Your Vision Must Come From God: There's A Difference Between Setting Your OWN GOALS And Having A GOD-GIVEN VISION! When Your Vision Is Of God, '... It Will Surely Come...'

 Join Me: I Am On FaceBook Live Each Saturday at 9:00 A.M.& YouTube At Noon For A Word Of God. Here Is The Link Where You Can Meet Me for 45 Minutes. https://www.facebook.com/HSRH2011/.  CD Link. https://jpolsonmusic.com/

 

 

Then the Word spoke to me and said: “Write the Vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” (Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV)  

Habakkuk describes his vision as, The Oracle (a BURDENSOME MESSAGE – a pronouncement from God) which Habakkuk the prophet saw' (Habakkuk 1:1 NKJV). He 'SAW' it wherever he went. It drove him to his knees. He even cried out, 'O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You; “Violence!” And you will not save. Why do You SHOW me iniquity and cause me to SEE trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds' (Habakkuk 1:2-4 NKJV).  

Before God blesses you with a plan of action He will first BURDEN you with the problem you've been called to help solve! A ‘burden’ is defined as, ‘a heavy load; a cause of hardship, worry, or grief; something that is carried; something oppressive or worrisome; a thing to bear; a duty; responsibility; something that weighs down.’ You see, so many are running to God asking Him for a vision, but they don’t want the burden that comes attached to the vision. Receiving a vision from God will cost you. And the price is heavy. Oftentimes a vision from God will keep you up late at night; pacing the floor; spending countless hours in prayer; fasting for weeks on end; separating yourself from familiar people, places and things. Often a vision from God comes with the weight of burden. It doesn’t come cheap or easy.

When it comes to God’s vision and purpose, it comes with glory, and His glory always carry’s weight! Accepting an assignment from God, receiving vision from God, fulfilling purpose in God, will come with burden and glory, and both are heavy! Don’t ask God to hand you what you’re not ready to carry! 

Yes, the prophet received a vision, but it came at the expense of him crying out to God; with him facing trouble and violence; unanswered questions; powerlessness and even being surrounded by wickedness. Are you really sure you’re ready to pay the price of carrying vision and burden? 

Lewis Braille wanted to read and write. But at three years of age he was blinded in a tragic accident while playing in his father's harness shop. Refusing to settle for a world of darkness he said, 'I will make a system so that the blind can read and write.' As a result, millions of sight-impaired people have been blessed by the Braille system.  

People of God Prepare Yourself Because He's going to Bless You, but FIRST HE'S GOING TO BURDEN YOU!

The Psalmist cried: 'The ZEAL for Your house has CONSUMED me...' (Psalm 69:9 NASB). Today, ask yourself the following questions, ‘What's my all-consuming desire? What am I passionate about? What has God called and gifted me to do?’ You see, the word ‘zeal’ is defined as, ‘eagerness in pursuit of an interest; a fervor; passion; enthusiasm; an intense, compelling emotion that requires action; it’s a deep stirring; a determination to do something.’ And where was the psalmist zeal? In God’s House! What are you doing in God’s House?! Are your gifts, talents, skill-set, ability, anointing, calling all being passionately utilized in the Lord’s House? Or are you simply warming pulpit/pew chairs until the Lord returns? What are you doing with what God gave you to do?

Paul's burning desire was to reach the world for Christ. And he succeeded! When his enemies imprisoned him, instead of giving in to defeat he turned his cell into a writer's retreat and penned thirteen epistles that would change more lives after he left the world than he could ever hope to touch while he was in it! If your vision is truly of God, you will 'FEEL' a BURDEN for it! And that BURDEN will be COSTLY! And you need to be honest with yourself and find out if you're really willing to pay the price?

