The Goodness of God (Chapter Four)

Chapter Four

Error Three: God Only Supplies Our Needs, Not Our WANTS

"It is possible, of course, to indicate many people – perhaps God's children – who are suffering from hunger and privation. How is it that their food is so scanty and inconstant? I reply, May there be some lack in their faith, and may it not be that they have not because they ask not, or because they do not exercise definite faith in God? God loves to give, not bread alone, but fish. 'They saw a fire... and fish laid thereon and bread' (John 21:9). Not necessaries only, but luxuries."[1] -F.B. Meyer (1847-1929)

In the King James version of the Bible the word "want" usually implies "lack." In modern day English when we hear someone say that they "want" something it is usually referring to something they desire. We do not usually use this word to imply a "lack" in the sense that we "need" it.

This is what many religious people are saying when they make the above error. They are telling you that God will supply your needs but He will not give you your desires. This is usually based on Philippians 4:19. This is another half truth. Philippians 4:19 is not the only promise God had recorded in the Bible.

When we make such statements we are limiting what God would do in our lives:

"Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (Ps. 78:41)

Most Christians believe that God has chosen not to bless them with any more than their basic necessities. They do not realize that it is THEY who limit God in how much He will bless them.

In Luke 15 Jesus tells the familiar story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). It was the story of a man who had two sons. One of the sons decided to get his inheritance early. He then wasted it. After realizing his foolishness he went back to his father seeking forgiveness.

The father was so happy for the return of his son that he gave him the best clothes and had a party for him. Now the older son found out about all of it and was very upset. He would not join the celebration. When the father confronted him about it he accused the father of being unfair and never giving him any of the things he gave his wayward son. Then the father makes this astounding statement:

"And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, AND ALL THAT I HAVE IS THINE." (Luke 15:31).

The elder son had limited his father in what he could have had. Of course we know that the elder son had served his father faithfully and all of his basic needs were being met. Yet there was much more available to this son. ALL that his father had was available to him.

It is well taught that the father is a type of our Heavenly Father and the prodigal son is a type of the backslidden Christian returning to God or the sinner seeking repentance. This is a beautiful message teaching the love and forgiveness of our Father in heaven.

But if that was all God would have had us to learn from this then the story would have stopped at the prodigal son's restoration. Yet further in the story we see the elder son who is a type of the Christian who has faithfully served God for many years but has no joy at the return of their wayward brother to Christ. They become jealous because God is actually showering that "sinner" with blessings.

But the Father's message to all of his children is found in Luke 15:31, "All that I have is thine." If we are not getting more from God than just our basic needs met then it is because that is all that we have believed Him for. He has much more and has made it available to us.

The fault can be found in the pulpit. I have actually sat in the pulpit and listened to ministers preach the "needs only" error. It has made me cringe on the inside because I knew God better than that.

Information is very important. The type of information you hear will determine what you will have faith for (Rom. 10:17). It is our desire in this lesson to give you some more information.

There are numerous Scripture that prove the "needs only" error to be just that: an error. We will touch on a few.

"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him. Oh fear the Lord, you his saints! There is no want to those that fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those that seek the Lord shall not lack ANY GOOD THING." (Ps. 34:8-10; NKJV)

The word "any" means "no restrictions of any kind. Whatever is desired or needed. Indiscriminate of what is wanted." God wants to give us good things of all kind, not just basic necessities.

The reason many Christians find this hard to believe is because they have not received a revelation of the goodness of God. God invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is Good." We have not all "tasted" of His goodness and we therefore limit Him in what He desires to do for us.

God shows us in His Word that He wants not only to supply our needs but to give us the desires of our hearts:

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the DESIRES of thine heart." (Ps. 37:4)

Notice that this Scripture makes it plain and clear that God will give you your DESIRES. Anything less is limiting Him and putting Him in a religious box. But when we do this it is we who miss out, not Him.

Proverbs 10:24 gives us a similar promise:

"The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the DESIRE of the righteous shall be granted." (Prov. 10:24)

Now these promises are of course conditional. Psalm 34 tells us that we must "seek" the Lord. Psalm 37 tells us that we must delight ourselves in Him. Proverbs 10 implies that we are not living wickedly but righteously. In other words, a true Christian will not have any stupid, ungodly desire.

No Christian will DESIRE a pound of cocaine, to sleep with a prostitute, or any other thing that God has made clear to be sin and an abomination to Him. Yet there are many "good things" that may not be classified by some as "spiritual" that God says are ours if we desire them.

Religion has certainly painted the wrong picture of God for us. We often think of God as a stern Father who only wants us to go about doing His business, suffer for the kingdom, and leave the PLEASURES alone. As a fair trade He will insure that you have some clothes (perhaps second hand), some food (nothing fancy), and shelter (a nice SHACK).

Of course God does want us to be about His business. Of course you and I will suffer for the kingdom's sake. However, God wants us to get some PLEASURE out of life as well:

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly ALL THINGS TO ENJOY." (1 Tim. 6:17)

God has no problem with His people being rich. He only commands that we be not highminded and not to trust in them. They are uncertain. If we are not trusting God then the stock market could crash tomorrow and your bank account could go from several million to zero.

