Blame it on the global economy if you wish, but the fact is, many of God’s people are going under when they should be going over.  Anyone who knows me knows I love to teach about healing.  So I will use healing as a springboard into other areas of life.  If you are struggling with sickness, of course your priority is to get well and gain victory over sickness.  We know that according to the Bible, the Lord Jesus has already provided healing for our spirit, soul, and body.  It couldn’t be any plainer written than it is in Psalm 103:2-5,

Psa 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psa 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Psa 103:5  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

   Tell me now, does this sound like a God who wants His children to be living in defeat with sickness and disease, struggling every day just to get by?  Yet, so many “believers” believe that their lot in life is to tolerate sickness in their life and get by as best they can.  King David lived thousands of years ago, and he knew a thing or two about the mercy of God, else he could not have written the above verses.  Imagine if he had written it like some church people think today, it would look something like this:  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget about His benefits, because there ain’t any.  Who will forgive thine iniquities?  Who will heal all thy diseases, huh?  Sure won’t be God.  We’re  just sick old sinners headed for hell, with no hope in sight.  Guess we have to depend on the doctors.  Hope we can get Medicare.  Who will redeem thy life from destruction and crown thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies?  I’d like to know, because there is no end of destruction in sight.  It’s getting worse every day.  Who will satisfy thy mouth with good things, hmmm?   You can call me Starvin’ Marvin, I’m hungry, man.  Hungry!.  That’s spelled H-U-N-G-R-Y…with a capital H.  I feel like an old man, ready to dry up and blow away.

   Now, which version are you living?  Be honest.  You may fool me, but you aren’t fooling God.  If we are living below the standard of God, it isn’t because He hasn’t made provision for a better life for us.  It’s because we’ve allowed our “stinking thinking” and “potty mouth” to override the Word of God in our lives.  Yes, I’ve been sick, almost unto death, and I’m perfectly healthy now.  Which do I like better?  That’s a no-brainer.  But I wouldn’t have this perfect health had I continued believing what I did before.  I had to change my way of thinking to line up with God’s Word.  My body was doing everything it could to die, and everyone was telling me how there was no hope of recovering from liver cancer.  Boy, I’m glad I didn’t listen to them.  In fact, I had to learn to ignore every voice that didn’t line up with God’s Word, and when you’re hurting and miserable, that isn’t always easy.  Been there, done that.  Here’s a clue: God’s Word works, if you work the Word.  Notice I said “work”.  It isn’t play, it involves a struggle against everything your mind and body tries to tell you, but it’s worth it.  God calls it being an “overcomer”, and let me tell you, overcoming doesn’t just fall out of a tree and land on you.  It takes real effort to be an overcomer. 

      Over the years, the Lord has taught me that if I want to be perfectly healthy and yet suffer lack in other areas of my life, that I have missed His best.  God has a word for it: COMPROMISE.  Go look it up in the dictionary if you don’t understand the full meaning of it.  You see, the devil wants to play the compromise game with you, and if you do, you lose.  The Lord Jesus said in John 10:10:  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

   Tell me; is it life more abundantly if you’re sick?  Is it life more abundantly if the devil is stealing you blind, and you can’t pay your bills?  Is it life more abundantly if you’re depressed and see no reason to live another day?  Of course not, yet, well meaning church people will be quick to tell you that’s how we have to live.  Where do they get that trash from, anyway?  It sure isn’t what the Lord Jesus said!!!  He said that He came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly!   Are you a “they”?  Then Christ Jesus came to give you a better life than the one you are living.  Some would argue, Well, that’s in the sweet by and by when we get to heaven.   Sorry to burst your bubble, folks, but the Lord Jesus healed real diseases right here on earth, gave sight to the blind, cast out devils, set the captives free, and raised the dead back to life.  He didn’t make people wait for the sweet by and by, He met their needs right where they were, right then and there. 

   Remember I said the devil wants to play “compromise” with you?  He wants you to blame God for your problems.  He wants you to think God has put sickness upon you to teach you a lesson.  After all, you’re a sinner, and you NEED to be taught a lesson, right?  And he is happy to help you with that lesson.  WHAM!!   The doctor says, Sorry Mrs. Jones, you have cancer and you only have a few months to live.  Better make the most of it, and we will try to keep you doped up at the end so you don’t suffer too much pain as you die.  HEY PEOPLE, WAKE UP!  Don’t you know the devil is a thief?  He’s going to steal everything you don’t chain down and lock, and given the chance if you aren’t paying attention, he will steal your goods AND the chain, AND  the lock, and when he’s got everything you have that’s worth having, he will kill you.  And sadly, most of you will let him.  But it doesn’t have to be that way, my friend.  I said, it doesn’t have to be that way! 

   Many have cried out to the Lord Jesus to deliver them from the devil’s torment, yet have seen no real progress.  Could it be the Lord Jesus is all words and no action?  Could it be that He could do miracles some two thousand years ago, yet today He is out of power?  Or could it be we are just not taking Him at His Word?  Ouch!  Oh, but, I’m helping you here.  As long as you’re willing to listen to the thief, and play “compromise” with him, all your prayers in the world are just contributing to Global Warming.  In other words, they’re just hot air.

   I have seen some hard times since knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord and Savior, much harder than many of you know, yet I continued agreeing with what the Bible says, kept speaking what the Word of God said over my particular situation at the time, even though it looked at times like it wasn’t working. 

   The devil made his threats very loudly and there were lots of sleepless nights until I realized the same Jesus that had healed me of cancer, had the solution for all my problems.  It wasn’t God who was trying to ruin my life, it was the devil!  And sadly, I was being a chump and was letting him get away with it, until I realized deep down inside that the Lord Jesus indeed DID come that I might have life, and that I might have it more abundantly.  I wasn’t living that life more abundantly, just like many of you aren’t right now.  But if the Lord Jesus was who He said He was, and He did what He said He did, then who am I to call Him a liar?  We all know who the liar is, and that is the devil and his crew. 

   There comes a time in everyone’s life that the light comes on and they see the truth.  Some see it early on and they come against the thief in Jesus’ name and put an end to his stealing from them.  Others?  Well, the light eventually comes on as they are dying, and they see it didn’t have to be like they had it, and they regret having let the devil ruin their life.  But by then it’s too late to change anything, and the damage is done.  The question now is, when will that light come on for YOU??

   God has already provided everything you need to live an abundant, joyful life, full of health, having all your needs met.  It’s there for your taking.  But what a shame it will be if you let the devil talk you out of it.  Remember what I said about being an overcomer.  God never promised “easy overcoming”, did He?  But hey, you have OVERCOMER written all over you.  God’s Spirit is in you if you belong to Him.  And if God be for you, who can be against you?  A favorite minister I knew said it like this:  If God be for you, who cares who’s against you?  All the forces of the devil are no match for a Holy Spirit filled believer. And if you don’t belong to the Lord Jesus, right now, I mean RIGHT NOW is the time to change that and start living “life more abundantly”.  Jesus didn’t come to this earth to leave behind any sick, starvin’ Marvins.

   The Lord Jesus provided everything you need to be a success in every area of life.  He did His part.  Your part is to believe.  That’s why they call us “believers”.  Simple, huh?  And while you’re believing, start acting like it.  Smile: it makes the devil wonder what you’re up to.  You’re smiling because you’re done “just getting by”.  You’re smiling because you’re done being sick and depressed.  And you’re rejoicing without measure because Christ Jesus has set you free from all that oppresses you!