138 - Rest, Root Downward and Bear Fruit Upward#
138 - Rest, Root Downward and Bear Fruit Upward
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
The topic we are sharing today is Rest, Root Downward and Bear Fruit Upward.
Jeremiah 17:5-8:
Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Let us first pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving us the time to worship and praise you together! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for making me your child, to worship and praise you during this time, to receive your provision. Lord Jesus, open our hearts so that we may understand your words, and may the Holy Spirit guide each heart, looking solely to you, laying down all our burdens and labors, looking to Jesus for provision. We commit the following time entirely to you, in the name of Lord Jesus, we pray! Amen! Hallelujah!
The first week of the new year, this year's topic is called: Rest, Root Downward and Bear Fruit Upward.
This year, I hope that brothers and sisters can live in God's rest. Not looking at the state of the world, not looking at the environment, not looking at people, but solely looking to Jesus Christ. He is your rest!
Rest is not sleeping, nor is it doing nothing; rest is in the spirit. You first see in the spirit that God has already prepared everything. Just like this year has just begun, but God knows what will happen throughout the year. Our God already knows this matter. When you enter the new year, God has already prepared for you. God has prepared all the blessings for this year. Hallelujah!
Our God is different from man; God does not wait for things to happen before thinking about how to solve them. God is not like that. Before this world was created, He already knew all things. He knows what will happen this year. As His children, He can allow you to still be victorious in the environment and enjoy His blessings. This is what we call rest! Although you see the world still like this, God does not let you enter into this environment, does not let you fall, does not let you be discouraged, because your eyes are on Him. Amen!
Rest means working with the power of Jesus, not relying on your own wisdom and ability. It is relying on the power of Jesus. Believe in what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. What did Jesus actually do on the cross? He became poor so that we might become rich! He experienced sorrow so that we could receive His peace! Hallelujah! Whatever you need in your life, you can find the answer in Jesus. This is the work that Jesus accomplished for you on the cross!
God has already given blessings; you work within His blessings. Let me give an example: Who gives the blessings that people receive? It is our God who gives them! Because everything in the world is created by God and is under His control. If God does not create air, can we still breathe? If God does not create life, can we have life?
Although people do not believe in God, they still enjoy God's blessings! But we are different; we have it the other way around. We know that God is the source of blessings. We are already in His blessings, working with this blessing, while people work hard to obtain blessings. We are the opposite; we are already in the blessings because Jesus Christ has already given us blessings on the cross. I work with this blessing. Amen!
Can you see the difference? One is uncertain, not knowing whether blessings will come, but we are different; we know that God's blessings have already been given. Just like in the wilderness, every day the Israelites had to go out to gather manna. Before gathering the manna, they believed that God had already given them manna. This is how the Israelites worked.
God did not say, "From today, you all go out into the wilderness and look for it, just go look." If God did not give blessings, they would not find it. But God said, "I will rain down manna from heaven, and it will come down every day, from Monday to Saturday, and they can go look. Before going out, they thought, 'Today God has already given blessings, so I will go out and receive that blessing.' Amen! This is the mindset we Christians should have. Every morning when you get up, you should believe that God has already given blessings today. I work and live in blessings. Hallelujah!
Have you noticed the difference? If God did not give blessings, just like God said, on the Sabbath, He did not give manna because God said, for example, in our Chinese tradition, "On Saturday, I will give you double blessings, and on Sunday, do not go out; just stay home and worship me." That day, God did not give it. At first, the Israelites still went out to look but found nothing. People are in such an environment; they desperately go out to look for blessings, looking for problems, looking for business opportunities, looking, looking... If God does not give blessings, you will not find them.
What should we Christians do? We just need to live according to God's way. God said, "From Monday to Friday, gather what you need and take it back." We just do that. On Saturday, we gather double, and on Sunday, God said, "Do not go out." So we do not go out. Isn't this way of living very easy? Because we live in God's rest, this is what I mean by rest.
Brothers and sisters, as the new year begins, you must first believe that God has already given blessings in your life. The blessings for this year have already been prepared. Every day, just receive the blessings. Hallelujah! So do not rely on yourself to seek; it is hard to find. I hope that brothers and sisters can rest, root downward, and bear fruit upward this year.
