Many of you are longing for the goodness of God, but you are not aware of all that is included in the price Jesus paid for you way back on Calvary. You know that every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). If you get a raise on your job, you thank God! If you find the mate that you have been searching for, you thank the Lord. All good and perfect things come from God. You do not turn down anything. God has everything that you will ever need laid up in His heavenly stores. You can receive not only good gifts from God, but you receive gifts that are perfect and complete. In order to receive from God, you must place yourself in an upright position and in an advantageous stance. You must place yourself in a position to receive.

                               Which Way Are You Walking?
           The Lord protects you from harm. He gives grace, and He gives glory. He will never withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly (James 1:17).
           It is now harvest time. It is time to reap from those seeds which you have sown. There is not one good thing that God has in His possession that He will withhold from you if you are walking uprightly. Conversely, there are some good things He is withholding from those who are not walking uprightly. What does it mean to walk uprightly? If you have envy in your heart and are coveting the things of those around you, you are not walking uprightly. If you murder, lie, cheat and steal, you are not walking uprightly. You would be surprised how many people are living unrighteous lives, and yet still wonder why God has not answered their prayers.
           To walk uprightly means to walk perfectly, justly, in integrity, with no spot or blemish. God told Abram to walk before Him and to be perfect (Genesis 17:1). If you are walking before God, then He can see every move that you make. If you are walking uprightly, perfectly, justly and in integrity, and there is something that you desire to have and you still do not have it, then you can conclude that what you desire is not good for you. If the desire of your heart is good, perfect and just, and you do not have it, there is something wrong with your walk. Be honest with yourself and be honest with God. There is nothing that you can hide from Him. Ask him to help you overcome the sin that is in your life.
           Every good gift is from above. Every good thing that God has is yours. There is not one good thing He will withhold. However, there are a lot of situations in which you may force God to withhold your desires either because you are not walking uprightly or what you are searching for is not good.  
           Search your heart and make sure that your intentions are right. If you are walking uprightly and your intentions are good, you have only to be patient. This is your insurance from heaven. You serve such a loving God that you can be sure that anything He grants you will be good to you and good for you. Trust in Him. God knows what is best for you, and it will be to your advantage; it will make you happy, it will be a great blessing; and it will delight and please your heart.

                                           Delight Yourself
         The things that bring you true happiness in life always have their root in the Holy Spirit. Delight yourself in the Lord, then He will give you the things that you want (Psalm 37:4). After God created Adam He declared that it was not good for man to be alone. He decided to make a helpmate for him (Genesis 2:18). Notice that Adam never asked for a wife. God simply noticed that there was something good He was withholding from Adam. He said, “I’ve created the world and declared everything in it to be good, yet my servant does not have a wife. There’s something good I’m withholding from Him.” Understand that since this was before Adam sinned, Adam was walking uprightly. And since he was walking uprightly, God could not withhold Eve. If you are walking uprightly, He will not withhold any good thing from you either. To those of you who are seeking God for a spouse, remember that whoever finds a good wife (spouse) finds a good thing (Proverbs 18:22). This is scripture. Remember to remind God of His Word when you are seeking a spouse. God cannot withhold your spouse if you are walking uprightly.                If you are walking justly, in integrity and in truth, God will seek ways to make you even happier. This is why the Gospel is called the Good News.

                                           Foolish or Wise?
         A man who has a great deal of spiritual understanding automatically walks uprightly. He understands that no good thing is withheld from him who walks uprightly. As a result of that understanding, he desires to walk uprightly in order to receive every good and perfect gift to which he is entitled.  In Psalm 37:37, the psalmist admonishes you to take a good look at the man who walks uprightly. You already know that God told Abram to walk before Him and be perfect. Ultimately, you should not only want to obtain the good things that God has in store for you, but you should desire to obtain God himself. Surely God is good, and He will not withhold Himself from you. God is your reward, and with God as your reward, of course, you can have it all! You do not have to go without anything.
           Before he was known as the Father of Faith, and before his name was changed, Abram asked God what he would give him since he had no children (Genesis 2:15). How many of you have wondered what God will give you if you are without children or a mate? Abram was lacking a good thing -- a child. Abram had everything, he was rich in cattle, silver and gold, and even God declared that He was Abram’s “exceeding, great reward” but he lacked an heir. So, Abram’s heart’s desire was given unto him. Because Abram walked uprightly, God would not withhold that good thing, a child, from Abram.
           Whether you lack adequate finances, a spouse, a child or if your physical condition requires a healing touch, God does not want you to go without it. Nothing would please God more than to know that you are pleased. He wants to mark you as His perfect, upright child. He wants you to order your steps before Him and live a Godly, sinless life knowing that you will be rewarded with every good, perfect and complete gift. He is the Father of lights, and He is your sun. As long as you walk before Him, He will be a light unto your path. And as long as you delight yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart.

