And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
And there was a famine in the land ....
Genesis 12:9,10 Abraham decided to obey God; but the moment he left his country, he walked right into a famine. He probably thought, Oh, my God, I wish I had never left my country. Do you suppose that was really God talking to me, or was it just something I ate?
Many people decide, "I'm going to live by faith ...." But when the Devil slaps them in the
face a time or two, they quit. They say, "I want to start giving. I want to obey God and tithe.”
But then the car breaks down and they quit giving. Do you know what this reveals? A lack of real commitment.
Some people are committed as long as everything is going well. But the moment things start getting a little bit uncomfortable, their commitment weakens.
It is very easy to be committed to God while you are sitting in church hearing the Word and experiencing the anointing of God. But commitment really counts when the meeting is over and you walk out the door by yourself. It is out there, not in church, that commitment is really measured.
When it looks like the world has caved in on you, your commitment will really pay off.
You will be able to stand in the midst of adversity and say, "I will joy in the God of my salvation. I will not fear what man can do to me. I'm not letting depression attack me any longer. I know this doesn't look like the time to do it, but I'm going to rejoice in the Lord.''
There will be plenty of opportunities to turn back under pressure. I will never forget the day
I found out from God's Word that I was healed by the stripes of Jesus. I came out of my bedroom like a bolt of lightning and said to my wife, "Carolyn, did you know we're healed by the stripes of Jesus? My days of sickness are over!"
Before that day was over, as I was sitting in my living room, I heard a voice in my mind say,
"You're getting the flu. In just a moment your eyes are going to start watering, your nose is going to start running, and you're going to get chills. You'd better go to bed."
When I heard that voice, I believed it. God confirms His Word with signs following, and so does the Devil. If you believe what the Devil says, he will confirm his word with signs following too. My eyes started watering, my nose started running, and I got cold.
The voice said, "You'd better get in bed." So I got up and went into the bedroom.
"Get under the blanket. You're going to get cold."
I got under the blanket and was sitting there in bed shaking. Then the voice informed me,
"Your muscles and joints are beginning to
ache." And, sure enough, I began to ache all over.
About that time Carolyn walked in and saw me. She said, "What are you doing in bed? I thought you were healed and that your days of sickness and disease were over."
I said, "I thought so too, but I've got the flu."
Right then I had an opportunity to turn back under pressure. What Carolyn said made me so mad, but she was right. As I was lying there with the symptoms of the flu, I knew I didn't have any business being mad at her. She had told me the truth. I needed to channel that anger against the Devil. He was the one who had lied to me and got me into that condition.
Instead of turning back under pressure and saying, "Aw, that healing stuff has passed away. It doesn't work. After all, I'm sick!" I stood on my feet and said, "Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I resist you. I am healed by the stripes of Jesus, and you can't keep these symptoms on me. I command you to flee." So he fled and took his lying symptoms with him.
When you get an opportunity to turn back
under pressure is when you will find out how committed you really are.
When you say, “From now on, I'm going to walk in love, just like God said,'' brace yourself, because somebody mean and ugly will cross your path. You will have a golden opportunity to get into strife!
"From this moment on, I'm going to be a giver." Brace yourself, friend, because that attitude is dangerous to the Devil. Once you truly decide to make giving the essence of living, you become a threat to him and his kingdom. He will attack your finances like never before. He can't afford for you to operate the principle of giving. It will change your life and the lives of others all around you. He must try to stop you. But he can't stop you unless you let him.
There have been times when I have given a large amount to some Christian endeavor.
Immediately the Devil set in on me. I would think, Oh, dear God, I wish I hadn't given that much. I could sure use that money right now. That thought was nothing more than an attempt by Satan to force me to turn back under pressure.
One of his favorite weapons is fear.
The moment some people put their offering in the plate, Satan puts his fear in their minds:
Oh, God, I hope nothing bad happens. The Apostle Paul said, “We are not ignorant of Satan's devices, lest he get the advantage over us." (2 Cor. 2:11.) We must realize that the Devil comes immediately to steal the Word. But when he comes, we can take the same Word he is trying to steal and defeat him with it.
Don't turn back under pressure. Slap him on the head with the sword of the Spirit! Keep banging him around with that sword. He will finally leave you alone.
Step 4: Walk the Life of Faith One Step at