As a tree, it is important to root downward. If you do not root downward, it is not stable. Look at the paulownia tree; it grows particularly fast and can reach great heights in two or three years. But when a strong wind comes, such trees are the easiest to fall. Do you know why? Because its foundation is not stable. But look at the pine trees on the mountain top; they do not grow very tall. The wind on the mountain top is particularly strong, but when the wind blows, the trees do not get blown down. The reason is that their roots go very deep. Amen!
As Christians, what kind of Christians can stand firm? It is a Christian who roots downward. Amen! In the words of Christ, I wish to root more in God's words in this new year, keeping God's words in my heart. This way, your life above will surely be stable. Amen!
With God's power, living a victorious life with God's words, no matter what kind of environment you are in, you know that God is with you! He is willing to help you and guide your life. Even if you encounter difficulties or negative things throughout the year, you still believe that God can turn these into benefits for you. Amen!
Let us look at verses 5-6:
Thus says the Lord (God speaks personally): Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.
In fact, in the original text, "cursed" means that the person should be cursed. Why does God say this? Is it that if we do not rely on God, we should be cursed? Does God say, "You must rely on me; if you do not rely on me, I will curse you"? Is God like this?
Our God says, "You must believe in me, and then I will bless you. If you do not believe in me, I will curse you..." What is the reason?
It does not say that God causes that person to be cursed; it means that this person falls under a curse, not because God is cursing him, but because he relies on himself. A person who relies on himself does not rely on the grace given freely by God, nor on what Jesus has accomplished. He relies on his own efforts, returning to the law. A person under the law will definitely fall under a curse because the law has a characteristic: you must obey all the laws to be blessed. They often fall under a curse.
There is a background here; why does God say this to the Israelites? There are so many nations in the world, but God chose only the Israelites to be His chosen people. What is the purpose of God choosing the Israelites? Is it to curse them? To make them suffer? God chose them to bless them! To bless them! To let them see in the world, "These are the blessed people of God!" This is God's intention.
God says to the Israelites: "If you rely on me, I will bless you." Our God never forces us, brothers and sisters. He does not say, "I must give you blessings." No, if you want it, He will give it to you. If you insist on relying on yourself, God will not force blessings upon you. This is very important. God chose the Israelites to bless them. Hallelujah!
Just as God's purpose in choosing us is to bless you! Why do we say that it is best to let your family believe in the Lord? Because God is love! If a family all believes in the Lord, the whole family lives in the love of Christ. Your family is stable; you do not have to worry about your wife or husband running off with someone else or having an affair. A person who truly understands God's love will not have such things happen in their family because the love of Christ is in their hearts. This is a very important matter. We must understand that God's purpose in choosing us is to bless us. Amen!
Did the Israelites really want to rely on God? Look at the earlier parts of the book of Jeremiah; it mentions that although God chose the Israelites, they still went to worship idols, and when they encountered problems, they did not rely on God but relied on Egypt and Babylon. What happened to those nations?
When you ask them for help, will people help you for free? There is always a price to pay. When they are in trouble, they seek help from Egypt, and Egypt gives them conditions. When they seek help from Babylon, the king of Babylon also gives them conditions, saying, "You must listen to me; if you do not listen to me, I will take you as slaves."
Relying on man means that people will always require you to pay a price. Is this not a curse? Is this not being cursed? Because when people help you, they will not do things that are disadvantageous to themselves.
The Israelites clearly had God but did not rely on this God. God says: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord." How many Christians believe in Jesus but do not rely on Jesus? Many such people do not mean that God is unwilling to bless them; it is that they do not rely on God. What can God do to bless them?
This matter is very important. We should not learn from the Israelites. God places the failed example of the Israelites in the Bible to show us. You see, the prophet says to the Israelites: "Repent! As long as you turn back, God will have mercy on you and bless you." But they are stiff-necked and unwilling to rely on God, unwilling to turn back. God says: "You have forsaken the Lord; you are cursed because you rely on the flesh of man."