Yet in relation to that He reminds those that are rich that it is HE who gives us richly all things to enjoy. He never tells us not to enjoy our material blessings. Just do not be highminded and put trust in them.

God does not want to supply only your basic needs. He wants you to ENJOY some things too. At Christmas time I buy my children many things that they "want." They do not always need them (and I certainly do not NEED to spend my hard earned money on them). Yet most parents would think me to be cruel if I had a sufficient amount of money but never bought my children any thing for Christmas.

Yet God says He is willing to do above what an earthly father would do for his children (Matt. 7:7-11). Look at something else the Bible says:

"How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them to drink of the river of thy PLEASURES." (Ps. 36:7-8)

God does not just supply needs but He also provides some pleasures. In fact, He has a whole river of them. The word "fat" in this Scripture is speaking of "abundance." God gives abundance to our satisfaction. God wants to bestow upon us pleasures as well as supply our needs.

We were created as creatures to experience pleasure. But pleasure was never meant to be sought as an end in itself. This is the problem with the world. They worship the very thing God created for them. When we are seeking God, and not pleasure, we will receive more pleasure than we can probably handle.

We have to learn to believe what the Bible has to say about our Father rather than what religion says. We must learn to have intimate fellowship with each member of the Godhead so that we can wipe away all of this religiosity and learn to trust Him for ALL things.

It is by faith and prayer that we appropriate God's unlimited blessings on our behalf. Jesus tells us how such faith works:

"Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye DESIRE when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)

This is the divine secret of faith. It is believing that God has granted your request before you ever receive it physically. We have seen in previous lessons that God has His goodness stored in heavens' banks waiting you to appropriate it. If you believe that then you will have no problems believing that your desire is already given to you BEFORE you ever see it with your eyes.

In this Scripture we see such words as "what things soever." This shows you the unlimited boundaries that God has established for His faithful children. "What things soever we desire...." This is not just limited to our needs.

The Apostle John shares with us another secret for appropriating God's unlimited blessings through prayer:

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in MY NAME, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask ANYTHING in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14)

When Jesus rose from the grave all authority was given unto Him in HEAVEN and in earth (Matt. 28:18). The name of Jesus has authority in heaven where the goodness of God is laid up for us. It is in this name that we pray. Only those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus have the right to use this

name. Heaven recognizes the authority of this name and those who have been given the legal covenant right to use it and it yields whatever the desired request is.

We are by no means forcing the hand of God by using this name. It is the answer of our prayers that GLORIFY the Father. There is as much in it for Him as it is for us. One of the ways that answered prayer glorifies God is by showing the world He is not the cruel taskmaster that some make Him to be. It shows them He is a loving and kind Father who delights in blessing His children.

Notice the word "anything" in this passage. Again we see the limitlessness of what we are allowed to ask from God. We can ask ANYTHING. Not only may we ask but we have Jesus guarantee that the Father will give it to us.

As we go to the fifteenth chapter of the gospel of John, we find more of these unlimited prayer promises:

"If you maintain a living communion with me and my words are at home in you, I command you to ask, at once, something for yourself, whatever your heart desires, and it will become yours." (John 15:7; The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest)

God tells us that we can ask anything for ourselves and it will become ours. Whatever our heart desires. This can cover a lot of things, within a godly spectrum of course. But we are not just limited to what we need.

It continues to get better as read more:

"....that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15:16)

"Whatsoever" is what we are guaranteed to get. This word covers a broad spectrum of things that we can pray for with a guarantee of receiving. Unlike men, God does not lie and neither does He change His mind. If He says that He will do it then He will.

Only man puts limitations on this by making statements such as "this is only referring to "spiritual things" or this is only referring to "whatsoever things that you need." Eve caused problems for herself and the rest of us by adding and taking away from the Word of God. The same continues to happen when people say things that God did not say. God has put no limits on what we can ask for and neither should anyone else.

John shows us that the main reason for these unlimited prayer privileges are for our JOY:

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL." (John 16:23-24)

Jesus gives us a guarantee of receiving because He wants our JOY to be full. Doesn't it make you happy when your children are happy? Doesn't it bring you joy to see your children's smiling faces when you bless them with that thing that they have always wanted? Doesn't it delight you to hear them say, "You're great Mom/Dad. Thanks!"?

Just like we want our children to enjoy life, God wants you and I to enjoy life also. The Christian life should not be one of drudgery and constantly "wishing I could have but I dare not ask." God gives us ALL things to enjoy. Isn't it about time that through prayer we partake of some of them.

I believe that it just tickles our heavenly Father pink to see His children praising and worshipping Him. It just makes Him want to bless us ever the more. WE have to get in our minds that God WANTS to bless His children:

"At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father Himself LOVETH you, because ye loved me, and have believed that I came out of God." (John 16:26-27)

He loves YOU. He loves ME. He wants to bless us abundantly with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Oh, the love of God. Oh, the goodness of God. If only the church would realize what God has stored up for her she would not be so sick, defeated, and divided.

Satan through tradition and religion has fed the church many errors that destroy faith and bring bondage. BY using God's Word we can destroy these lies, break the bondages, and restore faith in the love and goodness of our Heavenly Father.

E-mail: victoryword@yahoo.com

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