2016 REFRESHER 1ST Q

9
Th
e wonders of God are not arbitrary – they are
dependable, divinely strategic and
reproducible by the power of God’s Spirit. God’s
blessings are for His children and I’m glad that you
and I are members of this great family. The Apostle
John prayed this heart-felt prayer in 3John 1:2:
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou
mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy
soul prospereth.”
Interestingly, the word translated as “wish” here
is also used for the word “pray”. In other words,
Apostle John didn’t just have a wishful desire,
but rather he prayed. What was the prayer? That
you should prosper, be in good health even as
your soul prospers!
These are the three different levels of blessings
that every heir of God is entitled to by covenant.
As obvious as these truths may be, a lot of us are
oblivious simply because – we haven’t prospered
in our souls. Apostle John hinges the believer’s material
and canal blessings to the prosperity of his soul.
It is very possible to prosper financially and health wise
and not have your soul take the lead in this trio
progression. However, when this happens, the
individual will certainly not be able to acknowledge
even the least of God’s add-on blessings in their
material and canal life. The Psalmist puts it this way:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me,
bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits: …” Psalm 103:1-3. A
prosperous soul is at the command of its possessor. In
the scripture above, David exercises dominion over his
soul and all that is within him. Your memory may some
time trick you into believing that God has not done
anything tangible for you, but it’s your responsibility to
jolt your mind.
Pastor Dr. Chuks Osborne
Your soul is your storage system and until it’s
awoken up other things within you will not
have a reason to bless the name of the lord.
Once David was able to activate his
soul, he was able to make easy recalls
of God’s blessings upon his life. For
example, he remembered how God
took care of his iniquities. He
remembered God as Jehovah
Rapha, the one that heals all
diseases. He recalled how God
delivered him from destruction
and crowned him with His lovingkindness
and tender mercies.
You too have a testimony concerning the manifest
blessings of the Lord but, the act of gratitude is done
with a conscious attitude. David could have chosen to
focus on all his ordeals with Saul, but he took charge of
his mind and body, carefully leading them to God’s
throne of grace in worship.
As you traverse your soul in this season of
thanksgiving, you will find enough blessings to make
you eternally grateful to God through Jesus Christ our
lord and savior. Your soul is waiting for your
command! “Bless the lord oh my soul”
Pastor Dr. Chuks is an associate pastor at the Oasis
Bolingbrook campus