Notice Two Important Things About Vision: 

1)   YOUR VISION MUST COME FROM GOD: There's A Difference Between Setting Your OWN GOALS And Having A GOD-GIVEN VISION! When Your Vision Is Of God, '... it will surely come...' (Habakkuk 2:3). In other words, you won't have to orchestrate events behind the scenes; God will provide the resources and open the right doors at the right time and you’ll enter them with all the right people! Your steps will be directed by Him! Here's an interesting Scripture: '...TIME AND CHANCE happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time...' (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 NKJV). God will reveal to you your destiny and give you an opportunity to fulfill it. But, you can resist it, or postpone it, or give your life to other things and end up missing your 'TIME' and 'CHANCE', according to the Scripture. Which is why I admonish you, DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THAT NET OR TRAPPED IN THAT SNARE AND FORFEIT WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU! Your ‘TIME’ and ‘CHANCE’ have a limit. You don’t accomplish them after death; you accomplish them in the time God has given you to live! Don’t die having let everybody use you but God! When God gives you the vision; sets the due time for it to come to pass; and grants you the right perfect chance to go for it, don’t be caught like the foolish virgins missing out on what you could’ve got in on, if only you were prepared and ready when the opportunity presented itself!

2)   YOUR VISION WILL BE CONNECTED TO A CERTAIN FIELD: Joseph's dream started with a field of wheat (Genesis 37:6-7, “Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, “Listen to this dream I had. We were all out in the FIELD gathering bundles of wheat...” MSG). So, what's your field? Because, whether God calls you to the field of medicine, education, finance, ministry, real estate, or some other field, it's to be a blessing to others! It’s not for you to boast, it’s for you to be a blessing! God told Abraham, '...I will make your name great, and you will BE A BLESSING' (Genesis 12:2 NIV). Don't seek fortune, fame, popularity, stardom, or the like, but seek to serve others! If you do, your impact will be greater than your image and your eternal reward greater than anything you can drive, wear, live in, or hang on a wall! THEREFORE, FIND YOUR FIELD!

Jesus said, '...In fact, THE REASON I WAS BORN...' (John 18:37 NIV). When you know why you're here and what your God-given purpose is, you become virtually UNSTOPPABLE! You won't be flawless, but you'll have the innate power to overcome each obstacle as you proceed! If you get turned around, God loves you enough to get your attention, correct and redirect you, and get you back on track! But to find the right answers you must first ask the right questions, such as:  1) What desires have been living in me most of my life? 2) What motivates me to be productive? 3) What keeps me going forward when I'm worn out? 4) What makes me refuse to quit when I meet with resistance or opposition? 5) What do I do that doesn't seem like work? 6) What do I do that brings positive response and support from others? 7) What am I doing, or what's happening in my life when doors seem to open automatically and effortlessly? 8) What do discerning leaders and godly counselors think about my work? 9) What makes me feel good about being who I am? 10) What makes my creative juices flow? 11) What am I willing to sacrifice to accomplish it? 12) What am I doing that I'd be proud to offer for God's approval? 13) What would I do without being paid for, if I could afford to? 14) What would I be willing to withstand Satan over, in order to accomplish it?  

You Need To Know: What is the ‘reason you were born’? And when you do find out your reason, know that's it's not too late; so 'find' your vision and follow it!

Paul was on a mission! He traveled light, practiced personal discipline, avoided distractions and kept his eye on the ball. The Bible says, '...one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize...' (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV). Successful companies live by a mission statement every team member can understand; they keep it before them at all times. God told Habakkuk, '..."Write the vision and make it plain... that he may run who reads it.' (Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV). YOU MUST WRITE YOUR VISION DOWN, READ IT REGULARLY, REMEMBER IT AT ALL TIMES AND RUN WITH IT! YOUR GREATEST ENEMY ISN'T THE OPPOSITION, IT'S THE DISTRACTIONS! SO LET NOTHING AND NO ONE MESS WITH ACCOMPLISHING YOUR MISSION! Proverbs 4:23-27, “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; IGNORE ALL SIDESHOW DISTRACTIONS. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.” (MSG)

Ever heard of 'a white elephant?' When the King of Siam wanted to destroy an enemy, he supposedly gave them a white elephant. In those days white elephants were considered sacred, and nobody dared refuse a king's gift. The trouble was, white elephants couldn't be put to work...but they had to be fed - A LOT! So the king's 'gift' ended up causing his enemy's downfall. Listen Carefully! Guard yourself, your vision and purpose against 'white elephants' that drain your time, energy and resources, and do nothing towards anything that works for you!

DON'T LET DISTRACTIONS DIVERT YOUR VISION! ‘Divert’ means to, ‘turn aside; deviate; to turn from one course or use to another; to distract; to entertain.’ You cannot afford to lose sight of your vision; or to distort your vision because you’ve become so busy entertaining distractions. People of God, Stay Focused!

