325-God's Words Will Not Return Void#
325-God's Words Will Not Return Void
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Isaiah 55:8-13
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to worship and praise you together! This is our moment to receive your words; your thoughts are not our thoughts, your ways are higher than our ways. We are willing to seek you as the new week begins, looking solely to you. Please grant us the words we need to live through this week. Provide for me in due time, renew my strength, and give me your personal supply. Holy Spirit, renew me, thank you and praise you! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Looking at today's text, Isaiah 55 comes after chapter 53. Does everyone understand this? Do you know what chapter 53 talks about? Jesus Christ took our sins on the cross, and by the time we reach chapter 55, it tells us there is great hope; you can rely on God. Here, God does not say, "If you do well, I will bless you." God says, "My thoughts, my ways, I will bless you. The words I speak will surely come to pass," because Jesus has already completed the work of redemption on the cross. The issue of sin has been resolved, and God says, "I can bless you now." The past curses, thorns, and briers will be replaced by fir trees and myrtle trees. This will serve as evidence for the Lord. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: God's Words Will Not Return Void.
Do you know what it means to return? When people speak, sometimes they go back on their word; what they promised today, they may regret tomorrow. They might promise you something, then later say they were joking. God never jokes; His words will never return void, meaning what He says is powerful.
I share the first point: A promise is a permission.
There are many promises in the Bible, over 1,500. Grab hold of any one of them, and it is yours. God has written these promises in the Bible, and that is permission. Since God has spoken this to you, the purpose is to give it to you. Do you like this message? Is it for you? He says this to tell us, "Come rely on me, I will help you. The words I speak will never return void." They will not become ineffective.
Numbers 23:19-20
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
Balaam, a greedy prophet, when moved by the Spirit of God, spoke words of blessing. He could not change this; perhaps he wanted to curse the Israelites, but when the Spirit of God was upon him, the curse turned into a blessing. This is God's power. Amen! Because God never promised to curse the Israelites; He promised to bless them. Today, you can understand our God; He is not a man, He does not lie, and He does not repent. When God blesses you, He has blessed you, and if you squander it, He will not say, "How can you squander my blessing?" Once He gives it, He will not regret it.
When we give to others, and that person has a conscience of a dog, we get hurt and argue with them because we regret it. After regret, bitterness and complaints may arise. But God never lies, and He never regrets what He does; what He has said will come to pass. Amen! Do you believe that so many promises in the Bible are for you? They are for you, even if you feel unworthy. God says, "What I give you, I will not regret," so just receive it. Hallelujah!
Psalm 33:11-12
11 The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Does this passage relate to you? It mentions that His counsel stands forever. What does forever mean? It means there are no time constraints. His plans, salvation, and blessings are established forever. Are His thoughts good or bad? Good. You must believe that God's thoughts are for your good, and this thought endures for all generations. It later tells us that you can rely on this God; blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, do you know what it means to have Him as your God? When you encounter something, you pray to Him. When you are happy today, you tell Him; you make Him your God. The first one you think of is Him, the one you confide in is Him, the one you pray to is Him. This is how you make Him your God. God says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," referring to the people.
It later says, "Blessed is the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." Do you know you are chosen by God? Jesus also said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." Being chosen by God is a blessing because this God is good, and His goodness lasts forever. His promises to you are permission, allowing you to receive them. When we have a conflict with someone, or when others do not trust us, what do we do? Usually, we swear an oath, pointing to something unchanging.
In the past, watching the animated movie "The Prince of Egypt," they said, "I swear by the spider's head..." Does that work? People swear by something unchanging. The Israelites piled stones to swear by them, which are unchanging, or swore by blood covenants, which are also unchanging. Does God need to swear? Let's look at a passage.
Hebrews 6:16-18
16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
Does our God need to swear? No, but why does He swear here? God swears, "I will never remember your sins again." This is what God swears about. Why does God swear on this matter? Because we have too little faith in Him; it is not that God does not trust us. God believes in us; as long as you follow Him, He can change you. But we cannot believe in God, so God says, "I swear." He had to find something greater than Himself to swear by, but He could not find anything, so He swore by Himself.