Brothers and sisters, look at the final outcome of the Israelites; the entire nation was destroyed. Those whom they relied on ultimately broke into their country. Should we not rely on man? Is this not a curse?
The best way is to rely on our God! Because the help God gives you does not require a price to be paid. The blessings God gives you are not meant for you to pay a price. Those who do not rely on the Lord, whose hearts depart from God, relying on the flesh of man, this person should be cursed.
At the beginning of the new year, I tell brothers and sisters what it means to be blessed and what it means to be cursed. Of course, the one who is cursed is also saved. It is just that his life is more miserable. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, they are saved, but their lives are more bitter. In what circumstances will a person be cursed? Relying on one's own strength, relying on the strength of others, and departing from God, he falls under a curse. God actually tells us what kind of person is blessed. A blessed person can also bless others. Amen!
Let us first look at what a cursed person is like. Relying on the flesh of man and not relying on the Lord, so he becomes a cursed person. Relying on man can also be understood as building faith on one's own efforts. A person who does not believe in God is in such a situation: "I must work hard, strive, and I will definitely succeed." This is the philosophy of the world.
Will this necessarily lead to success? Not necessarily.
But God does not bless us in this way. We call the previous way of thinking personal achievement. He chooses to rely on himself rather than on the grace given freely by God. Such a person, when you tell him to believe in Jesus, that God is willing to bless him, he says no, he wants to rely on himself. Such a person is cursed. Relying on personal effort rather than on God will never lead to good success.
What we are talking about here is a completely different way of living. The first way is to rely entirely on God, believing in the grace given by God; the other way is to rely on our own efforts for success and struggle. Relying on our own efforts will never achieve success like God's. Will people in the world succeed through their efforts? We might think so, yes, they succeed.
But do you know what God's definition of success is? In your life, every aspect is blessed. Is there such success in the world? Some say that some people can earn a lot of money and are very wealthy, so they are successful. That is correct; you might think that being wealthy is success. But you do not know that the torment they experience in their hearts is many times greater than yours. The pressure they bear is many times greater than yours. Why do many wealthy people end up committing suicide? What is the reason? They excel in one area but are extremely lacking in others.
I have shared with brothers and sisters before that many people are wealthy and can buy beautiful beds, but they cannot sleep at night. Is this a blessing or a curse? Such things happen frequently. Yes, many people are very wealthy but end up with cancer and cannot spend that money. Is this a blessing or a curse? It is a curse. Such things are happening around us all the time.
The blessings that God wants to give you are to have you blessed in every aspect of your life! Amen! This is not something that can be achieved by relying on oneself; it is given freely by God. The blessings given by God are complete and can fill every part of your life, including all parts of your soul and body.
God will not let us sacrifice our marriage, family, or health to exchange for success. Many people work hard to earn money when they are young, but in the end, they wear out their bodies. When they get older, they use the money they earned when they were young to pay for medical treatment. If you were to live this kind of life, would you want to? Working hard for money when young, wearing out your body, indeed having money, but in the second half of life, sending all that money to the hospital, putting your hope in doctors, hoping to cure your illness. This is a curse, brothers and sisters, so we should not live in such success. Amen!
What kind of blessings does God want to give you?
Let us look at Proverbs 10:22: The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Amen!
Where does this blessing come from? Brothers and sisters, do you know what it means to be given? You see, God has blessings, and God says, "I give them to you freely." This is what it means to be given. For example, if God says, "I have many blessings; you work hard, and when you reach a certain level, I will give them to you." Is this giving? The meaning of giving is to bestow upon you, Amen! It is given freely, regardless of your behavior. Amen! Why does God want to give blessings freely? Not because of our good behavior, but because Jesus on the cross, with His body and life, exchanged for us the blessings given freely by God. Amen!
This verse can also be read as: The blessing of the Lord makes me rich and adds no sorrow with it. Amen! The blessings God gives you do not require you to worry about anything else. You do not have to worry that money will sprout wings and fly away. The Bible says that money can sprout wings and fly, but what God gives you, who can make it fly away? It cannot fly away. This is something we must be sure of; what God gives you, no one can take away. Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters, we should not live in the way of the world, exhausting our health to pursue wealth, only to exchange wealth for health in the end. This is very bad.
