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I seem to vaguely remember this old nursery rhyme from when I was a kid. It went like this: “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” If you asked my niece that question, she would probably say, “Real Slow!” And maybe that’s why Mary was so contrary! You see, last spring, my niece is like me she does not have a green thumb, but she was determined to start a garden so she cleared a little area in her yard where she could have a vegetable garden. She was like a kid all excited about planting seeds in the ground: tomato seeds, green beans, carrots, and lettuce. But then she went out The Next Day to look at what she had planted. What did she see? Absolutely Nothing! Then the Next Week, and the next week, and the week after that. She watered the garden when it did not rain. Helped pull up weeds. For the longest time, she went out to that garden to see what was happening and found out…Nothing Was Happening – Or So It Appeared! Now, Had She Tried to Dig Up the Seeds to See If Anything Were Happening, She Would Have Ruined Everything! But you know the story. It finally happened: The tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce finally showed Manifested Evidence, that what Looked Like Nothing, Was Actually Something All Along…It Just Took Time!
Listen: No Matter What It Looks Like NOW, Remember It Will Look Even Better LATER! “‘This Temple is going to End Up Far Better Than It Started Out, a glorious beginning but an even more Glorious Finish…” (Haggai 2:9 MSG) And YOU Will Enjoy the Same Awesome Testimony! You Just Have to WAIT for It! No Matter How You Started Out, You Will Have an Even More Glorious Finish! “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, Patience (An Even Temper, Forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22 AMP). Just Be PATIENT!
Something had been happening all along to those seeds in my niece garden! AND Something Has Been Happening All Along to The Seeds We Have Planted as Well! Remember: Just Because We Cannot See What God Is Doing, does not Mean He’s Not Doing Anything! In fact, that may be something important for you to remember right now. You have been praying about that need, that situation, that person for a long time and it Looks Like Nothing’s Happening! But the key words to keep in mind are: Looks Like! When a seed’s been planted, it Looks Like there’s NOTHING going on for some time, until that plant breaks through and ultimately produces some wonderful fruit!
When a new life has begun in a woman’s body, it does not Look Like anything is happened for quite a while. But Every Day, That Life Is Growing Even When We Cannot See Its Growth, Until It First Reshapes That Mother’s Body and Ultimately Appears as That Precious Little Baby Being Born! Reminds me of a quote I have learned to live by: “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is Patience.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). The Bible says it this way: “But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, We Wait for It with Patience and Composure.” (Romans 8:25 AMP).
The problem is that when it Looks Like nothing is happening, we tend to say, “I’ve got to do something!” And Most Often, it is the Wrong Thing to Do; Much Like Digging Up the Seed to See If It is Growing or Plowing Up the Garden Because It Looks Like Nothing’s Happening!
Three of the greatest keys to blocking God’s blessing that’s trying to spring forth in your life is: YOUR EYES (“I Saw”); YOUR MIND (“I Thought”); AND YOUR EMOTIONS (“I Felt”)!
When Your Something looks like Nothing the last thing you need to do is have Blurred Vision, Impure Thoughts and Intentions and Uncontrollable Emotions!
When Your Something looks like Nothing and you are tempted to do Something about it, Beware of the Dangers of Your Eyes, Mind and Emotions and bring them under subjection quickly!
Why? Look at what the Bible admonishes:
1…CONTROL YOUR EYES: The Bible says, “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] Not By Sight Or Appearance” (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP). “But God Told Samuel, “Looks Are not Everything. Do not Be Impressed with His Looks and stature. I have already eliminated him. GOD judge persons differently than humans do. Men and women LOOK at the face; GOD LOOKS into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 MSG). Wisdom Nugget: Do not Let Your Physical Sight, Destroy Your Spiritual Vision!
2…CONTROL YOUR MIND: The Bible says, “But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. For out of the heart come Evil Thoughts (reasoning’s and disputing and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech. These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]…” (Matthew 15:18-20 AMP). “Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the Thoughts Of The Mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our DARK IMAGININGS]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3 AMP). Wisdom Nugget: Choosing Between A Reprobate Mind (Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient“) And A Renewed Mind (Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“), Will Determine Whether You Continue To Reign Or Come To Ruins! Bear in Mind, The Choice Is Yours!