"I swear by myself, I will never lie; I give you a refuge, and you can live with hope. Even if you are facing difficulties now, God says, 'I will let the myrtle replace your thorns and briers.' Do you believe it? If you say you do not believe, God says, 'I swear by myself to tell you, you will surely turn around.' God's words have come to this point; God is willing to show the heirs of promise that His will is unchanging, confirming it by an oath.
Have you thought about how beautiful this God is? You do not believe Him, and He swears by Himself, saying, "You must believe that what I say is true. I am here to bless you; I am not the God who brings diseases, disasters, or accidents." We say, "No! You are that God." God sent His Son down, and various prophets tell you He is not that kind of Lord. Can you believe it? If you still do not believe, look around you at many testimonies; they have been turned around and healed by God. Those healings did not happen because of what they did; it was because they completely believed in God.
Through these two immutable things, God has shown us that He never lies. Amen! You have hope; anytime you believe that God loves you and is willing to help you, you have hope. Even if the world has nothing to hold on to, if you have no family ties and do not dare to trust anyone, the only one you can trust is our Lord, the Lord Jesus, who is worthy of your trust. Amen! Remember one thing: the promises in the Bible are permission; once He speaks them, the seals are already set. Just go and take what is yours. Hallelujah!
The second point of sharing: Believe in Him, and speak His words without changing.
This is our main point: Believe in Him, and speak His words. What do you believe? You need to learn to speak God's words or speak like Jesus. How do people speak? For example, people have a habit of lying, while God never lies. There was a person next to me who was on the phone saying, "I am not in town; I am out of town, busy traveling." People lie without even blushing; they have developed this habit, and in the end, no one dares to believe them.
God means that people can be like this, but I am not like this. My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways. God's meaning is that as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. This means you can rely on Him; while people live in that way, you do not need to emulate them. By God's way, your path is broader than theirs. Perhaps people are scheming and gaining power for a little benefit, but when you rely on our God, you gain eternal blessings. Amen! So how do we speak and live? Let’s look at a passage.
2 Corinthians 4:13 But we having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.
In the group, there is a brother who is usually very busy with business, and we always have to wait for him. When we call him, he says he will be there soon. You are familiar with this, right? At first, we really thought he would arrive soon, but after waiting ten or twenty minutes, when we call again, he still says he will be there soon. After a while, we concluded that this horse is a sick horse. Whenever he says he will be there soon, he is probably just leaving. If he says he is downstairs, he is probably halfway there. If he says he is at the door, he is just downstairs...
In our habits, when people interact, they say ambiguous things that seem right but also seem wrong. For example, when asking someone how they have been lately, they might say, "Just so-so." Just so-so, is that good or bad? "It's okay," this is all ambiguous language. But how does God want us to speak? You have faith, just as it is written, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken."
How does God speak? When a person came to Jesus and said, "Lord! If you are willing, you can make me clean." It was a leper coming to Jesus, right? If Jesus had said, "You might be made clean," would you still have faith for healing? How did Jesus speak? "I am willing; be cleansed." His words are affirmative. Amen! The Bible also tells us that if it is yes, say yes; if it is no, say no. Speak words of faith. Amen!
When praying for others, say, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you sickness leave you." You cannot say something ambiguous like, "If God permits, you will be healed." That is irresponsible talk. Does God give us the promise of healing? How should we say it? "In the name of the Lord Jesus, you are healed." Just like the two sisters who gave us testimonies last week; hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were healed by God. Do you remember when we prayed? "In the name of the Lord Jesus, I command your values to return to normal." We did not say, "If God is pleased, you will be healed." We directly spoke God's promises. Amen!