                                               Fear God 
         You have already discovered in Job 8:5 that when you seek God He will move on your behalf, and this is further corroborated in Psalm 34: 1-10: 

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
           The man who wrote this passage discovered that as he was seeking God, God was moving on his behalf. God will awaken Himself, rouse Himself and stir Himself to move heaven and earth if that’s what it takes to effectively address your problems. Notice verse 9 calls for you to fear the Lord. Why? Because there is no want to them that fear Him. What does it mean to fear God, you ask? Let’s continue with verse 10.                Verse 10 teaches that even the young lions lack and suffer hunger. Even the king of all of God’s beasts sometimes go without. And if the king of the jungle must sometimes suffer hunger, how much more do the other animals experience want? However, lack is not what God has ordained for His followers, for those who fear Him. The second part of verse 10 makes it known that those who “seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”
           So, if you fear God, there is no want, and if you seek God, you won’t lack any good thing. Therefore, fearing God is the same as seeking God. For when you seek God, you fear Him and when you fear God, you seek Him. Recall that when you seek God you require Him, you inquire of Him, you diligently pursue Him, you go after Him, you vigorously reach out to Him and you are in hot pursuit of Him. These same definitions apply when you fear God. God will not allow you to go without anything as long as you seek Him and fear Him.

                                           How To Find God
           It has now been established that when you fear God, you seek God, but how do you effectively seek God? How do you look for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? How do you require the presence of the Holy One of Israel? How do you inquire of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? How do you vigorously pursue the Bright and Morning Star?
           The two primary ways to seek God are by prayer and reading the Word of God. When your heart is in an attitude of prayer, you require the presence of God. When you read the Word of God, you understand the essence of God Himself. As you are filled with the Word, you are filled with the anointing and as you are filled with the anointing, you are filled with the power of God.
           Daniel 9:3 reports, “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes.” Prayer and fasting will command God’s presence and His attention. Prayer is the vehicle by which you hook up to God’s power. Prayer fills you when the world has beaten you down. Prayer allows a time of peace and communion with God. When you enter into fellowship with the Lord God Almighty, you are filled with peace and joy. The glory of the Lord descends upon you and empowers you to do anything. Consistent and constant prayer will yield mighty, effectual results in your life. You will never find a prayer warrior who is weak and fearful of what the world may throw his/her way. Prayer will prepare you for all things, both good and evil, and will show you how to handle them, too.
           The second major method for finding God is to look for Him in His Word. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). God is His Word. So, when you read and study and understand and apply the Word of God to your life, you also read and study and understand and apply God Himself to your life.  The Word is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) It is everlasting. The flowers and the grass will fade away, but the incorruptible Word of God will abide forever (I Peter 1:23). When God sends out His Word, it will not return unto Him void but it will accomplish and prosper (Isaiah 55:10).
           The commandment to read the Word of God is expressed very succinctly in Isaiah 34:16: “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read.” This has to be one of the easiest commands in the whole Bible. Simply read the Word of God. Simply read the Word of God. God will be found by those who are earnestly and diligently seeking Him. He will only elude you long enough to test your sincerity and your tenacity. Don’t give up. Once you find God, it will be well worth the wait.

Summary -- Don’t Go Without

1. Know that you do not have to go without anything.

2. Understand that every good and perfect gift is from above.

3. Understand that no good thing will God withhold from them who walk uprightly:

         If you are walking uprightly and have not received your “good                     thing,” then it is not as good as you think, and God will withhold it.

         If you definitely know that the thing you seek is good and perfect,              and you have not received it, then you are not walking uprightly.

4. To fear God is to seek Him and to seek Him is to fear Him.

5. There are two major methods by which you seek God and, therefore, allow Him to come into your life: 1) prayer and fasting, and 2) reading and studying God’s Word.