GOD IS NOT GATEKEEPING BLESSING

There’s a prevailing myth, a whispering deceit that has seeped into human consciousness since the dawn of time. It is the same lie that slithered into Eden, one that accuses God of holding out on us, of being the gatekeeper of health, abundance, peace, and provision. This ancient deception suggests that God’s goodness is conditional and reserved for a chosen few, leaving the rest of humanity to scrape by, grovel, or earn His favour through toil and tears. But this is not the God of Scripture.

THE FIRST LIE: “HAS GOD REALLY SAID?”

In Genesis 3:1, the serpent’s first words to humanity were filled with suspicion:

“Has God really said…?” (Genesis 3:1)

Here begins the devil’s masterpiece—the insinuation that God is withholding something good. By questioning God’s word, the serpent subtly reframed the narrative. Adam and Eve, who once lived in the fullness of God’s provision and presence, began to doubt His character. The lie took root: “Maybe God is keeping something from us. Perhaps He does not have our best interest in mind.”

But the truth is plain: God had already given Adam and Eve dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:28). He placed them in a garden of unimaginable abundance, saying,

“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” (Genesis 2:16).

The restriction was not a deprivation; it was protection. God was not keeping them from good but safeguarding them from evil. Yet, the devil twisted this, and in their disobedience, humanity has struggled with that warped perception ever since.

THE DEVIL’S ROLE REVERSAL: GOD AS THE VILLAIN

Over time, the serpent’s narrative expanded. The devil began presenting himself as the liberator, the one who gives humanity what God supposedly withholds. But this is the classic role-reversal. Jesus identifies the devil’s true nature in John 8:44, saying,

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Consider how many today still believe this lie: that God is somehow reluctant to heal, bless, or prosper His people.

GOD IS NOT WITHHOLDING GOOD

Scripture is unequivocal in declaring God’s generosity and desire for His children to walk in fullness. Psalm 84:11 says,

“No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Similarly, in Romans 8:32, Paul asks a rhetorical question that dismantles the idea of a stingy God:

“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?”

If God gave His most precious possession—His only Son—for us, why would He withhold anything lesser? The church fathers echo this sentiment. St. Irenaeus of Lyons once wrote,

“The glory of God is man fully alive.”

God’s desire is for us to live abundantly, a truth affirmed by Christ Himself in John 10:10:

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

God is not hoarding blessings behind some divine gate, doling them out sparingly. Rather, He’s already flung the gates wide open, offering all things freely in Christ. This is a central tenet of Christian faith, as Augustine declares,

“God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to receive them.”

OUR SOCIETY: CONSTANT DISTRACTIONS FROM TRUTH

The story in Eden isn’t just about Adam and Eve; it’s about us today. The devil’s strategy has not changed. The devil questioned God’s Word then, and he does so now. And why? Because he knows Gods# word saves us.

Consider these verse:

“He will tell you words that will save you; you and all your household.” (Acts 11:14)

“He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from destruction.” (Psalm 107:20)

“The seeds along the path are those who hear, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” (Luke 8:12)

Today, society bombards us with distractions that echo the serpent’s voice: “Has God really said?”

We are inundated with messages that question God’s goodness. They whisper that we need to take matters into our own hands. This could be through self-reliance, materialism, or even tuning out in spiritual indifference.

Our society often promotes a narrative that paints God as distant, unapproachable, and uncooperative. Often even as the villain. Whether it’s in the realm of healing, finances, or relationships, we are constantly told that we must struggle alone, as if God is indifferent to our plight.

This is the lie of Satan—one designed to divert our eyes from the Word of God and onto our circumstances. But Jesus invites us to refocus. His invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 is a beckoning call to rest and trust:

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

THE POWER OF AGREEMENT: COOPERATION WITH GOD

The misconception many hold is that we are waiting on God to act, as if His promises are pending. But Scripture reveals the opposite: God is waiting on us. He has already affirmed His promises to us and accomplished everything necessary for our healing, peace, and abundance through Christ’s finished work.

