The Reading Of The Will

by Janet Garcia

If a family member left you an inheritance of millions with certain stipulations would you claim it? If we were given a promise of “blessings” for the rest of our lives what would you do to receive it?

In Genesis 25, Abraham was so faithful to the Lord that out of his obedience he was named the “Father of Many Nations.” He lived a long and satisfying life. He had been a friend of God. Old age is good IF you have the blessings of the Lord on your life. That means you can anticipate divine health and spiritual wealth. You do not have to claim the old adage, “Oh when you turn 50 it’s all down hill.” Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” Men if you lose your hair no worries your grays will come out in your facial hair. Ladies we always tend to want to cover up those grays. Just remember it is an honor to have gray hair. We look beautiful either way.

The Lord showed me because of Abraham’s obedience he had favor with God. In addition, he had obedient faith and patient endurance. He seemed to be the most patient person in the history of this earth. One of the ways we can step out of our “Wilderness” into our “Promised Land” is to stop complaining, murmuring and being impatient. It robs us of so much in our lives. While striving in my life, I never considered being thankful for the things that God blessed me with. The word says in Isaiah 30:15, “Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me.”

I spent much of my life not understanding the fruit (gift) of “gratitude.” Do you realize if you had the heart to thank God for all the wonderful things he does for you on a daily basis, we would be more and more blessed. We defeat the devil and all his tactics concerning complaining when we start to give thanks and be grateful in all things. I believe this is just one of the many keys to breaking out of our wilderness experience and stepping into a blessed life. Gratefulness is so powerful. By sharing gratitude towards your circumstances, people (family or strangers) in your daily life this can and will give you peace.

Here’s a simple example do you get impatient when standing in line for your favorite coffee? Do you grumble when you walk into a post office and see a line of customers? Do you complain when your food takes too long to prepare or the waitress or waiter forgets to do something you asked them to do. Do you hate your commute to work? Do you murmur against co-workers or a boss? Your thoughts and actions can only change if we give thoughts of “gratitude.”

After serving in the Marine Corps for eight years, the Lord called me home to become a homemaker. It was the first time in my life that I didn’t contribute financially. I was destitute. It was a precious gift. I didn’t even ask for it. The Lord just blessed me and shared his “covenant” promise with me. I took it for granted and the enemy used discontentment to keep me in bondage. I didn’t always complained verbally but it was deeply rooted in my spirit. I was frustrated, deeply critical. I had the worst patience. I was unrestful, depressed, unhealthy, frustrated, and living in a pit.
I murmured about taking care of my amazing husband while he was home, I was constantly looking for ways to be gainfully employed or be successful at a business so that I could feel like a contributor financially to the family? I murmured about doing laundry, cleaning, doing dishes, and cooking. Doing the same mundane tasks over and over and over again. I struggled to enjoy my children and spend quality time with them. The enemy kept me in a wilderness all those years because I didn’t know to break the chains that bound me. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. The Lord will leave you to yourself (free will) until you seek his wisdom.
In October 2014 during a recent Women’s Retreat, the Lord revealed the strongholds of striving and discontentment. This was my wake up call. I complained against the God that created me for a purpose, restored my soul with the unconditional love of my husband and children, healed me from affliction of the enemy and has always blessed and protected me in so many ways. My soul was broken and I simply just surrendered.

Just like the Israelites in the Exodus account in the bible. The Israelites spent more that 400 years in captivity as slaves in Egypt. Moses becomes their savior and leads them into the wilderness by the direction and hand of God. God proceeds to help them get out of the slave mentality to help them learn complete dependence on their Heavenly Father. They had an inheritance promise through their ancestor Abraham. Oh how, they murmured and complained for water, housing, food, direction, desire to worship idols, and to have rules and regulations. They struggled to get out of their slave mentality to say the least. God was merciful and only wanted to show how he truly loved and cared for them. All he wanted for them was to see they were worthy to have His best. They spent 40 years in a wilderness stuck in the past (Egyptian traditions) that kept them in years of bondage.
What they couldn’t grasp was that they had a birthright. The birthright was an inheritance of righteousness. It wasn’t until Jesus came then we could understand God’s grand master plan. We must learn how to walk into our Promised Land through the “New Covenant.” How we can learn to rest in the perfect work that Jesus did for us at the cross. We must learn how to battle against the “Father of Lies” and put on our whole battle armor every single day.

For years, I didn’t know how to wear my “Breastplate of Righteousness.” So there I was exposed to the enemies attacks and fiery darts of “striving and discontentment” complaining with my flesh. Ephesians 6:14 says, “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. Galatians 3:13 “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Here are a few steps you can take to step into your inheritance of “Blessings.”
1. Release yourself from the bondage: Stop complaining, murmuring and being impatient with the others. Learn to give grace to each other. Ask for forgiveness for having the spirit of complaining. Start speaking proclamations of thankfulness and praise. Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Psalm 119. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20.

2. Read the Book of John in your Bible: Read all that the Lord Jesus Christ did for you. Give your heart to Christ. Say the Repentance Prayer with all your heart to the God who knows your name.
“Lord Jesus, I invite you into my heart anew today, and I ask forgiveness for all of my sin. Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins and for forgiving me of them through your shed blood for me on the cross. Please take away all the sinful “old things” in my heart that defile me, especially ________(Fill in the Blank) and replace them with the “good things” that you desire to grow in to my life. Please wash away all the sinful crud and tendencies toward evil and replace them with a hunger and thirst for your righteousness. I need your help, Lord God, in living this new life in Christ. Please send your Holy Spirit afresh into my life to help me, heal me, lead me and transform me. In Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.” (Mark 7:21-23 & 2 Corinthians 5:17)

3. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (our friend). Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38.

4. Learn to surrender all to the one who loves you. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

5. Get wisdom. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.” Proverbs 4:7.

6. Learn how the enemy, (the devil, the deceiver and Satan) works so that you can know his strategic tactics. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7. Another favorite verse is, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6:13 “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” 2nd Corinthians 10:5

7. Praise Him. Look forward to the goodness that the Lord provides every single day. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”

Taking these simple steps will teach you how to defeat the enemy with the Word of God and break free from your wilderness experience and step into the inheritance God has for you. He’s at the reading of the will, ready, willing and able to give you all of the fullness thereof. He’s ready for you. Come and receive what is rightfully yours.