“God is a God of addition, not subtraction.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 10, 2023
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Change. It’s something that many people resist, especially when it’s unchosen and it comes knocking on our door without our invitation. When change happens or the future is uncertain you may become afraid. . . afraid of what God will ask you to do or afraid of where He might ask you to go. You may fear that the trials He may allow you to experience during change will destroy you. You may fear that your new experiences will wound you so badly that you will never recover.
But this is not God’s way of thinking because He is a God of expansion and of abundance. No matter what He allows or what happens in life, His plan is to always take you higher in Him. Every way that the Lord relates to you is to expand you, never to shrink or subtract from you.
Even when life is hard or when change comes knocking, His desire is to give you more of Himself which means more joy, wisdom, love, courage—and more of all that He is and all that defines His Spirit including peace, goodness, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
To live an overcoming, abundant life means that even when change comes knocking or when life is difficult that you must not look at your circumstances and think “I’m stuck. This is all God has for me. I might as well give up.”
God never leaves His children in despair. He never leaves them in difficulty. He uses even the most difficult circumstances, most challenging times of change, and most painful experiences to call us up higher in Himself, to expand us, to add to us and to our abundance, but never to subtract from us.
God is the God of addition, not subtraction. Even when He disciplines us, He never does so without a plan to take us higher in Him, to add to us, to give us more of Himself and to cause us to grow into more of who He has created us to be.
In him, there is only light. In Him there is no darkness. He is perfect and His way is perfect. Therefore, you must never fear being abandoned to a difficult season, or fear being left to challenging change without good coming to you in the future.
Today the Lord is saying to you: “I will always deliver you.”
Ponder that for a moment. He will always deliver you. Your deliverance may not come in your time; it may not come in your way, but it will come. It will come and all will be well.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is at work. He has always been at work, and the love that He has for you commands that all that He does in your life brings you higher in Him, expands you, and adds to you.
He is the God of addition, not subtraction.
Trust him.
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Prayer
Lord Jesus, how I praise you that what is happening in my life now will not be the way that it will always be. You will deliver me. Your deliverance is coming in my life. I am holding onto you in anticipation of the good that is coming to me. Thank you for taking me higher in you and giving me more of yourself. Amen.
Application
Tell someone what you learned today and how you are anticipating the Lord’s goodness in your life.
Related Reading
Genesis 50:20; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 138:8
Worship Resource
Jesus Culture feat. Kim Walker-Smith: More Than Enough
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