Five times in Genesis chapter thirty-nine we read: 'But the Lord was with Joseph.' Be encouraged: God is at work with you and in what you're going through right now! Where did Joseph get the wisdom to lead a nation? By dealing with his own family problems, by handling Potiphar's household staff, and by running a prison system! Like rungs on a ladder, each one took him closer to the top! Notice how it worked: his brothers sold him to Ishmaelite slave traders, who sold him to Potiphar, who put him in prison where he met the butler, who introduced him to Pharaoh, who made him Prime Minister of Egypt; fulfilling his dream! Was it easy? No, “Until the time that his word came the word of the LORD tried him” (Psalm 105:19). Prepare Yourself: Your vision will be 'tried' by situations that either make or break you! And the word ‘tried’ is defined as, ‘to be found good and faithful; to be found trustworthy through experience, trials or testing.’ And indeed that same text in psalm read in the Message Bible proves Joseph was tried by testing and he passed with flying colors! “Then he called down a famine on the country, he broke every last blade of wheat. But he sent a man on ahead: Joseph was sold as a slave. They put cruel chains on his ankles, an iron collar around his neck, Until God’s Word came to Pharaoh, and God confirmed His promise. God sent the king to release him. The Pharaoh set Joseph free; he appointed him master of his palace, put him in charge of all his business to personally instruct his princes and train his advisors in wisdom.” (Psalm 105:16-22 MSG) 

Now, some of you may ask, ‘but what do you do when you already received a vision, but it died?’ 

Well, Bill Gothard describes this process as: the birth of the vision, the death of the vision, and the resurrection of the vision. When you've no funds, no friends, and no fight left in you (the death stage), remember the words of Jesus: 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain' (John 12:24 NKJV). When your vision dies and God resurrects it, you begin to talk and act differently! With ego subtracted and grace added, you start saying with the Psalmist, 'I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living' (Psalm 27:13). At that point God smiles and says, 'You're finally getting it right! You’re finally ready to receive the resurrection of your dreams, purpose and vision.' Once you get it right with God, you get to begin again. Remember, Joseph didn’t just have one dream, but the second was bigger than the first, and yours can be also!

When a vision comes from God and you commit yourself to it, it will 'SURELY' be fulfilled! Yes, you'll stumble, be stretched to new limits and maybe even stagger across the finish line, but you'll make it! You'll get to the Promised Land, even if failure is the road you have to travel in order to get there! Look at Moses: he had a history-changing message to deliver to Pharaoh, yet he was a poor speaker. He had marriage problems. He had to reach his breaking point before he learned to delegate responsibility to others. He even had a problem with his temper, as a result God said, '..."This is the land I promised... I have let you see it... but you will not cross over into it." (Deuteronomy 34:4 NIV). But Moses finally got there, maybe not in life, but most certainly in death! For, 1,400 years later he stood with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration: right in the middle of it! Matthew 17:1-3, “Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him.” (MSG) 

You say, 'I've failed so badly.' Well, David committed adultery, yet his psalms bring strength to multitudes and he's quoted in pulpits around the world still today! God didn't excuse David, but he forgave him and used him still! '...David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God...was buried... (Acts 13:36 NKJV). The Bible describes God as, '... ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness...  (Nehemiah 9:17 NKJV). Notice the words 'ready to pardon.' God is ready when you are; all you have to do is turn back to Him! Just because you mess up doesn’t mean you miss out on God’s vision and purpose for your life! He’s always right there ready to pardon (which means ‘the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty; to release from the legal penalties of an offence; to forgive a fault; to absolve from the consequences of a crime.)!

Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t judge our failures like man does? 

Lastly, there's an interesting picture in Amos '... "A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. So it will be...' (Amos 3:12 NLT). Picture Satan as that lion, you as that lamb, Jesus as that shepherd coming to pick up what's left of you, and see how God brings victory out of defeat! Has life torn your vision to pieces like the image in Amos? If so, keep in mind, with God, you only need two things for a comeback according to what’s recovered in Amos:

1)   An Ear to Hear. Stop listening to voices that discourage you; it's not over until God says it's over! God told Ezekiel to prophesy to a valley full of dead, dry bones (Ezekiel 37:4): 'So I prophesied... and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.' (Ezekiel 37:10 NKJV). Your hopes may be dead and your soul dry, but if you listen to what God is saying your vision will live again! Keep your ear to God’s mouth, receive His instructions, obey them, revive your vision, and this time let it live!

