Faith is a gift from Me. I want to give you increased faith—not because you deserve it, not because you keep every jot and tittle of the law, and not because you work so hard, but because I love you.
I know you think this is too easy. You feel there are already scores of reasons why you aren’t really fit to receive greater faith because you failed in this and that and you haven’t done this and that and you aren’t good at this and that, and on it goes. But looking at your own goodness instead of Mine, and allowing that to keep you from being close to Me and having the faith I want to give you, that’s self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is works. Faith is a gift. Self-righteousness is of man. Faith is from God.
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When everything is a “works trip” of trying to be good enough, that results in so much pressure, so much comparing, so much introspection. All that is not only a waste of time, but it creates the negative waste of sadness, loss of power, and a kind of spiritual impotence, because you don’t really understand that it’s all about Me, not you. It’s about My goodness, not yours. Don’t let My promises become part of a works trip that you try to attain to. Realize that you’ll never attain. Do the best you can, and be humble and accept that you’ll fall short, and that’s all right.
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You’re usually much harder on yourself than I am on you. You look at your lacks and allow condemnation and discouragement to steal away your faith. Yes, I set conditions and I tell you what to do to inherit the promises. But in general, I really take you where you’re at. If I see that you’re doing your best—even if that involves making mistakes, falling short, and getting up and trying again—you can bet that I’ll put all the power of heaven to work fulfilling My end of the bargain. What is sad is when I see you sitting there like a child who wants to buy something from the store, counting your change and figuring you’ll never be able to afford it, when I’ve already given you a blank check and asked you to come in and fill your cart!
If you make a mistake, ask My forgiveness (and the forgiveness of others, if appropriate), and then proceed in faith. Don’t listen to the Devil for even a second. Of course he’ll tell you that you “deserve” to suffer through a hard battle or face difficulties, and all you can do is endure them because you deserve the suffering. But he’s not your friend, and he doesn’t tell you the truth. Realize that I’m not measuring your faults with a measuring stick. I love you, and I’ve made so many promises to you, that if you’ll only start claiming them in faith, you’ll be amazed at how much better your life can become. Stop living in spiritual poverty and start acting like the privileged child of the King that you are.
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You will come across some tremendous challenges and spiritual attacks and battles, that I promise you.1 But I also promise you that if you have faith, if you grab ahold of My promises and truly believe that “this is mine, it’s for me,” and you tell the Devil, “You can’t take this away from me,” then there’s nothing he can do to hurt you. He’ll try. He’ll attack, and he’ll huff and puff and try to blow your house down, but you’ll stand in the end, with those promises protecting you.
Don’t let the Devil tiptoe into your life and silently steal My promises right out of your arms through his lies that they’re not really for you, that you’re not really good enough, that you don’t really deserve that kind of power and victory and deliverance. Of course you don’t; that’s a given. But that’s not the point here. Your goodness and worth and success is not what merits the gift of My promises.
I gave those promises to you as a gift when I died for you, just you. I custom-made those promises just for you, knowing that you would be imperfect, knowing that you were human and could never “attain” to some state of perfection. And yet I gave them to you as if you were the only one. So don’t keep trying to be worthy. You’re already worthy because I made you worthy. I gave you My worthiness when I died for you. It’s a done deal. Your part is to believe and strengthen your faith, and I will do miracles for you.
Please, My darling, don’t be sad or suffer or agonize when you can be strong and victorious and glorious. There’s so much more awaiting you. There are obstacles on the horizon, but these can be translated into awesome victories. There is power, strength, anointing and miracles yet to be discovered. Let Me rekindle your faith, and then the fun will really begin!
Originally published June 2007. Updated and republished October 2013.
1 John 16:33.
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