The knowledge of the spiritual is essential for great faith. Dare I say, it is the main ingredient. One thing the people in Faith’s hall of fame (Hebrews 11) had in common was that they understood the role of the spiritual in natural affairs. To have great faith, we must understand the purpose of faith. Faith was given to us but it was not made for us. The lock and key don’t fit when we use faith for our desires and comfort. Faith was created by God, for God. It answers to God’s will and His desires, not ours. Faith is used to get God’s things done not ours. Therefore, if faith is to be used properly, we must understand the things of God or the operation of His hands. The only way to understand the operation of God’s hands is to study the scriptures. This is the spiritual. The aim of this blog is to understand this: The control room for life and its events is in heaven, not on Earth. The spiritual controls the physical. The spiritual is always emphasized in the scriptures. Natural events are expressions of things decided in the spiritual realm. It’s like a water pipe and a water tank. The pipe is not the source. It is just a channel through which the tank can accessed. Now, I said earlier that to understand the influence of the spiritual, we must study the scriptures. The Bible is the book of the operation of God’s hands. You can’t fellowship with God if you don’t understand this. God wants His children to understand this.
THE PREEMINENCE OF THE SPIRITUAL
IN THE KINGDOMS OF MEN:
This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men (Daniel 4:17).
God is the one ruling in our realm and He gives the nations to whomever He wishes. He puts people on it. The knowledge of this ought to affect how we think of politics. It is quite disappointing how a lot of Christians see and talk about politics. God puts people in power. It is neither the money, connections nor the political party of a politician that puts him there. It is God. Natural events are expressions of things decided in the supernatural realm. When Nebuchadnezzar thought he made Babylon great, God had to teach Him a lesson. There has never been a president, governor, mayor, king or prime minister who was not selected by God. It doesn’t matter how they got there; God is the one who put them in those positions. Therefore, rebellion against them is rebellion against God.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same (Romans 13:1-3).
IN THE DESTINIES OF MEN: When you understand the operation of God’s hands, you come to know who God is.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:7).
Faith comes through the knowledge of the spiritual. The spiritual is the operation of God’s hands. When the operation of God’s hands is understood, the character of God is discovered. I hope it is clear. Now, I want to explain Hebrews 11:7. I think it is one of the most misunderstood verses of the bible. When the writer of Hebrews says “he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is…” he doesn’t mean he who comes to God must believe that He exists. No one comes to a god who they don’t believe exists so that couldn’t have been the point. It is not talking about the existence of God but the character of God. If you fail to understand who God is, you will do things that don’t please Him. You will make decisions that irritate Him. See what Joseph told his brothers:
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them (Genesis 50:15-21).
Joseph understood who God is (remember Hebrews 11). He understood that the Most High rules in the affairs of the earth. He understood that God is the captain of the destinies of men therefore he was able to forgive his brothers and not walk in bitterness, which displeases God. Joseph understood the operation of His hands knowing that God was the one working all the while. Could it be, that the reason we walk in sin is because we have refused to believe a certain thing about God that the bible tells us?
IN GOOD HEALTH AND LONG LIFE:
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:16-17).
If good health and long life are good, then this scripture is applicable in such matters. Sound health and long life do not come from this realm. It is from above. God is the giver of these things. It does not come from food. Food and drugs are merely channels through which God gives us good health or healing, it is not the source. God is the source of all good and perfect things. The world adjusts their diet for good health and long life. He who sits in the heavens laughs at them. Unfortunately, believers are adopting this concept. Don’t get me wrong, you can change your diet to whatever you like, but when you are doing it because you think it is the way to good health, you have missed it.
But you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. 26 There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days (Exodus 23:25).
We see here that the one who takes sickness away is God himself. Eating healthy isn't bad, exercising isn't bad but if God doesn't take away diseases from your midst all efforts to stay healthy are in vain. All the well-fed Egyptian monarchs and their fit soldiers were plagued by God when Israel was to be delivered. Only God can fulfill the number of your days.
IN WEALTH AND PROSPERITY: The wealth of the nations belongs to God and He is the only one who gives prosperity. There are quite several scriptures that affirm this.
The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts (Haggai 2:8).
For not from the east, nor from the west nor from the desert comes exaltation; But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another (Psalms 75:6-7).
If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it (Psalms 50:12).
The wealth of this world was received not achieved. God had to teach King Nebuchadnezzar that lesson. No country is the source of your breakthrough and prosperity. You are not poor because you are in Africa and you won't be rich because you moved to Europe. No job is the key to your success. Wealth and material prosperity belong to God and He distributes them to whom He wishes for whatever reasons He sees fit. Nations like the USA, Russia, Germany etc are prosperous because God gave it to them. Men did not make them great, God made them great. No one says a thing and it comes to pass if God has not commanded it. If God does not build a house, the men who build, labour in vain. Any nation going through some form of lack is because God has withheld His provision from them. This is the truth. Those who worship mammon are those who have neglected this truth. They displease Him by their refusal to relax and trust His process. Wealth is not what God’s aim in your life, it’s faith. The wealth of the world belongs to God and Him alone.
The Bible teaches us the preeminence of the spiritual realm. You can’t have faith if you don’t understand this. God bless you.
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