2)   A Leg to Stand On. The God Who gave Job twice as much at the end of his trouble as he started with before it, isn't finished with you yet! Read what He's promised and stand on His Word! Look at it this way: Achan was stoned to death in the Valley of Achor for stealing the spoils after the battle of Jericho. End of the story? Not a chance, later, God in His mercy said, 'I will give... the Valley of Achor as a door of Hope...' (Hosea 2:15 NKJV). You may be living with your consequences, but by God's grace you can still live to see your vision fulfilled! There is Hope in the Valley for Your Vision! Your Valley of Achor may have started out with a Stoning, but it will end with You and Your Vision Surviving and Walking Through New Open Doors of Opportunity! Don’t throw in the towel, don’t give up and don’t quit! 

People of God, as you can see from cover-to-cover in the Bible there are tons of stories of those who Found Their Vision, Followed Their Vision and Fulfilled Their Vision…Even AFTER Fumbling Their Vision! And even those who suffered and recovered from the death of their vision. So, Keep Your Eyes of Faith Focused! A Rich Future Is Ahead of You, But Only If You’ll Finally Invest In the Value of Your Vision! 

It can and it will come to pass, hold on to it, and let nothing and no one distort it!

IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO WRITE THE VISION SO WE CAN ALL RUN WITH IT!

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

First, When You Make A Request to The Lord and You Want to Get A Miracle It Needs to Be PERSISTENT. I Wonder, When's the Last Time You Asked God for Something Huge, Trusting God for Something So Big Only He Could Do It?

 Join Me: I Am On FaceBook Live Each Saturday at 9:00 A.M.& YouTube At Noon For A Word Of God. Here Is The Link Where You Can Meet Me for 45 Minutes. https://www.facebook.com/HSRH2011/.  CD Link. https://jpolsonmusic.com/

 

 

Matthew 20:29-34, "As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd was following. Two blind men who were sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by, so they began to shout, “Son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!” The crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!” Jesus stopped and called them. “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” He asked them. “Sir,” they answered, “WE WANT YOU TO GIVE US OUR SIGHT!” Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes; at once they were able to see and they followed Him." (GNT)

I am one of those people who can aggravate your very last nerve when it comes to buying me gifts. I usually get the question, "What do you want for your birthday, or anniversary, or graduation, or Mother’s Day, or Christmas?" And the least appreciated answer goes something like this, "I don't know. Anything is fine. Whatever you want to get me." That is usually what I say. However, for my family that can be quite stressful. You see, what they are hoping for is something a little more specific. Something that will give them guidance in getting that special gift just for me. I rather not give any specifics and just wait and see if my gifts will say ‘Me’? My daughter on the other hand will specify exactly what she wants, where it is, the day the item is on sale, she gives you the specifics of the gift she wants.

Which brings us to Matthew 20, and I will begin reading verses 29-34, "And as they were going out of Jericho, a great throng accompanied Him. And behold, two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, Lord, have pity and mercy on us, [You] Son of David! The crowds reproved them and told them to keep still; but they cried out more, Lord, have pity and mercy on us, [You] Son of David! And Jesus stopped and called them, and asked; What do you want Me to do for you? They answered Him, Lord; we want our eyes to be opened! And Jesus, in pity, touched their eyes; and instantly they received their sight and followed Him." (AMPC)

I love this! The first face they would see would be Jesus and they followed Him from then on!

As we hear this story, we are looking at three secrets of prayer that get a miracle response! You might be able to use that, right?

First, When You Make A Request to The Lord and You Want to Get A Miracle It Needs to Be PERSISTENT. Notice, they said, "Lord have pity and mercy on us," and when they were told to be quiet, they just kept at it: “Lord, have pity and mercy on us,” for the second time. The word “Persistent” is defined as “continuing or recurring; prolonged; longer than usual time; beyond the normal period of time; continuing without change in function or structure; continuing beyond the usual, expected or normal time; not stopping or going away.” And my favorite definition reads: “continuing to do something or to try to do something even though it is difficult or other people want to stop you.” Its synonyms are “insistent; persevering; certain; dedicated; determined; resolute; resolved; unyielding; willful; unfaltering; unhesitating; unwavering; resistant; devoted; faithful; constant; steadfast; unconquerable; relentless; unbending.” And doesn’t that describe these blind men perfectly?