This is the way we need to learn to speak; we must be confident in what we say. First, believe that God speaks this way, and you should speak this way too, affirmatively or directly negatively, and do not change. This way, you will be assured of God's promises without doubt, and you will see the words you speak come to pass because you are speaking God's words. We have been saying that God is responsible for what He says. Amen! But what we say casually, God will definitely not fulfill. As long as it is a word from His promises, if you speak it in the name of the Lord Jesus, God will fulfill it.
Why do many Christians not live this out? In today's age, too many people do not take their words seriously; there are too many lies. Some people, even though they believe in the Lord and declare, still do not really believe. Is that okay? Just remove the "maybe," and it will be fine. We are not of this world; we are children of God, and we are a people whose words count. Amen! It is common for people to be late for work by a minute or two. In the church, there are always people who are late; every time it is said to start at two o'clock, some people always arrive at ten past two. How can this be corrected? You cannot just say, "Why are you late?" because there is no such thing as being late or not. But can you arrive ten minutes early? Absolutely! But they have already developed that habit, so what if they are five minutes late?
Once, the church organized an outing, and everyone was notified to gather at the church at eight o'clock the next morning. The driver said he would leave promptly at eight, and everyone must arrive before eight. Was that clear? Did everyone understand? Everyone answered that they understood, so they all went home. Everyone was very enthusiastic, and the next day, almost everyone was on the bus before eight. I was the last one to get on, just at eight o'clock. I even looked around to see no one, so I got on the bus and left, just as I got on, it was eight oh five.
That old lady called me, "Pastor, where did the bus go? Why is there no one?" I said, "Didn’t we say to arrive at eight? I was already here before eight." I said, "Your watch must be wrong, right? Didn’t everyone else have a sense of time?" In fact, from then on, that old lady was always very punctual for every meeting.
Whether in interpersonal relationships or not, we must become people whose words count. Once you become such a person, you can believe in others. Similarly, our relationship with God is the same; if you often say things that do not count, when you see God's words, you will also feel that what God says may not count. This mindset needs to be renewed. If you believe in Him, you must speak God's words and not change them. When you apply this in life, when you speak to others, it should also be just as decisive. Amen! "In the name of the Lord Jesus, you are healed." Isn’t that a very affirmative statement? When you say it, do you need to believe it? If you do not believe, how can there be any effect?
Brothers and sisters, we have many beautiful idioms, such as "A promise is worth a thousand gold." When you make a promise, it is worth a thousand taels of gold. "A word is worth nine tripods," meaning it carries great weight. These phrases tell us the importance of words, whether in life, work, or interpersonal relationships. This is particularly important. I hope everyone will practice their speech from today, learning to speak in God's way, and you will see the effects of Jesus manifest in your life. Never be someone who changes their words and is untrustworthy. Once something is set, it is set; no matter what, do not change it. Amen!
Last time I went to a place to preach, I had a severe throat inflammation at that time. My wife said, "You are like this; tell them you are not going." I said, "Unless I cannot speak, otherwise nothing can stop me from going. I promised others, and I will definitely do it." This is a requirement I set for myself. First, I believe that God is also responsible for His words. I said I would do something good; sometimes I forget, but I will definitely make it up later. I cannot say that was just a joke; that will not do.
Looking at a person, you might wonder why they are so blessed. Do you also want to be blessed in every aspect of your life? First, look at these people's examples; their blessings must have reasons. God loves them and loves us; this love will not diminish. Do you believe it? Then let’s see where the difference lies, where the problem is. This person is Isaac. Was Isaac a blessed person? Although Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, he learned from his father that his words counted and that he would not change what he said. Let’s take a look.
Genesis 27:1-4
1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. 2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: 3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 4 And make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and bless thee before I die.
Isaac's habit is not good; he says to bless, but first lets his son prepare food for him to eat before he blesses him. But in reality, Isaac has already made a mistake. The previous sentence says he was old and his eyes were dim. Is it destined for old people to have dim eyes? No, do not say it is not certain. If you think it is not certain, then it may happen to you in the future. If you say it is not true, I refuse this. Moses was 120 years old and did not say he was dim-eyed. Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, which indicates he had a problem. God had given him a promise, and he forgot it. Let’s see how God spoke at that time.
