In order for a contract to be legally binding, there must be “consideration” for both parties. Consideration is basically what each party is getting from the contract. If you get a loan for the car, fulfillment of the contract means that the bank gets the money and you get a car. In a situation where only one person benefits, you don’t really have a contract.
God has been showing me how, in His Word...His Kingdom Constitution, His promises to us are like contracts, but most of the time when Christians quote those promises they leave off what we are to do to “fulfill the contract”.
All too often, our image of God is more like Santa Clause or a magician. God is a God of order and obedience. He requires us to do our part…to give what we have...to do as He asks. In John 2, when Jesus turned the water into wine, He told the servants to fill the jars with water. They did as He asked and He then turned the water into wine. Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, He said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed His instructions.
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” John 2:6-10
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah went to the widow at Zarephath and asked her to fix him something to eat. God’s promise to her was that if she took the last of her flour and oil to fix bread for the prophet her oil and flour would not run out until the drought ended. She did as she was told to and gave the last of her food and God fulfilled His part of the “contract”. She did not run out of oil or flour. A truck didn’t show up with a year’s supply of flour and oil…no, her containers just never were empty! But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 1 Kings 17:12-16
In 2 Kings 4 Elisha went to help a widow woman. He asked what she had in the house. She had a little oil. He told her and her sons to go to the neighbors and bring all the jars they could gather. When they had done that, he told her to fill the jars from the oil container she had. THEY gathered the jars, SHE poured the oil and it did not stop until she had run out of jars. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.” 2 Kings 4:2-7
Here are some other examples of God’s “scriptural contracts” with us (with our part of the contract underlined):
Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Malachi 3: 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
Proverbs 1:33 But all who listen to Me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
God’s Word is true…He cannot lie. God doesn’t breach the contracts He has made with us, we do. As you read your Bible, I encourage you to see His many “contracts”—promises—with us. See what our part is, don’t just quote the part that refers to the blessing He has for us. If you do what He says to do…give what He says to give, use what He says to use, He will do what He says He will do!
As Elisha said, I will say to you: “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
Be ready,
Deborah Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you.
God has been showing me how, in His Word...His Kingdom Constitution, His promises to us are like contracts, but most of the time when Christians quote those promises they leave off what we are to do to “fulfill the contract”.
All too often, our image of God is more like Santa Clause or a magician. God is a God of order and obedience. He requires us to do our part…to give what we have...to do as He asks. In John 2, when Jesus turned the water into wine, He told the servants to fill the jars with water. They did as He asked and He then turned the water into wine. Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, He said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed His instructions.
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” John 2:6-10
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah went to the widow at Zarephath and asked her to fix him something to eat. God’s promise to her was that if she took the last of her flour and oil to fix bread for the prophet her oil and flour would not run out until the drought ended. She did as she was told to and gave the last of her food and God fulfilled His part of the “contract”. She did not run out of oil or flour. A truck didn’t show up with a year’s supply of flour and oil…no, her containers just never were empty! But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 1 Kings 17:12-16
In 2 Kings 4 Elisha went to help a widow woman. He asked what she had in the house. She had a little oil. He told her and her sons to go to the neighbors and bring all the jars they could gather. When they had done that, he told her to fill the jars from the oil container she had. THEY gathered the jars, SHE poured the oil and it did not stop until she had run out of jars. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.” 2 Kings 4:2-7
Here are some other examples of God’s “scriptural contracts” with us (with our part of the contract underlined):
Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Malachi 3: 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
Proverbs 1:33 But all who listen to Me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
God’s Word is true…He cannot lie. God doesn’t breach the contracts He has made with us, we do. As you read your Bible, I encourage you to see His many “contracts”—promises—with us. See what our part is, don’t just quote the part that refers to the blessing He has for us. If you do what He says to do…give what He says to give, use what He says to use, He will do what He says He will do!
As Elisha said, I will say to you: “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
Be ready,
Deborah Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you.
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