They are stubborn in their request. This reminds me of children (which I better understand why we need child-like faith). They are the epitome of Persistent! If they dare tell you (in full detail) what they want for their birthday, you better believe they will keep asking about it all the way up to their birthday! “Did you get it; did you find it; did you remember the color, the size and it’s at this store only.” They want to make sure you do not mess this up and get it wrong!  Children do not play with birthday gifts or Christmas gifts, and if only we as adults were this persistent when approaching God in prayer with our requests! Look at these men, even after being told to be quiet, they repeat their request! They could care less about what people say, think or feel about them. They could care less of the opinions of others. They could care less how desperate they sound. They need to receive something from Jesus, and they intend to get it, even if they must face enemies as they entreat. I mean listen to these people in varying translations:

“Many people spoke SHARP WORDS to them. They told the blind men not to call out. But they called more…” (NLV).

“Be quiet! The crowd YELLED at them. But they only shouted louder…” (NLT)

The crowd scolded them; criticized them; rebuked them; hushed them; spoke sternly to them; warned them; used sharp words to them and yelled at them!

Let us be honest, this is an intimidating scene! First, there is a crowd (some translations say a multitude or many people), however, these were only 2 men (and blind ones at that!) This may sound a little harsh, but these people could have beaten these men to death! They were a vulnerable part of society. Not to mention they were clearly not taken care of by family since they were sitting there by themselves, by the road, having to plead for their own mercy and miracles! But did that stop them…intimidate them…cause them to fear for their lives? Absolutely Not! And clearly it did not stop them from crying out either! And not just crying out, but doing it repetitively, and getting “louder more and more”! They had to get to Jesus to get their sight and if that required some naysayers, they would persevere through and get their request granted! And these people were not just “mean”, but remember, they “scolded; criticized; rebuked hushed; were stern; spoke sharply and even yelled” at these men. But did it hinder them? NOPE! They cried all the louder! People of God; do not let anything or anyone silence your cry to God! No one really knows the depth of what you are going through but you and God, so their opinions are irrelevant! The more they try to silence you, the louder you shout! You have a need that has absolutely nothing to do with them, so do not let them stop you! Be Persistent! Persistent prayer brings miracles! You need this too bad, and for too long, to get to this point (of being this close to getting it) to allow critics to stifle your cry! When you go in prayer (public or private petition) you throw everything you have in you on the line! Snot, cry, yell, but do not you dare sit quietly by and get passed by!

Verse 33 gives us a second secret because they were very BOLD. When the Lord said, "What do you want Me to do," they said, "WE WANT OUR SIGHT." This is something so big only God could do it! I Wonder, When's the Last Time You Asked God for Something Huge, Trusting God for Something So Big Only He Could Do It? You see, they were not asking for someone to help them along; someone to help them eat and get dressed and go from one place to another. No, they were not looking for something that any mere man could do. They were requesting what only God could do! This recalls a question that came up in one of my bible school classes, “Is Jesus the only One to ever restore sight to the blind?” And one professor responded like this: “As far as I can tell, there is no record or any instance of anyone other than Jesus restoring sight to the blind (and this He apparently did quite a bit in fulfillment of the prophecies about Him as the Messiah: Luke 7:21, “At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and He restored sight to many who were blind.” (NLT); Isaiah 42:7, “You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.” (NLT); Matthew 11:5, “the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (NLT); Matthew 12:22, “Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.” (NLT). Matthew 10:1 does say regarding the twelve: "Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness" (AMP) - that may or may not have included restoration of sight. We do have instances of the dead being raised by men other than the Lord (Example: Elijah, Elisha, Peter, and Paul), so this is indeed an interesting point. It may be that such instances just were not recorded (as indeed most instances of healing were not put down in scripture for obvious reasons of space: John 21:25, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were recorded one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” AMP).