Genesis 25:22-23
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Who were the two children in Rebekah's womb? Esau and Jacob. Did God give a promise about the future of the two children? He had said very clearly that two nations would come from her, and one people would be stronger than the other; the elder would serve the younger. Esau is the elder, Jacob is the younger. Before they were born, God had already told them this. Did these two forget? Brothers and sisters, since God has spoken, do we need to wait decades and say, "This might be different"? Will it change? You need to have this certainty. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, and if you believe what God said in the past, it still does not change today, and you can claim that promise. If you think what God said was so long ago, it must have changed by now, then you really will not believe.
At that time, God said that the elder would serve the younger, but this father forgot and insisted on blessing the elder. Now one cannot wait any longer, Jacob. The two were struggling in the womb, and later in life, they continued to fight. Now that it is time to inherit the estate, the struggle is even fiercer. When the elder went out to hunt in the field, Rebekah remembered what God had said, but remembering it does not mean she could deceive her father. Did both of them do something wrong?
Genesis 27:15-19
15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17 And she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
Through this passage, let me share a little life tip: it is very scary when husband and wife are not of one mind, especially for men; the one who can deceive you is the one who sleeps next to you. Rebekah knew him too well; she knew exactly what he wanted to do. Since God had already said that the elder would serve the younger, she liked the younger and had to give the blessing to him. Jacob also thought, "I want to take that blessing." This family has different thoughts. Now the question is, did he deceive his father? He deceived him by wearing his brother's clothes and using the food to get his father’s blessing. It is obvious that this matter will be discovered sooner or later. Let’s see.
Genesis 27:26-29
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. 27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed.
Remember this part; he still needs to bless Esau later. Let’s see what is different.
28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Have you noticed that this speech sounds familiar? Why could Isaac say such words? God had said the same to his father Abraham, "I will bless you, and you will become a great nation; I will curse those who curse you, and I will bless those who bless you." Did he pass this word down to his descendants? Isaac was not confused in this regard; he knew that this blessing was from God, and the blessing he gave Jacob was freely given by God. "May God give you the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine." Why could Isaac say such confident words? His whole life was lived this way.
He believed that the God of his father was a God who was willing to bless him, and that God’s words counted. Now he wanted to pass this blessing to his children. But here is a problem: "May you be lord over your brother." How did God say it? The elder shall serve the younger. Now how does he say it? "May you be lord over your brother." He reversed God's words. Did this matter come to pass? It came to pass as God had said, not as Isaac had said. Isaac thought, "I will bless the one I like, Esau, and let the younger serve the elder." But he did not know that the one in front of him was the younger. So, trying to deceive God is impossible; this matter twists and turns, but in the end, it still falls into God's promise, and he blessed him like that.
Let’s look at verses 30-35, which talk about how after Isaac blessed Jacob, his brother Esau returned and brought him food. Did he go through the process again? 32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. Did Jacob say the same thing just now? Both of them spoke the same way. 33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? Where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
Let me ask you a question: Has Jacob already taken the blessing by deceit?
Does his father Isaac know that Jacob deceived him to take his brother's blessing?
What would you do if it were you?
He is a liar; this matter does not count. Esau, come here, I will bless you. Is that what we would think? Why does Isaac not do this? He knows now that Jacob deceived him. Why does he not bless Esau again? Let’s think; at worst, he could bless Esau again, right? But why does he not do it? 34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. Is this son now the one he likes? He begs, "Father, bless me too!"
There is another situation where we think, "Just bless Jacob and then bless Esau, so both can count." Is that what we would think? But God is not like this; the blessings of the firstborn and the secondborn are different. How does Isaac speak? Although he is old and dim-eyed, he is not confused about this matter at all. 35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. Did he not say, "Bless Esau again"? Why does Isaac not do this? It is very simple; he is responsible for the words that come out of his mouth because he knows that I cannot casually change God's blessing. Once I speak it, it has already come to pass; it cannot be changed.