We must understand why those who do not rely on God live under a curse. Look at what we just read; we have not finished reading. Why is this person cursed? Why is this person to be cursed? It says: "For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes." The original text says "shall not see when good comes," which is an imperfect tense. What does the imperfect tense mean?
In Greek, there are two aspects: one is the perfect tense, which is finished and does not need to be repeated; the other is the imperfect tense, which means it continues from the past, present, and into the future. Here it says, "For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes." It does not mean that blessings have not come; blessings are always there. The blessings given by God are supplied every day. This is an imperfect tense; the problem lies in the fact that this person does not see. He is like a shrub in the desert, not seeing the blessings coming does not mean that there are no blessings.
In the new year, I want to tell everyone to meditate on God's words. Now, when I say "a shrub in the desert," when you close your eyes, what do you think of? A short, stunted tree. Living in a hot environment, it is dry; its life is withered. What does the bark of this tree look like? It is dry. This is the shrub in the desert. This plant does not grow tall and has a withered life. It does not see the blessings coming.
Brothers and sisters, do you want your life to be like this? I hope not. Is the shrub in the desert cursed? God has blessings, but he cannot see them. We have encountered such people around us; God's blessings are always supplied, but many people seem not to see them. God's blessings are right in front of them, but they cannot see them.
Let me give an example: Do you know how many blessings God is giving you right now? Can you see them? If you are married, is your husband or wife a blessing from God? Are your children blessings from God? Is your current health a blessing from God? These are all blessings.
If we cannot see them, we will live like a shrub in the desert, always feeling lack, always feeling insufficient. What will happen to your life? It will be like the life of a shrub in the desert. It is a withered life, a life full of complaints. Such people we can encounter in life.
Where does he live? It says he does not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.
Think about such an environment; would you want to stay there? No, but those who rely on their own strength and depart from God are actually like this group of people. They live as if they are in the wilderness. Of course, it does not mean that they actually live in the wilderness; many are in blessings but cannot see the blessings God has given them, complaining every day, complaining, complaining... Is this not living in the wilderness? It is the same.
I hope that brothers and sisters can change their way of living in the new year, seeing the blessings that God has given you in your life. Amen! It says he shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. In other words, he will stay in places where others do not want to go. Amen!
Who wants to live in sickness? Who likes living in poverty? Who particularly enjoys being scolded every day? What kind of land is this? A desolate land, a parched place in the wilderness. We should not live in here. Amen! Because such people are cursed.
Please remember, brothers and sisters, such people, even when blessings come, cannot see them. If you cannot see them, how can you enjoy them? You cannot enjoy them. If you cannot see them, you cannot possess them. All blessings are in Jesus Christ! When you have Jesus, you can see the grace given freely by God.
Let us look at verse 7: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.
God places these two before us, hoping that each of us makes a choice: Do you choose to be a cursed person or a blessed person? A blessed person is first a person who is in rest. Amen! Our Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden."
In other words, if you find yourself in a parched place, in a salt land which is not inhabited, do not worry; this is not the end of your life. You must see Jesus! Amen! You must turn to Jesus! Then your life will be transformed. Hallelujah!
Those who live under grace can truly enjoy the blessings that God gives them because they know that these blessings are not earned. They are not earned; they are given freely by God! Those who are cursed, because they rely on their own efforts, feel unworthy to receive God's blessings. Or when God gives blessings, they do not feel that it is God's blessing. They think it is their own effort. We have such people around us. We say, "Do you know that your business is doing well because our God is blessing you?" They say, "Impossible; this is my own effort." They do not believe that this is the blessing given by God, so when they have problems, they rely on their own efforts to solve them. They will not rely on God.
It says: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. Cursed people believe that good things will happen only after they have worked hard. This is why they become proud. In many foreign countries, wealthy people, when they get old, are willing to donate all their life savings to charity to help others. But in our country, very few are willing to do such things. The reason is that they feel, "This is what I have worked hard for; why should I give it to others?" In a Christian nation, they first have the concept that "everything I have is given freely by God. I receive freely, and I am willing to give freely." Amen!
