Subject: Understanding Supernatural Progress
Title of Column: Redemption Outreach from the Diaspora
Columnist: Pastor Sam Adelusimo, Resident Pastor, RCCG Chapel of Praise, Northwest Arkansas, United States of America.
In Genesis 26:1-16, we learn about supernatural progress. There was famine in the land and Isaac went to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines. But God instructed Isaac not to go down to Egypt but to live in the land where He would show him, promising to bless him in that land as long as he stayed to God’s instruction.
Isaac encountered supernatural blessings beyond human imagination. “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26: 12-14).
God wants for you more than natural progress. He wants you to enjoy supernatural progress. This is the kind of progress that can be earned by your efforts. For every progress made, He wants you to acknowledge Him, which means such progress will be enormous.
This kind of progress is available. To access it, your efforts are required. In the case of Isaac, he did something- he sowed in the land and he reaped abundantly.
In Genesis 8:22, we are told in specific terms that seedtime and harvest shall never cease as long as God keeps the earth in existence. Seedtime is inevitable in the journey of supernatural progress, and it has to be in accordance with God’s law. Harvest will come in line with His promise. Isaac honored that principle. For him, his efforts included obedience to the voice of God, following the law of sowing, and reaping in abundance for all that.
How can you enjoy supernatural progress?
God is not a partial God. He does not prosper anyone because He loves them more than the others. He has given us His principles in Genesis 8:22 and blesses only those who follow that law. He sees and monitors the heart and how this heart follows His instructions, principles, and laws. God blesses only those who honor His word by their acts. Therefore, a cardinal requirement to access supernatural progress is by keeping to the instructions and staying with the will of God. The reason Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob prospered was that they adhered to divine instructions. They did not just obey, but they strictly did.
Another major requirement is to be born again. Having a new life is a crucial criterion for supernatural progress. The scriptures tell us that old things will pass away and all things will become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Supernatural progress is one of the new things that happen to a born-again child of God.
On a journey to supernatural progress, it takes you and God to work together. His plans are for you to make progress and enjoy life abundantly. Your role is to keep His commandments. God gives His commandments and you obey them. “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today (Deuteronomy 8:11). Moreover, in Deuteronomy 8:18, we are told: “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may [a]establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day”.
Again, by strength shall no man prevail because He guards the feet of the saints (1 Samuel 2:9). God alone shows the secrets to success, blessings, progress, and life in general. He alone has the keys to divine progress. All other keys are a sham; they do not open doors to real progress. The strength or knowledge of a man is not sufficient. We have many knowledgeable people who do not make progress. Supernatural progress comes from God’s guidance and leading, which makes the difference.
Tithing gives access to supernatural progress. Struggling to give a tenth of your earnings implies that you are struggling with your relationship with God. Tithing attracts divine blessings, particularly in guiding us in recognizing God’s hand in our lives. He commanded us to tithe, and in return, promised to “open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).
In similar terms, giving is another means by which supernatural progress is made. God gives access to the supernatural when you prove that the little you have is well used and invested in the kingdom service. He wants you to manage your money with wisdom, and sow with enthusiasm. He blesses you with enthusiasm as long as you follow those principles. Except a corn of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone (John 12:24). From that little, abundance is made available.
The grace of God gives life a beautiful definition. God’s grace makes supernatural abundance available with little human understanding. Efforts are good, but the grace of God is the defining factor in supernatural progress. What is available for one is different from what is available for another not only by efforts but also by the grace of God. “But by the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Friends, it is the will of God for you to prosper. If a child is doing well, the father takes pride in it and has a sense of fulfillment. In the same way, God is pleased to see His children prosper. Prosperity and supernatural progress are the will of God and are available for those who follow His principles. You shall make supernatural progress in Jesus’ precious name!
You can watch our videos on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@chapelofpraisenorthwestark6564. You may also visit our website https://www.chapelofpraisenwa.org/ for more spiritually edifying content and information about our services.
•Pastor Sam Adelusimo is the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chapel of Praise Parish, Northwest Arkansas, United States of America.