There's a Reason It Ain't Happened Yet!
Saturdays are always the best times. It’s like the Lord releases more to me on Saturdays and I don’t know why, but I am glad about it. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a “schedule” of so many other things like during the week? I don’t know. But what I DO know is that me and Holy Spirit had an amazing time this morning!!
There were two words I heard Holy Spirit say: Establish and Erase.
He said there are some things I need to establish in you and there are some things I need to erase in you.
I gave God permission to establish and erase in my life. I said Lord, establish what you want in my life and erase what you want in my life.
We then began to talk about relationships and He said to me: Both of you needed hope and a future, so I established you, then began the work of MY PLAN (Jeremiah 29:11), but some things take longer to come to you because of an unwillingness to obey.
I sat for a while and let that sink in. I understood. As much as I want a relationship, I have surrendered to God and whatever He has to do to get me and my future spouse right, I give Him permission to do so.
Then the subject changed to success and these thoughts came to me:
If you are sinning and successful, you are repping satan’s kingdom of darkness and just because you give little “g” god a shout out doesn’t mean you are talking about the big “G” God.
Success that keeps you from God, didn’t come from God.
Success that has you doing things against His will and His laws isn’t coming from God.
As I was jotting all of this down, I heard the Holy Spirit say: Don’t let other people’s success deceive you. It’s only temporary. They are getting all the “reward” they are going to get now. They are not focused on eternity. Matthew 6:19-21 talks about storing up treasures on earth verses treasures in heaven. And I believe we do get caught up in the success of other people who are giving honor to false gods. Just because a person says God, doesn’t mean they are talking about the triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
At this point I was on bended knees and bowed all the way down in my prayer closet and writing. My bible was not on the floor with me, so I reached up and grabbed it. I opened it randomly as I have been doing since the start of this new year, and I landed on John 10! It was verses 27-30 that kept the conversation going.
My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. John 10:27-30 CSB
Dr. Tony Evans’s Hope Words were on the page I flipped to in John and it said this:
If you are living outside of God’s purpose, you are living outside of God’s power.
Once again the Lord is warning me (us) not to be deceived by people who seem so successful. All success ain’t God-ordained success. So don’t be fooled. It may look like they living their best life, but what hangs in the balance is their eternal life. It may look like where the money reside, but where will their soul reside?
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:36 NIV
We have to be careful who we are following because of their perceived success. John 10:10 says:
A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. John 10:10 CSB
If it keeps you from serving God, it ain’t from God. Let that be your litmus test.
So after that conversation, I flipped to the next page in John (chapter 11) and noticed something I had never seen before even though I have read the story of Lazarus (and discussed it here) many times. So Lazarus was sick and his sisters Mary and Martha sent a note to Jesus that said, Lord the one you love is sick (verse 3).
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days
The first thing I noticed that I never paid attention to before was verse 5. It says Jesus loved Martha, her sister and Lazarus. And verse 3 shows us that the KNEW the Lord loved them. That’s the part y’all!! Jesus loved them and they knew it! The revelation I had was even in a dead situation Jesus loves me and I better know it! That made me so excited this morning!! Because when things are dying or sick in our lives (and not always health sick), the first lie the enemy tries to put in your thoughts is that Jesus must not love me if He is allowing this to happen to me.
But let’s look at how strong the love Jesus had for them was.
So when he heard about Lazarus, He established that the sickness would not end in death, but it was for God’s glory. So He stayed where He was.
What has the Lord already told you about the thing in your life that “looks sick” or “seems dead”? I will tell you what He said to you and I don’t even know you. He said it won’t die and it is for the glory of God so that the Son of God will be glorified THROUGH it.
That means you got to go THROUGH it, for God to get the glory FROM it!
Jesus loves us so much that He is staying put until the time is right for Him to move on your behalf because He knows that “this sickness” (or this thing you’re dealing with) will not end in death, but it is for the glory of God.
Don’t be frustrated (talking to myself here) when our Lord stays put. He loves you! And what seems like a delay to us is divine timing for Him.
Dr. Evans said sometimes God will allow something to die for the express purpose of letting us experience a resurrection. Because God knows that when we see him for who He really is, we will never see life the same way again.
He GOT TO stay put!
But verse 11 is where I shouted: He said this, and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’M ON MY WAY to wake him up.”
Que the shouting!!!!!
You think it’s dead, when it’s really just sleep to Jesus!!!!
Whatever situation is going on in your life that seems sick (not well) or seems dead (no activity), OUR GOD IS ON THE WAY TO WAKE IT UP!!
He’s on the way y’all! Right to your house. Right to your situation.
He has stayed put long enough to establish some things in you; erase some things out of you; and for Him to GET THE GLORY from the entire story!!
Hallelujah!!
SALVATION PRAYER
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you’re not a believer, but you have a desire to be, all you have to do is openly confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). When you pray that prayer, you are saved. Get connected with a good, bible-based church in your community, stay connected to other believers, and start having daily conversations through prayer with God every single day. Welcome to your new life with Jesus Christ!!!
ASSIGNMENTS
What did Holy Spirit say to you in your conversation with Him this morning?
What did you get from my conversation with God that encouraged you to apply it to your life?
Record yourself reading the word of God on video or audio and watch how God will use your own voice to give you revelation and build your faith (keeping this assignment on here for a while).
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