You will find that such people often see joy and satisfaction in life. A person under a curse usually does not say thank you to those around him. He feels that it is deserved. "Why should I thank you? This is what I earned through my efforts." But a person under grace, a person who relies on God, knows that everything he has is given freely by God. He can often thank God and often thank people!
Brothers and sisters, we must not get this wrong. Many Christians do not understand this point clearly. For example, if a person helps you in a difficult situation, you should first thank God in your heart and then thank that person. Amen! You will find that a person who enjoys God's grace often has gratitude on their lips. This is a person living under blessings.
A person who relies on the Lord is blessed. You will see this person often thanking God, praising God, and thanking Jesus. He is also often thankful and appreciative of those around him. When you live under the grace given freely by God, you can enjoy the blessings around you calmly. Because you know that it is not earned by your efforts; it is given by God. You can often thank God and also thank those around you for the blessings they bring you. Amen! Such a person is a blessed person because he sees everything as a blessing. Your life is abundant in every aspect. Amen!
Earlier, we mentioned what a cursed person does. He relies on man. When he has problems, the first thing he thinks of is not to rely on God but to rely on man. This year, I hope that brothers and sisters develop a habit that when you encounter any problem in life, the first thing you think of is to pray to God. After you pray to God, He will send people to help you. This is completely different. If you rely on man, the first thing you think of is man, but people may not be able to help you.
Let me give a simple example. Brothers and sisters, think about this question: If you get sick, what is the first thing you think of? Some people think of the doctor first; some think of taking medicine. Actually, this is relying on man, relying on the flesh of man. This person is cursed. It does not mean that doing this is wrong; it just means that doing this does not necessarily solve your problem.
Conversely, if you have a cold or a problem with your body, the first thing you think of is God. Of course, we are not denying taking medicine or seeing a doctor; these are all fine. But if the first thing you think of is God, for example, after getting a cold, you pray, "Lord, heal my sickness." At this time, when you take medicine, your faith is in the medicine, which is fine.
But remember, a blessed person will pray over the medicine, "Lord, heal me through this medicine." Who is working? It is still God! When he goes to see the doctor, he says, "Lord, heal me through the doctor." Who is working? He still sees God's blessing! In this case, you will pray for the doctor and pray for the medicine. Perhaps the doctor's skills are not very high, but because you pray for him, God will give him skills and abilities to do what he cannot do. This is a person who relies on the Lord; he is blessed! Relying on the Lord is truly reliable. Amen!
In life, when we rely on man, our abilities are limited by man. If that person cannot help you, you have no way out. But when you rely on God, God can always help you. You prayed to God, and that person could not help you, but remember, God will send other people to come. God will send capable people to come. Similarly, we must understand that in God's grace, you should look at everything in this way. For example, when you are at work, is it your boss who is blessing you, or is it God who is blessing you? It is God who is blessing you! It is God blessing you through your boss. Amen!
If God finds that this boss can no longer bless you, He will let you leave. He will give you something better. Amen! Sometimes we Christians do not understand. We say, "Lord, why did my boss fire me?" In fact, that company is about to go bankrupt. If you continue, the salary will not be paid. Do you understand, brothers and sisters? We do not know this, but God knows. Hallelujah!
So when we rely on God, we rely on our God, and this person is always blessed! Hallelujah! God will never delay your matters! Always remember, brothers and sisters, God will not delay your matters! How should Christians view the things happening around them? Remember, if this road does not work, you are a person who relies on God. God will open other roads for you, and this road will be better! This is the blessing I want to give everyone in the new year!
We should not manipulate people, manipulate power, or control people. This is not our method. Such methods can only lead to greater losses in the end. So today, God wants to give you blessings, and the reason is simple: first, to glorify Jesus, and second, to benefit His church. Who is the body of the church? It is you! So God wants you to benefit! He will place you in an environment that is very advantageous to you.
Let us look at the characteristics of a blessed person. Jeremiah 17:8:
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. Amen!
