“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life …” (2 Peter 1:3)

Have you ever watched a dog chase its tail? He doesn’t realize that it is part of him. He continually chases after it in a futile attempt to get what’s already attached and is already his!

In the same way, many Christians chase after what is already theirs. How do they do this? They ask God to provide for them what He has already provided for them!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV)

Lack of knowledge!

They don’t have a lack of God’s provision, (He has provided everything!) but, they do have a lack of knowledge of what He has provided for them in His Word!

The problem

If you don’t know that you have something, you will believe and behave as though you don’t have it, even though you actually do have it!

It’s like the man who died of a combination of exposure and starvation while living under a bridge in a major city. He had inherited a fortune but wasn’t aware of it! Even though he was, in fact, very wealthy, he didn’t know it and lived and died as though he was poor.

It’s the same with God’s people!

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). What you don’t know can and will hurt you!

What you have that Jesus paid for

• You can approach Him with freedom and confidence at any time! “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence,” (Eph. 3:12). You don’t have to go through a priest or do some kind of religious ceremony, but you can approach God directly through prayer (just talk to Him!).

• He will never leave you! “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 23:5b). You don’t have to ask Him to “be with you or go with you,” but instead, you can simply thank Him for “being with you and for going with you!”

• Thousands of promises for you! “He has given us his very great and precious promises.” (2 Peter 1:4). These promises cover every conceivable need! God has it all covered!

• He supplies all your needs! “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus!” (Phil. 4:19). This is the golden promise of all promises! It takes care of everything when you apply it and mix faith with it!

• God has created you for a purpose. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10)

• He gives you strength to do the purpose He has created you for! “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13)