Now do you know why Isaac was so blessed? Did he do such things when he was young? He dug a well, and others came to take it away. He said, "You can take it." What was he thinking? "My God will give me another well." Until one day, you no longer take my well, and you will still be afraid. That is why he kept yielding. During the years of famine, he sowed in faith. Do you think this is unrelated? He completely believed in God's words. At that time, God said, "Do not leave Gerar; sow in this place, and I will bless you." So what did Isaac do? He sowed in that place. "What you say, I believe." As a result, he had a hundredfold harvest. Now, in his old age, this promise, God's words, had never been discounted in his heart. Although he was biased, he was very clear on this matter; he said, "Now there is none; that one has already been given to him."
Genesis 27:37-40
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; 40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
Let me ask you a question: Do the two blessings conflict? Is the first one effective? Yes, the one he loves, Esau, is now crying before his father. He says, "Father, do you only have one blessing to give?" Is it really only one? Yes, it is like this. If you have two sons, the blessing of the firstborn is the firstborn's; no one can take it away. Now I tell you what this means: God today says He will bless you; you must have this faith to receive it. If you have Isaac's firm faith to receive it, no one can take it away; it really cannot be taken away.
When Isaac blessed his children, he knew that what he said would surely come to pass and would not change with the wind. This matter would come to pass as such. Although he also blessed his beloved Esau, the blessings were different. When Esau cried before his father, saying, "Father, bless me too," he wanted the blessing of the firstborn, but his father did not revoke what he had previously given to Jacob. His father said, "The fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling." What is different from the previous one? Look at the previous one: "May God give you the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine." What is different between these two?
First, the blessing given to Esau starts from the earth, and this fatness of the earth is what you earn through hard work. "The fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling." God says, "You must work hard." The blessing given to Jacob starts from heaven: "May God give you the dew of heaven," which is God's blessing coming down from heaven. Now do you see the difference? One is destined to live by the sword, while the other only needs to receive this blessing. The dew from heaven has already been given to him.
Let’s look back at what was just read: "The dew of heaven shall be yours." This is the blessing given to Esau. What was said to Jacob was, "You shall receive the dew of heaven." Here, it tells you, "The dew of heaven shall be yours," meaning you have to work hard for it. Do you see the difference? The blessing of God and the blessing earned through human effort are vastly different. I hope you receive the blessing like Jacob received from Isaac. Amen! Do not learn from Esau; how did he end up? "You will live by the sword, struggling every day." You can gain land by the sword, but can you get it? Yes, but it will be very tiring. Every night you will be anxious because you have taken someone else's land, always thinking if the enemy will come back for revenge.
But if it is given to you by God, no one can take it away. Now you must believe that our Lord has given you His promises like this; you do not need to deceive God for His blessings like Jacob did. Today you have the qualification to believe in Jesus and what He has done for you on the cross, and you can receive this blessing. Everyone can receive blessings like Jacob's without needing to be like Esau, first preparing wild game and then honoring God to receive blessings. This is a very troublesome way to exchange for blessings.
What is grace? It is what you do not deserve, what you should not have, but God gives it to you freely. So what do you need to do? Gratefully receive it. Amen! "When you are strong, you will break his yoke from off your neck." Now you can see clearly; this is Isaac. Although he was indeed confused later, he was very certain about God's words. Today I hope everyone will be certain about God's words, certain to what extent? God says, "What I say will surely come to pass in me," and no one can change this; no one can stop me from receiving God's blessings. Amen! Just like the passage we read earlier.
Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void."
What is the nature of the words that come out of God's mouth? The verse we read at the beginning says, "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater."
