Why is it that some people are walking in the promises of God, and some are not? Does God love certain ones more, or is it that certain ones love God more?


That’s a question I’d like to explore today. The scriptures tell us that God is not a respecter of persons. Then why do some seem to have more blessings than others? Why are some healed while others are not? There are lots of hard situations we really don’t have answers for. Even wicked people seem to be blessed according to the world’s standards, some live long lives, have perfect health, lots of money, and live high on the hog, while some of God’s people die way too young, are sick, broke, depressed, worried and beaten down. Why?

I’ve talked to a few Atheists. They’re generally a pleasant lot, and seem to enjoy life, have jobs, homes, families like everyone else. But they don’t believe in God. Nevertheless, God believes in them. You can deny the fact that gravity exists on the grounds that you cannot see it, but let me hold a bowling ball four feet over your foot and drop it, and I promise that you will quickly become a believer in gravity. I wish it was that easy to convince an atheist of the existence of God, but it isn’t. You see, they don’t believe because the devil has blinded their eyes to acknowledging the presence of God. He’s there, whether they believe or not, but they’re unable to relate to Him. And spiritual blindness has likewise kept even God’s own children out of all the promises they could be receiving and enjoying. We need God to open our eyes.

Is the secret to walking in all of God’s blessings really as simple as studying God’s Word and believing it, and acting on it? If it were, more people would be doing it you would think. So we try to complicate things, and make excuses why we aren’t walking in certain blessings; maybe it isn’t God’s will for us to always be healthy, or to have all our needs met. Maybe God wants us to suffer lack and be the offscouring of the world as His children. After all, the disciples ALL suffered great trials, see? Are we any better than they? These are honest questions that seem to go unanswered. But the answers are there if you dig deep enough. It’s just that most people want answers, but aren’t willing to put the time into research to get them.

Why did the disciples suffer so? The answer is as plain as the nose on your face; they suffered FOR THE WORD OF GOD in them. You see, there’s an enemy to the Word of God out there, and his name is Satan, plus a third of all the angels of heaven chose to follow him, and were cast out of heaven into the earth. We don’t know how many fallen angels there are, but I’m sure there’s enough to go around for all of us. They like nothing more than to cause God’s kids to suffer. They can’t touch God nor hurt Him, so they go after those He loves, and that’s you and me. Even if you don’t love God, you’re still His creation, and that alone makes you a target for Satan to kill, steal, and to destroy.

Why are some more afflicted than others? Think about it; if you love God, you’re a prime target. If you don’t, well, Satan already has you anyway, so you probably aren’t on his radar very much, and perhaps that explains why the wicked prosper while the godly are afflicted. HOWEVER, it is written in Psalm 34:19, Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. But, let me ask you this; do YOU see God deliver YOU out of all your afflictions?

Now the Word says He does, but if you aren’t seeing it, then perhaps Satan has blinded your eyes to the truth of the matter. You cannot have what you do not believe for. If he has deceived you into believing God doesn’t always want you healed, for example, then sooner or later, you’re going to get sick. THEN you’ll start saying God DOESN’T always heal and you’ll be walking proof of it. Only problem with that is, we all often do or say things that ARE NOT GOD’S WILL. Jesus said in Mark 11:23-24,

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
You see, we have “free will”. And we can’t blame God for what we choose to believe. And Satan can put some pretty convincing deception on us to where even those who love God can end up getting deceived. Let me share some words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 13.

 

15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

I don’t know of a better passage in the Bible than this one to explain how the devil talks us out of the blessings God wants us to have. That verse 15 says it all, doesn’t it? We let the things of this world get our eyes off of God. We let the devil’s deception and outright lies talk us right out of our health, our money, our peace and joy, and it’s OUR CHOICE to let him do it!
But there are some who receive the Word of God, who set their heart to understand and obey, and they bear fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Notice that word “some”. That means some miss out on the blessings because they let the things Jesus spoke in verses 19, 20, 21 and 22 steal them away.

We must daily ask the LORD to open our eyes so we may keep them on His Word and His Kingdom. Just asking once back in 1980 is not enough. It was enough for THAT day, but this is a new day, and as long as Satan and his angels are on the loose, they will be working to blind your eyes to the goodness of God. There are many I’ve known who were at one time on fire for the LORD, who have little by little neglected their prayer time, their study time, and they’ve slipped by the wayside and are no longer walking close to the LORD. Needless to say, they’ve ceased to walk in the promises and the power of God. The devil has thrown a veil of blindness over their eyes through unbelief.

But the good news is, they can repent and come back if only they will. In the meantime, the devil is working to take them out before they repent. A little sickness here, a little destruction there, and it works to take them farther from the Truth.

All I can say is, Open our eyes to see, LORD. Your Word says You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Help us to not allow ourselves to be deceived. Let us be filled with Your Holy Spirit and lead us into all truth so we may walk in all Your promises!