Hi, my name is Joaquin Evans, senior leader at Bethel Austin. And I’d like to welcome you to God Today. I want to talk about stewarding seasons of both lack and abundance in the kingdom. You know, several years ago I was walking down the hallway at church where I was working and God spoke very clearly to me in an inner audible voice. And He asked me this question. He said, “Did you know that lack is just a test?” And I answered instinctively right away inside, “Yeah, God, I knew that lack was just a test,” because I knew in my heart that wasn’t God’s highest or best for us.
But then He followed that question up with another. He said, “When you pass the test of lack, it prepares you for abundance.” But then He said, “Did you know abundance is also just a test?” Now that one caught me off guard a little bit. And it took me back and I had to ponder that. I said, “I’m not sure that I knew that one, God. Isn’t abundance Your plan for us, Your desire for us, to live in fullness and to live in abundance?”
And God said, “Abundance is also just a test, but the key is you pass the test of lack and the test of abundance in the exact same way.” And the secret is – where is your heart anchored in whatever season you’re in? If you’re in lack, and many of us know that test, the question is, can you trust God? Can you worship Him through those seasons of lack, through those difficult circumstances? Can you keep your eyes locked on Him and not be swayed by the external circumstances or realities?
Abundance is the same test. It’s the same solution, just a different set of circumstances. But in abundance, can you also keep your eyes locked on Him? Can you stay focused on Him and worship Him even when all the things of abundance are trying to pull you in this direction and that direction? And the needs grow and your options apart from God grow, and people start drawing on you from things that would take you away from God? Can you continually bring your attention and your focus and your worship and your heart to serve and go low – can you bring those back to God over and over again?
And then God finished the statement with this. He said, “When you pass the test of lack, it prepares you for abundance. But when you pass the test of abundance, it prepares you to carry the greater glory.” And I actually believe that God wants to bring us all through both of those tests, both lack and abundance, because He really desires us to carry the greater glory.
And we all know in Philippians 4, Paul makes the famous statement, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But right before Paul makes that statement he also says, “I know how to abound, and I know how to be abased. I know how to have much, and I know how to suffer need. In all things, I’ve learned how to be content.” And Paul is revealing to us that very secret right there. It doesn’t matter if he’s in the prison or in the palace – he’s learned how to keep his attention, his focus, and his worship on God to pass those tests so that God can take him into the greater glory.
I believe someone needs to hear that today. I just want to pray for you that your heart would just awaken with this revelation as God prepares you to carry His greater glory. Father, I just thank You for everyone listening. I pray that You would take this truth and that You would use it to tenderize and to soften hearts. If people are in the test of lack, that they would have the fortitude to pass that test. And if people are in the test of abundance, that they would have the wisdom to pass that test, and God that You would move us all into carrying the greater glory. I just bless you with that today in Jesus’ name.