This is this year's verse. I hope everyone can memorize this verse. Change "he" to "I": I shall be like a tree planted by the waters. Where is this tree? The cursed tree is in the parched land, but you are different; you are planted by the waters. Psalm 1 tells us that the blessed person shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water. God compares you to a tree; you are not a tree in the wilderness but a tree by the streams of water. The streams of water represent living water. Brothers and sisters, the streams of water are flowing water, not stagnant water. It can supply you with living life. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, you must know that you are planted by Jesus Christ beside His living water. When you believe in Jesus, you are placed in Christ. Christ Himself is alive, and what comes out of Christ is living water that can bring life to people. The reason this tree is blessed is not because it has anything to boast about; it is because its location is different. If you take this tree from beside the stream and move it to the wilderness, is this tree blessed or cursed? Cursed! Similarly, if this tree is in the wilderness and you move it to beside the stream, then it is a blessed tree! Amen!
In the past, when we did not accept Jesus, we were all under a curse. But God, through Jesus Christ, has moved you from under the curse to beside His streams of water. It says here, "Rooted by the river!" God has already placed you in Christ. If you do not root down, how can you receive this blessing? You cannot receive it. We must become a tree that roots downward. Rooting downward means that below is the living supply. This year, I hope that brothers and sisters know that in Christ, knowing to live in the rest of Jesus Christ, the only thing to do is to root downward. Rooting is to absorb moisture and nutrients. Bearing fruit is a natural thing; it is not about striving to bear fruit. You see, the purpose of rooting downward is to obtain supply. Amen!
If everyone is determined in the Bible and roots in God's words, rest assured, you will be like this tree by the streams of water. The more you root down, the more supply you will receive. Here it mentions again, "When heat comes." The same tree, one in the wilderness is dry, and there is heat. The same tree by the streams of water also experiences heat. But when heat comes, "it will not fear." Amen! This is you!
As the new year arrives, you should picture this in your mind: I am a tree planted by the streams of water. I am constantly rooting down, absorbing the supply that Jesus Christ gives me, receiving His grace every day. Constantly receiving means constantly rooting down. This is how it is; the more roots you have, the more you receive. The more you know Jesus Christ, the more grace you receive. You can only receive as much as you know.
I hope that brothers and sisters will know more about Jesus Christ's blessings this year, know more about His grace, so that you can receive more of His power. When your roots go deep down, although heat comes, what is this heat? At the beginning of the new year, many people have told you that last year was enough for people to suffer. The market is chaotic, the world economy is chaotic, and this year will not be any better. It seems there are no signs of recovery. This year is harsher than last year. This is the answer of the world.
Do not believe them. This is called heat. For the tree, heat is not a good thing. Too much heat will dry it out. If there is no supply, this tree will wither. The reason we do not wither is only one: because you are by the streams of water. It is not that this tree has anything to boast about; it is because you are by the streams of water. Will the streams of water of Jesus dry up? As long as the streams of water do not dry up, the tree does not need to worry. As long as Jesus is eternally victorious, you do not need to worry. As long as Jesus Christ supplies you, you do not need to worry.
It says, "When heat comes, it will not fear," because it has the living water of life continuously supplying it, so it does not fear. No matter what kind of environment you encounter, do not fear! Because you are planted beside the living water of Jesus Christ. Being planted beside it also has a characteristic: "Its leaf will be green." Other trees wither because there is no supply of water. The world is very anxious. "What to do? Business is hard to do. It is difficult for children to go to school. Children do not listen. What will happen to life in the future?" These things are all in drought. In the heat, they do not know what to do. But remember, you are not in this situation. Amen! You are not in this situation. You should use your mouth to declare over your life: I am not in this situation! Amen!
I hope that brothers and sisters will keep one thing in mind: do not let your mouth speak negatively. Even if the current environment is very bad for you, do not say negative things. You should say positive things. Although heat has come, I do not fear! Because there is God's grace and the supply of living water, my leaves are still green. This leaf represents actions; people in the world can see your leaves, but they cannot see your roots. Your leaves are determined by your roots. As I said earlier, if this tree is planted in the desert, in the wilderness, rooting down further is useless. Rooting down further is still in the desert, still dry, still in the salt land, and cannot live.
