Day 30: God has already given everything you need

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:2-4, NIV)

Peter makes an astonishing statement. He says, "[God] has [already] given us everything we need..." and we must be careful to observe the tense of the verb. It does not say that God will give us, it says God has already given us everything we need. God has already supplied all our needs. Lay hold of that fact because if you miss that, then you are not going to be able to understand the nature of God's provision. God has already given us everything we need.

In the second part of verse 3 Peter returns to the theme that it is all contained in Jesus, "through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and [virtue]." It's so important that we understand that it is all contained in Jesus that Peter states that twice.

However, in that second passage the word that is translated in the English version "knowledge" is not exactly the same word as is translated "knowledge" in the previous verse. In that third verse, the word "knowledge" in Greek means "acknowledge." So it's not just an intellectual, theological knowledge of Jesus, but it means acknowledging Him, seeing who He is, recognizing Him and giving Him His rightful place in our lives.

So, Peter’s words reveal remarkable truths.

First of all, God's provision for us is in abundance.

Secondly, God is the only source for this provision. Jesus is the only channel.

Thirdly, God's power has already given us everything we're ever going to need, and I emphasize the perfect tense. It's all been done. God has already given!

And fourthly, this is a repeat of something, an extension of it, it is all contained in knowing Jesus. But it is not just knowing Him intellectually or theologically or having doctrines about Jesus, but it' is knowing Him as a person and giving Him His right place in our lives. It is really making Jesus Lord in every area of our lives. That is what is contained in the word "acknowledging Jesus."

I have been saying that God has already given you everything you are ever going to need. Now you may look at your life at this point and say, "Well, if God has given it, I don't see it. There are needs in my life that have not been met and yet I'm a believer and I'm doing my best to walk the Christian road and to serve God and to be one of God's people."

Well, here's the really important key. This is something that the Holy Spirit revealed to me years ago and it's been a major factor in my own spiritual progress. Where is everything? If God has already given it, why don't we see it? Why don't we seem to have it? Now, here's the answer. We will read the words of Peter and then I'll comment on it.

“Through these [that's through the glory and goodness of Jesus] God has given us his very great and precious promises...” (NIV)

In the previous verse we read, "God has given us everything we need." Now in this verse we read, "God has given us His very great and precious promises." What is the conclusion? It's very simple and very logical. Everything we need is contained in the promises of God, so when God has given us His promises, in them He has given us everything we're going to need for time and eternity.