Does God take the rain and snow back up after sending them down? No, what God gives will never be taken back. Can you believe this? If God gives you wealth, status, or ability, will He take it back? No, what He gives is given. Is there evidence? In the beginning, God gave the world as a gift to Adam and Eve; you could also say it was God's dowry for Eve. Adam did not inherit his father's things; at that wedding, God took Eve's hand and brought her to Adam, saying, "You two are now one; live well." Did He give them the whole world as a gift? Yes, He did! He said, "You two manage the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and the beasts of the earth." Did God take it back? No, He only said, "Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." This is not interference; it is giving them the opportunity to choose freely.
The whole world was given to Adam; he could dance, sing, and praise God every day, go play, and enjoy the beautiful mountains and rivers. It was wonderful at that time. But Satan could not stand it. Do you know what Satan is? In the original language, it means "the adversary." Today, there is another term called "green-eyed monster." When you are doing well, Satan feels particularly uncomfortable. When he feels uncomfortable, what does he want to do? He wants you to do poorly, so he tries every means to sow discord between people.
In Jesus Christ, couples can live well together. When a husband and wife argue, it often starts from small matters. In fact, the devil gives them some wrong thoughts to sow discord, and in the end, they say, "Forget it, let’s not live together." The devil's work is like this, and he is still doing it today. So brothers and sisters, I want to tell you that since God gave the world to Adam and Eve, He will not interfere with them. They foolishly gave the management rights to the devil. If our God interfered and said, "Adam, what are you doing?" that would not be giving him freedom. So when Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he gave the management rights to the devil, and the devil messed up the world. Was it Adam's fault?
But in this mistake, did God make a mistake? No, brothers and sisters, do not learn from Adam and Eve. It is not my fault; it is the woman you gave me who gave me to eat. That is blaming God, saying, "Why did you create this woman for me?" Many people encounter problems and say, "Lord, where are you? Why don’t you help me?"
Brothers and sisters, this is not God's fault. Even if we fall into a trap, it is not God who dug the pit for you. You can ask our Lord; He will help you. After they failed, God thought, "I have given you the management rights of the world; it was lost in your hands. As a person, you lost it. I cannot interfere with people's rights. How can I let you regain this authority?" He let His Son become a man, just like us, come into this world, and pay the price for our sins.
Is this how God calmed His anger? Then through death, He fought back from the devil's hand and won. He overcame the devil. In the past, he deceived Adam, but today I have won; you cannot defeat me. From now on, He gives us an example: the world may say this world is bad and hopeless, but you are always hopeful in Jesus. My point is that when God gives you a blessing, He will never take it back. Adam failed, and when Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, it was not a self-directed play of suffering; it was truly our failure. God did not want to use His sovereignty to eliminate the devil but used His Son in a reasonable and legal way to regain that sovereignty. He won. Amen!
In this way, He tells you that the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return, watering the earth.
Since God uses this method to tell us, He says His words are the same: "My words will not return void." Today I want to tell you that you are the one who inherits the blessings; do not let God's words return void in your life. Do you know when God's words will return void in your life? When you refuse to accept them, the words do not return to God; they return to the person who spoke the blessing. Is there a biblical basis for this? The Bible tells us that when you go into someone's house, you should first ask for peace for that household. If that household is worthy of that peace, the peace will come upon that household. If that person is not worthy of that peace, the peace will return to the person who spoke it.
Do you know that you are the bearer of blessings? You are the announcer of God's promises. A promise represents permission. You must believe that God's words will never return void. When you speak this word, even if the person does not want it, OK! That blessing will return to you. Never become an insulator; when God sends out blessings, you must open your heart to receive this word. From today, learn to speak like God. Amen! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, today is a beautiful day; God will bless the work of my hands. Even if the current environment is not good, I still believe God's blessings are here. I look forward to good things appearing. Perhaps the things I expect have not happened yet, but I know God has prepared better for me. You must always have hope in Jesus Christ. Amen!
What is the reason? It will never return void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. This sentence may sound a bit convoluted. Let’s look at the part in parentheses: "In the things I send him to accomplish or to ordain, it will surely prosper." Let me simplify this sentence for you: God says, "My words will not return void; in the things I have ordained to accomplish, they will surely prosper." Do you know what ordained means? It means from the beginning, you are the one who inherits this blessing; this is called ordination. For example, when a king's son is born, he is a prince; this is ordination. What about the Son born of God? Are you born of God? The Bible says very clearly that you are born of the Spirit, born of God, so you are children of God.
