"I can't find my glasses," I whine to my wife as I wander through the house. "That's because they're on your head!" she retorts.
Now wonder I couldn't find them, I already had them. I was looking for my glasses while I had them the whole time! If you think that's bad, I've actually glanced around for them while they were on my nose! Fortunately, I never actually got up and asked my wife to help me find them.
The Bible says that through Christ we have been given all that we need to live this Christian life. "...as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.." [2 Peter 1:3]
or "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? [Romans 8:32]
Since we have been given all things, how is it that we keep crawling up to God and asking Him for these things? Do you need strength, you have received it through Christ already. You pray, "Lord, give me strength," and God who is merciful and remembers our frame is patient and lovingkind will strengthen us. But He would remind us that He actually has already given us strength in His Son. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." [Philippians 4:13]
Do you need provision? "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." [Philippians 4:19]
I have seen believers spend so much time wearying themselves as they ask God for this blessing or that and sometimes I want to say to them, "You already have those blessings, you're wearing them on your head. Stop looking for them elsewhere when you already have them!"
So Jesus says, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." [Mark 11:24] Is it because our great believing will cause it to come to pass or is it really because we realize that we are asking for things that God has promised is ours already? If it is our promise, it becomes our place to believe it and move on the promises of God.
I can then say, "Thank you, Lord, for strengthening me," when I face adversity because strength is one of the "all things" God says He gave me in Christ. If I need patience, I find it in Christ, if I need self-control, I find it in Christ. So, stop looking for those blessings when you already have them.