3…Control Your Emotions: The Bible Says, “A Fool Expresses All His Emotions, But A Wise Person Controls Them” (Proverbs 29:11 GWT). “In the end they will be destroyed. Their Own Emotions Are Their God, And They Take Pride in The Shameful Things They Do…” (Philippians 3:19 GWT). Wisdom Nugget: Fulfillment Comes Not from Feeling, But from Following! Look at It Like This: The Coat of a Rottweiler Is Soft, But Haphazardly Reaching Out to Feel It, Might Result in Your Going into Your Future With A Few Less Fingers! Likewise, Following Your Feelings Is Just as Dangerous! Do not Let Your Emotions Maim You! “Maim” Means: “To Wound or Injure (Someone) So That Part of The Body Is Permanently Damaged!” In A Nutshell: Temporary Emotions Can Permanently Maim You!
We Have To Respect the Fact That God’s Thoughts Are Not Ours. Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Oftentimes your real sacrifice is in waiting the full seven days, and even when nothing seems to happen, even on the appointed day, Waiting, Trusting And Knowing That God Does Not Fail And Does Not Lie, He Will Perform It And I’m Going To Continue To Sit Until He Does, is the best thing you could ever do!
In the words of the Psalmist: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and HE WILL DO THIS…be still before the Lord and WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM” (Psalm 37:5, 7). Let God Do It His Way and In His Timing! And no matter how long you have to wait, remember: “God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 AMP). Yes, He Will!
Regardless of what you See, Think or Feel, Your Nothing Has Something…You Just Have to Wait for It! SO, WAIT! The Bible Admonishes Us: “WAIT and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, WAIT for and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 AMP).
Some of the most exciting moments in sports are the touchdown or field goal that win the game, especially, when there is no time left on the clock! That game-winning basket as the final buzzer sounds is unforgettable! The game-winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning is remarkable! I have come to find out that whatever the sport, there is nothing like a sudden victory when victory seemed out of reach! It makes the fans go ballistic! Which reminds me of a quote I love: “I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments: the front page has nothing but man’s failures.” (Earl Warren). Truth be told, it can be nerve-wracking when you are behind, and time is running out! But it is an awesome moment when a hero pulls out an unexpected victory…at the last minute! And the longer I walk with this God of ours, the more I have come to appreciate Him as the God of the last-second victory, or the God of the eleventh hour, as I’ve called Him so often. The Bible reveals many names by which God wants us to know Him. One that has meant so much to so many for so long is “Jehovah-Jireh”. It means, “The Lord will provide, or the Lord will see to my provision. “
You may be facing a need or situation right now where that is literally your only hope – that the Lord will provide. Maybe it is a job, a friend, or much needed finances; maybe it is the house, the healing, the breakthrough, or soundness of mind you need. Well, if that is the case, today you need to be reminded that we have a rock-solid promise in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (NIV). Understand that this Scripture lets us know that God’s supply has nothing to do with what is happening in the economy, in the news, at work, or in what your limited resources can or cannot do! It is all about His Unlimited “Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus” account in Heaven, which transcends every limitation earth can provide!
You Need NOT Attempt to Understand God or His Ways or His Timing, or His Supply. You Need Only to Remember That He Is and Will Always Be…UNLIMITED! Which is why you should never fret over your LITTLE, when you serve such a BIG God! Another quote I love says, “If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.” (Author Unknown) And the truth of the matter is, you may never understand how God supplies rivers in the desert, but when you are thirsty, knowing that He can, and He will be Enough! So, before you allow your fears to get the best of you, remember: “The Fear of God kills all other fears!”
Now to be honest, I believe God often waits a while to meet our needs…On Purpose! Let us look at Scripture: “A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany…the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Master, the one you love so very much is sick.” When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.” …Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus Died. And I Am Glad for Your Sakes That I Was not There. You are About to Be Given New Grounds for Believing. Now let us go to him.” (John 11:1-4, 14 MSG). So, before you panic, know that God always has a reason for allowing you to sit in the waiting room! And His reason is always the same: “…it will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son…and…You’re about to be given new grounds for believing…”. Your waiting, while wounded, gives God Glory and Increases Your Faith by giving you Knew Grounds or New Reasons to Trust Him even at the Eleventh Hour! That is why you cannot get discouraged because “…it’s usually the last key in the bunch that opens the lock” (Author Unknown)! So, be patient, a door of opportunity is about to open just for you…all you must do is WAIT!