As children of God, should we not speak God's words and live like God? It does not mean you become God; it means you live like Him. Do not get it wrong; being like is different from being. Cats give birth to cats, dogs give birth to dogs, and mouse offspring can dig holes because their father does so, and the son will do the same. Do not think you are destined to achieve nothing; you are not! What I say about your physical father is different from your spiritual father. You now have a Heavenly Father in the spiritual realm, who is the Creator of heaven and earth. His words say, "In the things I have ordained to accomplish, they will surely prosper." You just need to find out what this ordination is that God has given me. Can you determine this now?
The Bible has over 1,500 promises; as long as you are certain which one is yours, that is your ordination. It depends on which one you can believe. No matter how the environment changes, you must believe it. If you say, "I have believed for a year, and there has been no change," continue to believe. If you say, "I have believed until I die, and I have not seen this matter," you must always believe that God does not deceive you. At that time, God said to Abraham, "I will make you a great nation; your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore."
Did God give him this promise? When Abraham died, did he see so many children? No, when he died, he saw only a few children. Did he become a nation? No, did God deceive him? Before he died, did he say, "God, you have deceived me so badly! I have not enjoyed a single day of blessing since I followed you, and I ended up dying so miserably. You said my children would be as numerous as the stars; how come there are not so many?"
He died with hope, but did God fulfill this matter? Today you can see that all who believe in Jesus are the spiritual descendants of Abraham, whether they are Arabs or Jews; they are all descendants of Abraham. Are there really as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore? God does not deceive. So brothers and sisters, you must believe this today; as long as you are certain, you can believe that what God has ordained will surely prosper, and no one can stop it.
Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Why is there this certainty? Today I tell you, His way is better than we can imagine, and His thoughts are better than our thoughts. He wants you to rely on Him. Why would you believe that God will listen to your prayers? It is very simple; we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who allows us to come before God, and He is the guarantee that God will fulfill our prayers. Every time you pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, it means Jesus is your guarantee. How is the relationship between the Father and Jesus? It is particularly good. Since He is so pleased with this high priest, God will surely listen to your prayers. Hallelujah! After praying, just hand it over to Him, "Lord, I believe you will surely accomplish this matter in the best way."
Verse 15 tells us that we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.
Does Jesus know your weaknesses? He knows very well. You must also believe that His thoughts are higher than your thoughts, and His ways are higher than your ways. After you pray, pay attention to observe the changes in the people or things around you; God is already doing something. Then at the most suitable time and place, He will let you see the best blessings that cannot be taken away.
Verse 16 tells us, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Are you certain that God is willing to help you? Are you certain that God is pleased with you? Can you live in this world like Jesus? I mean, speak like Jesus, make declarations like Jesus, and you will see results like Jesus. The reason is simple: before Jesus left, He gave you all authority in heaven and on earth. You must use this authority, believing that the words that come out of your mouth will surely come to pass. In your mind, do not have thoughts of curses; God has been telling us that "I will curse those who curse you." You should not curse; your heart should be filled with God's blessings. Amen! Think about receiving God's blessings, then live out this blessing, and finally bless others. Starting this week, I hope everyone learns to speak like God, and you will surely see God's promises fulfilled in your life.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for helping us with these words, letting us know that what you say will never return void. The blessings you give us will not be taken back; what you bestow upon us will not be reclaimed because you love us. What you give us, you will not take back. I believe that the promises in the Bible are for me; what you say will come to pass in my life. You want me to live a victorious life like Jesus on this earth. Please help me to be steadfast in your words, not looking at how the environment is or how others live, but to be determined to live according to your words, for your words are powerful. I just need to declare and believe. Lord! Let me experience the power of your words in my life. Please help me. Thank you and praise the Lord; all glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!