But you are different. You are now planted in Jesus Christ. There is abundant supply there. The deeper you root, the greener your leaves will be. It says, "In the year of drought, there will be no anxiety!" No anxiety means that this tree does not worry, does not fear. Amen! I hope that as the new year begins, you do not worry about this year's life. If the current environment is unfavorable to you, use your mouth to declare the results you want. Do not fear! Believe that God will supply you. The environment may seem very bad for you right now. In the name of Jesus Christ, declare the results you want. Amen!
Do not worry about anything. In the year of drought, you do not have to be like the tree in the wilderness. Do not learn from the world. Use the words of the Bible to view yourself. Then say, "In the year of drought, there will be no anxiety," and the latter part is "nor will cease from yielding fruit!" We also truly know that the day of the Lord Jesus' return is really near. Before the Lord Jesus returns, this world will definitely become more chaotic and darker, just like in the year of drought.
This is a mystery in the Bible. You see, at the end of Genesis, Israel, which is Jacob, encountered seven years of famine. Where did he go to find food? Egypt. He sought food from the Gentiles, but the one who supplied him with food was his youngest son, Joseph. His father sought food from the Gentiles, and the one who supplied him with food was Joseph! Amen!
The last days of the world are like this. People around the world are in the year of drought, including the Jews. They are in the year of drought and have no hope, seeking help from the Gentiles. Our leaves are green. In the year of drought, Joseph is with the Gentiles. Because Joseph is in Egypt, the whole Egypt is prosperous, while other places are in drought. Here it is abundant. Amen! When his brothers come, he can supply them because in the year of drought, he has no anxiety and bears fruit abundantly. Amen!
I hope that brothers and sisters, in the new year, will say to themselves, picturing in their hearts, "In the year of drought, I am not in drought. I am planted beside the streams of Jesus Christ. When I have needs, I can pray to my Lord Jesus Christ. His supply is always there. Your eyes must see the supply of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Every day, you must forbid your mouth from speaking negative words. This is the first thing I teach this year: do not let your mouth speak negatively. You should see that you are planted by the streams of water. Let your mouth often speak the words of Christ, speak words of blessing to others, to yourself, to your family. Always speak words of blessing. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
We pray for a new beginning this year before God. No matter what your current situation is, completely entrust this year into the hands of Jesus Christ. You must see that although it is a year of drought, you are different. You are in Jesus Christ, in the supply of Christ. The supply of Jesus is not based on this world but on the supply of the kingdom of heaven. In the kingdom of heaven, there is never drought; there is always abundant supply.
You should pray like this:
No matter what you need right now, open your mouth and pray to Jesus, entrusting everything to Him. You should say to yourself, "I am not a shrub in the desert; I am a tree by the streams. It is not because I have done well; it is because I am in the right place. What I need to do is to keep rooting down, and I will bear fruit abundantly, and the fruit will not cease. This fruit is my actions, the expression of my outward behavior. The key is the result of my rooting down. Only by continually rooting down can my leaves be green. People will see that I am different from others. In the same environment, my mouth is always thanking God because I see the supply of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, I thank you! In the year of drought, you will make your children prosper. You will make their leaves green. Not only in the year of drought are we green and without anxiety, but we will also bear fruit abundantly. Jesus, because we rely on you, we are not shrubs in the desert who cannot see blessings when they come. Our eyes will always see the supply you give us. I know that the supply for this year has already been given.
I know that the supply for this week has already been given. In the name of Jesus Christ, your blessings are now upon me. I work with your rest. I believe I have already been blessed. No matter where I go, your blessings will allow my eyes to see. If the channels of blessings in this place are blocked, God, you will open new paths for me. I do not fear because you are with me. I am by your streams of water. I do not worry; you are continuously supplying me. I thank you for this! Not because I have done well, not because of my efforts, but because of Jesus Christ. He has exchanged for me on the cross. It is the grace given freely by God. Praise Jesus! Everything is because of Jesus. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me such supply. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, I pray! Amen!