The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. John 10:10-11.
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
IN CHRIST there is no lack. In Him there is only increase. Your life in Him should be one of amazing provision and increase so that you always have all sufficiency in all things, as well as an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8. For you know the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you, through His poverty, might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9. I am your God and in Christ you are My child, My espoused, My chosen, My friend, and My beloved. You have been upheld by Me from your birth, even in the womb I formed you, and have carried you from the womb; even to your old age and to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made you, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. Isaiah 46:3-4. You are members of the body of Christ and He nourishes you and cares for you as His own. Ephesians 5:29-30.
Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15. I will feed you and carry you forever. I am committed to you for eternity. It has pleased Me to give you, the little flock of Christ, the Kingdom. And My plans for you, which were all written in My scroll before you were born into the world, outnumber the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky. Why? Because they are for eternity, the never ending day where there is no death, crying, pain, or mourning. The Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit awaits you but My care for you is now and forever.
And today as we continue studying how to live your life IN CHRIST we come to Life Lesson No. 12: “A Life of Provision.”
I care for you. I will never leave you or forsake you. You can have as much of Me and My grace and mercy as you want. You can come with confidence to My throne and receive mercy and find grace just when you need it at any time of the day and night and you can stay there as long as you like. In fact, I have already seated you there in Christ and blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Heaven in Him, so you might as well keep your mindset there and not worry about provision, healing, or deliverance not showing up when you need them. Each morning My mercies are new and they are for you. Great is My faithfulness.
I have given you the good Shepherd to lead you to green pastures and life-giving waters of peace. For I, in My great compassion, the God of peace, brought up your Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, to make you complete—mature and perfect, fully equipped to do every good work so you may do My plan for your life as I work in you what is well pleasing in My sight, through Jesus Christ, your Lord. Hebrews 13:20-21.
You are never alone. You are cared for and loved and I have given you another comforter to be with you and in you forever. Yes, in Jesus, I have poured My good Spirit into your hearts to teach you, lead you, guide you, and bring to your remembrance all I have promised you.
Jesus identifies Himself as your good Shepherd who laid down His life for you. The title Shepherd is one of My covenant names, fulfilled in Jesus, found its first full expression in the psalm of My servant David known as Psalm 23. It is true as much today as it was when the Holy Spirit gave David the words. And please note that Psalm 22, which immediately proceeds Psalm 23, is about My Son’s sufferings and death on the cross, and then right after that Psalm you find the psalm of the good Shepherd. That was on purpose, speaking the end from the beginning, for I raised Him from the depths of hell by the blood of the eternal covenant as the great Shepherd of the sheep. He was only on the Cross one day, but ever since He has been providing for you as your great good Shepheard and your great High Priest. I did not leave you orphans.
So let us consider Psalm 23, which is now your own IN CHRIST JESUS: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside healing waters of peace. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Even though I walk through the dark valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and lovingkindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:1-6.
Jesus as your great good Shepherd is guiding you along the Way of life providing and nurturing you. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. Isaiah 40:11. Jesus is gentle and humble of heart, with Him your souls will find rest, for His yoke is easy and His burden light. Jesus went about doing good and healing all those oppressed of the devil, and He is doing that for you. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He came to serve you and He still is as your great good Shepherd and your great High Priest. Whatever you see Jesus doing when He was on earth, such as healing, teaching, multiplying provisions and changing water into wine to supply the needs of His people, forgiving, embracing and loving you, giving you His body and blood to heal and strengthen you and cleanse you of all sin and unrighteousness, giving sight to the blind, opening deaf ears to hear, making the lame to walk, praying and interceding for you, taking all your sins, diseases, pains, shame, guilt, and faults upon Himself and bearing your punishment for them as if it was His own so that you are justified and free—all these things you see Him doing He is ready to give to you as well. He has not stopped being your healer and now that He is in you by the Spirit He heals in and through you as well to reach out to others.
Why do you worry and act as if I am not there? I am ever present as your helper. That is what Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and My heavenly host are all about, they are My gifts to you, to serve you and bless you, to provide for and protect you, to heal you and deliver you all by My Will and power. You are Mine. I have called you by name and you are precious in My sight and I have given you the Name above every other name to whom every knee must bow and told you to use it to do many works of power.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life IN CHRIST JESUS has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, I did: sending My own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, I crushed Him and laid the chastisement upon Him that makes you whole. Romans 8:1-4; Isaiah 53:5, 10. I did not spare My own Son, but delivered Him over for you all, how will I not also with Him freely give you all things? Romans 8:32.
In Christ I have forgiven, cleansed, redeemed, sanctified, and justified you, and I then equipped you, deposited every spiritual blessing in Heaven in your heavenly account, and sent My Spirit to lead you in that life of good deeds I prepared for you in advance in Christ Jesus that you might walk in them. You are well provided for.
But this abundant life is not automatic. You must walk it out in the spirit by faith. You have to receive and take what is yours or the devil will steal it from you. Do not be like the barren bush in the desert who never sees good and prosperity when they come. Why? Because when a person sets all his trust and hope in the flesh and not in Me, he has closed Me out and lives in a dry and wasted land.
When I provide for you I often ask you to be part of the provision. Do you recall the widow that came to Elisha very worried and afflicted because her husband died leaving her and the children with debts that they could not pay off? The creditors were about to take her children as their slaves to work off the debts. She asked Elisha for help but he turned it around to her. He asked her what she had in her house. She thought she had nothing but finally she came up with that she had a little bit of oil. That was enough for Me to work with. Once she offered that and by faith got as many containers as she could borrow, I made that oil multiply until she ran out of containers. And it paid off not only the debts but gave them money to live off for their own needs. All sufficiency and an abundance for every good work.
Remember when My Son turned the water to the finest wine? The servants obeyed Him and filled the waterpots with water. And then He made the water into 180 gallons of the finest wine. And when He multiplied the five loaves and two fish to feed over 5,000 there were 12 baskets full left over. When I take care of your needs in Christ Jesus, I supply abundantly beyond all you can ask or dream of.
Never limit Me by not giving Me enough room in your life to fill it with abundance. Peter’s nets and boat were too small to hold the miraculous catch My Son gave him. Enlarge your goals so I can fill them. Do not limit Me as the Israelites did in the desert.
I will take care of all your needs in Christ Jesus as you live your life in Him. He is the vine and you are the branches, remain in Him by remaining in My Words and letting My Words remain in you and you will be fruitful in every good work and word.
Cast all your care on Me because I care for you. And when I say a life of provision, I do not just mean material things, though you can be assured I see to those, but also emotional, mental, and physical needs, in other words your total shalom and wellbeing. A life filled with good things and surrounded with love and compassion. I am the God of all comfort and the Father of tender mercies.
I forgive all your sins, I heal all your sicknesses and pains, I redeem your life from the pit, I surround you with love and compassion, I fill your days with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5. And that is how I provide for you. Forever.
I love you. Do not worry about anything, I have you taken care of in Christ. And I, the God of peace, Myself sanctify you entirely; and I preserve your spirit and soul and body complete, without blame at the coming of your Lord Jesus Christ. I am faithful who calls you, and I will bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.