Peter tells us,

“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Notice the tense—has given—meaning it is already available. So why do we still struggle? The answer is in our cooperation, or lack thereof. James 4:7 gives a vital key to our cooperation:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Cooperation with God requires submission to His Word. Submission means agreement. The truth is binary; we are either cooperating with God, or we are cooperating with the devil.

GOD IS WAITING FOR US

The parting thought is this: God is not withholding anything. Every blessing, every provision, and every victory has already been made available through Jesus. We are not waiting on His cooperation; He is waiting on ours. As St. John Chrysostom famously said,

“God never abandons those who do not first abandon Him.”

While the idea of God abandoning mankind may seem repulsive at first, we must remember that it was humanity who abandoned the Lord in the garden to begin with.

Ever since then, He has continually reached out to us, seeking to bring us back into the warmth of His protective embrace. Sadly, we often resist Him—even Christians.

It’s crucial to understand that God is not limited, but we often limit Him in what He is able to do for us, because of ignorance, stubbornness, laziness or all three.

In Psalm 78:41, we read,

“Yes, they turned back [turned their backs] and provoked God, and limited the Holy One of Israel”

The Hebrew word translated as “limited” here is תָּוָה (tavah), and its root meaning can shed light on this translation choice.

The Hebrew Root and Meaning

The root of תָּוָה comes from the verb ta’ah (תָּוָה), which can mean “to mark, inscribe, or set a boundary.” This concept of marking—drawing a line in the sand—or setting boundaries helps explain why it is translated as “limited.” It means a boundary that can’t be crossed.

To “limit” God in this context means to place restrictions or set boundaries on what God could or would do, particularly due to the people’s disobedience and lack of faith. They didn’t know their God. Ignorance is a dangerous game to play,

“My people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)

Many Christians suffer destruction in various areas of their lives because they do not know what belongs to them in Christ.

The Israelites “set limits” on God’s ability to act in their lives—not because God’s power was diminished, nor was His compassion dimmed, but because their rebellion and unbelief restricted the blessings He wanted to bestow upon them.

Psalm 78:41 emphasizes how the Israelites repeatedly turned away and tested God, limiting the extent to which He could fulfil His promises in their lives.

The idea of “limiting” God here does not imply that humans have the ability to weaken God’s omnipotence, but rather that their lack of faith and disobedience restricted the blessings and help that God was able to provide.

Their hearts, actions, and attitudes “limited” how God could act on their behalf. This interpretation is consistent with the broader biblical theme of covenant relationship with God, that emphasizes cooperation with God’s will as essential for receiving His full blessings (2 Chronicles 15:2).

This covenant that God has set in place, is the only legal mechanism by which heaven’s blessings can be transferred to earth. For a covenant to work, it must be kept. There is no other way.

Consider 2 Chronicles 15:1-6:

“The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For many years, Israel was without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law. But in their distress, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them. In those days, there was no safety for travelers, because the inhabitants of the lands had many conflicts. Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.”

The consequences of turning away from God are severe—and they are of our own making.

God doesn’t forsake anyone because He wants to, but because they make it impossible for Him to help since they reject the covenant relationship and its responsibilities.

In short, God can’t help anyone who keeps Him at arms length.

CONCLUSION

The question is not, and never will be, whether God will provide, heal, or save—it is, and always has been, whether we will cooperate with Him, believe His Word, and stand in agreement with His promises.

Our destiny in Christ is not one of scarcity or lack but of abundance and peace. We must refuse to believe the enemy’s lie that God is holding out on us. Instead, we need to recognise that the only thing standing in the way is our own reluctance to trust, obey, and cooperate with the One who “works all things together for our good” (Romans 8:28).

God is ready. The gates are open. The only question that remains: Will you and I walk through into His blessing? God has done His part in establishing a covenant, a new access to the store of heaven. It is now up to us to find out how this covenant operates and do our part in keeping our side of the deal.

Afterall, we did say,

“Jesus I give you my life, and make you my Lord!”

Isn’t it about time we did exactly that?

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