to us. When we have a need, we go to the Father through His Word. We do not consider what we sense or experience but rather the promise of God. His promise cannot fail. 

The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears from the Father (John 16:13). Believe His promise, speak His victory, and receive His provision. 

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill” (Numbers 23:19)?

 

Are You Hearing the Word in Your Heart?

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
—Proverbs 4:20-22
 
 
This Scripture doesn’t say God’s words are “like” health to us. It says that His words “are” health to us. You may have a million dollars in a bank, but that money doesn’t benefit you if you never withdraw it. You may be told that life and healing are in the Word, but you won’t receive their benefit if you don’t find them.
 
When we give attention to His words, incline our hearing toward them, and keep His words in our hearts, we spiritually consume wholeness and health. When we fill our hearts and minds with the world’s darkness, anxiety, fear, and disdain, we spiritually consume depravity and loss. Many believe in healing, desire healing, and ask God for healing, but their hearts may not be open to receiving the healing God has spoken of. 
 
Look at this story of Paul preaching the Gospel in Galatia. 
 
“And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ And he leaped and walked” (Acts 14:8-10).
 
Paul was preaching the Gospel and most likely wasn’t even preaching on healing. Yet, this man “heard” healing! It only took the Gospel! It only took God’s words! The Gospel IS the power of God (Romans 1:16)! What the cripple man heard reached his heart, and faith was ignited. This became evident to Paul, and the lame man was healed by “hearing” his healing in his heart.

“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Paul asked (Galatians 3:5).
 
Have you heard God’s words? Not just with your physical ears, but spiritually with your heart? They are life and healing to all who find them. They must first be discovered spiritually before they can become your physical reality. You are changed by the hearing of the Word from the inside out.
 
Meditate on Psalm 107:20: “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalms 107:20).
 
Don’t just read this verse and go on. Don’t just accept the obvious and not be open to what the Spirit wishes to reveal to your heart. Come hungry to the Word. Contemplate and consider each word in the verse. Don’t give up and say it is not working. The Word is alive and active and always working. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His thoughts. He wants you to find them. Allow His thoughts to paint a picture in your mind. Dwell on it, envision it, anticipate it, and believe it in your heart. 
 
God’s Word never fails. Your healing and deliverance are in Jesus, the Word. Your healing is in Him. God sent Jesus with the purpose to heal and deliver you. He loved you that much. His revelations for your life are in His Word. Have you heard His Word in your heart? Are you hearing it each day? His Word for you is new every morning. Great is His faithfulness! (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Listen With Your Heart

 
We all have questions about our health, finances, relationships, and other issues in life. Some believers seek God for advice, and others ask a friend or someone else. Advice from even a godly friend is not the same as hearing from the Lord. When you hear from the Lord, His Words stir your faith. He speaks directly to your heart and not through someone else’s spiritual, mental, and emotional understanding. You will always lack if you continually seek someone other than God to guide you. Abundant life cannot come to you through someone else’s spiritual guidance. You were created to hear God for yourself. 
 
“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).
 
God created you to live by His Word. 
 
The Word of God is not just a book; it is Spirit and life (John 6:63), and the only source of abundant life, health, peace, and purpose. Until we hear God for ourselves, we will never receive the abundant life God has planned for us. Advice might be necessary for a new believer, but spiritual advice from someone else is not meant to be our spiritual food forever. We were created to feast on the living Word of God. If we commit ourselves to hearing His still, small voice, we will avoid many mistakes and the resulting issues they bring. 
 
God created us with the ability to hear Him. 
 
“Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live” (Isaiah 55:3).
 
God is always speaking to us. He speaks through His written Word (John 20:31, 2 Corinthians 4:13). He speaks by the Holy Spirit to our spirit (Romans 8:16), and He speaks through the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 2:36-38). 
 
“My son,” God speaks, “give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22).
 
If you were asked, “What is God saying to you,” could you answer? 

You cannot have faith and God’s wisdom without hearing from Him. When left to your own limited knowledge and ability, you will ultimately fail. We have all made bad decisions when left to our own resources. 
 
Faith has only one source.
 
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17)
 
If you aren’t hearing God’s still, small voice or His Word isn’t stirring your heart, the time has come to redirect your life. It is time to focus on His Word, seek Him in His Word, and expect to hear Him in your heart. That is abundant life.
 
If you wish Him above all else—if you desire His abundant life of health, peace, and purpose, incline your ear to Him and feast on His Word. 
 
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).