Session 3

You Have What You Need

From Prepare the Way

As humans, we’re prone to believe that the “next” thing is going to make our lives better. Even if things are good now, we might find ourselves believing that we’ll be able to follow God more fully once we reach the next milestone. Maybe you’ve heard yourself saying things like,

“Once I pay off my student loan and get a better job, I’ll start being generous.”

“When I have a bigger house, I will lead a group.”

“I just don’t have time to get involved until things get less busy at work.”

Too often, we believe the lie that we don’t have enough to make a difference – but we’re missing out by waiting until perfect conditions arrive. If it feels scary to step out and give, serve, or trust God before you “arrive,” you’ll be glad to know that you’re not alone. God’s people have been learning how to trust Him in uncertain times since the very beginning.

In Exodus 6, God promised to free Israel from slavery in Egypt. But to see those promises fulfilled, Israel had to make a bold move. They had to move forward in trust even before they could see, not knowing exactly how God would come through. 

As you’ll see in today’s verses, God kept His promises to Israel — and since His character is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we know He’ll keep His promises to us, too. And when we move at the speed of the provider, we realize that He will always give us everything we need.

The enemy tries to convince us we don’t have enough. By focusing on what we don’t have, he hopes to keep us from the life God wants for us. Jesus sums it up in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

If we have a relationship with Jesus, we already have what we need to enjoy the abundant life God promised. All we have to do is take the next step of trust and obedience. 

Where is it hard for you to trust God before you can see the abundance He promises? For many of us, the area of finances is hard to surrender. It’s easy to believe that we would be financially secure if we had just a little bit more — and that when we finally get that little bit more, only then can we make a difference.

Proverbs 11:28 declares, "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf." Instead of believing that we need more, we flourish when we recognize God as our source in every season.

Vision 2030 is a God-sized dream, and we can’t yet see all the ways God is going to bring that vision to life. But as we grow in trust and generosity, we believe that we will experience His provision in beautiful ways — here in South Carolina and around the world.

REFLECT:

• Name an area of your life where you feel like you don’t have enough. What would it look like to shift your focus to God’s abundance in that area today?
  

• Jesus made a way for us to have an abundant life that overflows to everyone around us. How is your relationship with Jesus overflowing into the rest of the family of God?