Philippians 4:19 says He promises to meet all our needs, But He does Not promise WHEN! See, most of us already know that He can do it, and that He’s promised to do it, but if only He’d share WHEN He’s going to do it, we’d be less likely to flip out when the last grain of sand is found in the hourglass! But then that wouldn’t be considered faith, now would it?! Ramona C. Carroll said it best: “Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.” But unfortunately for many of us, when we get to that last grain of sand, we panic, and come up with desperate and oftentimes ridiculous ways to so-called meet our needs on our own!
Again, let us look at Scripture: “Sarai, Abram’s wife, hadn’t yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “GOD has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her.” Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.’ (Genesis 16:1-2 MSG). And believe it or not, nations are still paying for that ridiculous attempt at “helping God out”! Too often we abandon our trust in God because, He is – if we dare be honest—Taking Too Long! Even the Psalmist knows what this feels like: “Please, God…Treat me nice for a change; I’m so starved for affection. Can’t you see I am black-and-blue, beat up badly in bones and soul? God, How Long Will It Take for You to Let Up? Break in, GOD, and break up this fight; if you love me at all, get me out of here. I am no good to you dead, am I? I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb!” (6:1-5 MSG). See, you are not the only one who wants to stamp “Federal Express” or “Overnight Delivery” on God! But such actions take us right out of the Will of God and aborts what God was going to birth on our behalf if we would have trusted Him enough to wait the full 9 months! “But those who WAIT for the Lord [who EXPECT, look for, and HOPE in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 AMP).
Now, it is in Genesis 22, where we find that God is known as Jehovah-Jireh for the very first time. We can learn a lot from how He worked that day for Abraham. See, Abraham had, by faith, obeyed God’s direction to take the son God had once promised to him, climb Mt. Moriah with him, and sacrifice his son there; as God (the Father) would do Himself one day with Jesus (His Son). Believing that God will somehow provide something he cannot imagine, Abraham yet promises his servants that both he and his son Isaac will return from the mountain. Genesis 22:10 says his faith and obedience went so far that “he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” At that very LAST MOMENT, God stopped him and showed Abraham a ram, stuck in a thicket, who would be sacrificed instead of his son. And the Bible says, “So Abraham called that place, ‘The Lord Will Provide.’ “Remember: Jehovah-Jireh – often steps in right on time, which is usually—when there’s no time left! Which reminds me of a quote I love, “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.” (Author Unknown)
God loves to come through for us when there is absolutely no place else that answer could come from, and there is no time left on the clock. It is 11:59! The buzzer is about to sound! But that’s when God shows up with His provision, at a time and in a way that will blow you away, give Him all the glory, and show people around you the greatness and faithfulness of your God! Then it is only natural that you will experience a whole new level of faith in Him and worship for Him! God’s last-minute victories are some of the most awesome moments of your life! So, do not lose faith now! “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” (Oswald Chambers). Keep in mind: The greater the need, the later the hour, the more amazing God’s work on your behalf! That is why you need to determine to be like your sports heroes and hang in there until the end of the game! And when God steps in and grants you a last-second victory, before the last grain of sand falls in the hourglass, remember, like the sports fans, go ballistic…in praise, worship, and thanksgiving!
Will the wait be easy? Absolutely not, in fact it is one of the hardest things to do! But remembering that God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12); remembering that God does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19); remembering that God keeps His Word and every promise He makes (Isaiah 55:11), certainly makes the wait a little easier! And yes, I understand that the mortgage is over-due; the tuition seems impossible to pay; the car note is about to turn into a bus pass; the doctors may as well sign your cause of death certificate; the marriage is on life-support; the job is strangling your sanity or the lack of one is strangling your empty bank account. And yet, I still say wait on God and watch Him work, even at the 11th hour! He is done it before, and He can and will do it again! Do not lose heart, patience, peace, joy, or faith. God sits too high to let His people down! Hold on and hang in there, before the last grain of sand falls, God will step in with a last-minute miracle!
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG).
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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