But there is also the fact that it is only in Jesus that our spiritual blindness is removed: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, “Since we have such a [glorious] hope and confident expectation, we speak with great courage, and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not gaze at the end of the glory which was fading away.  But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains uplifted; BECAUSE IT IS REMOVED [ONLY] IN CHRIST.  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil [of blindness] lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].  And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.” AMP).

Jesus made a definite point of contrasting the restoration of physical sight to those who believe with the spiritual blindness of those who possessed physical sight: (Read John 9:1-41). As the One who is the Light by which we see (Read: John 1:4-9), the restoration of human vision is a very powerful symbol of accepting the truth which, once accepted, not only removes our spiritual blindness but brings us to eternal life (Psalm 146:8, “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous [the upright in heart]” (AMP); Isaiah 29:18, “On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see [the words of the book]” (AMP);  Isaiah 35:5, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.” (AMP).

If there were any others who restored sight, it seems likely to me that the Spirit has chosen for this reason to preserve in scripture only the instances performed by Him who is the Light of life, through whom, though we were blind, we now see.”

I will never forget that class or that professor! But it makes me wonder if in prayer we’re bold enough to be like these blind men and take what the world may see as “hard and impossible” to our God who asks: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 AMPC); “But Jesus looked at them and said, with men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.” (Matthew 19:26 AMPC); “For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” (Luke 1:37 AMPC).

So, just how persistent, big, and bold will you pray from now on? Especially knowing that you can take the hard and impossible to a God for whom nothing is hard or impossible! Therefore, starting today, pray Persistent, Big and Bold! Ask the hard thing! And be Specific! Do not be afraid! Ask God to heal the adultery in your marriage; the substance abuse in your children; your fear of tithing because of your bills and debt. Take to Him specifically what the doctors diagnosed! Jesus is not afraid of Covid -19, Cancer; Heart Failure; Diabetes; Arthritis; Hypertension; Sickle Cell Anemia or any other disease! He Can Heal Anything, So Take Everything to Him! He has no fear regarding your mistakes and even your deliberate sin. He can handle the divorce; the unemployment; the church transition; the foreclosure; the bankruptcy; the child support (and even lack thereof). Why struggle with fear, fret, panic, anxiety worry, stress; anguish and the like, when you could simply enter your prayer closet (the one that you make anywhere, including a bathroom stall at work!) Block out people who try to discourage you with such statement as “nobody has ever survived that; or my dad died from that same exact thing; or boy you must be out of your mind to think God will do that; or girl you may as well throw in the towel because not even Jesus can clean this mess up!” Be like the blind men, when you cannot see Jesus, listen for Him, and when you hear Him, make sure He hears you! Open Your Mouth Therein Lies Your Miracle!

Jesus loves these kinds of prayers: Persistent, Big and Bold!

And lastly, let us focus on the one secret of prayer that we miss all too often. In verse 32 Jesus says, "What do you want Me to do for you?" It seems like such an obvious answer though, don’t you think? I mean after all, here are two BLIND men! And Jesus heals BLIND people! However, the blind men say instead, "Lord, have mercy on us." And there is nothing wrong with that, but Jesus says, "Well, tell Me exactly what you want Me to do?" This brings us to our third characteristic of prayer that gets miracles and that is praying SPECIFICALLY! See, these guys had already made a GENERAL request, "Lord, have mercy," but Jesus insists that they narrow down their request and tell Him EXACTLY what they want, SPECIFICALLY. And when they do, Jesus responds with a miracle!

The word “Specific” is defined as: “clearly defined or identified; precise or clear; relating to a particular individual or situation; a definite reference; limited to one particular thing; exact; detailed; intended; distinctive; unique; designated; explicit.” This is what your prayers need to sound like!

See, too often our prayers are like those vague answers I give my family regarding buying gifts for me, "Anything will be fine, and anything you pick out or pick up is alright by me." We talk to God about "give me a blessing," "I need an answer," "send help!" or some GENERAL spiritual request. And I wonder if Jesus is standing there asking, "Well, like what? What are you asking Me for?" In fact, it is really expanded my praying to imagine Jesus standing there as I pray, saying, "Okay, J.P., what do you Specifically want Me to do for you?"

I learned not to just ask God to bless my marriage, but I have learned to take specifics about my marriage to Him. I no longer just say “Lord, keep my children safe.” But I have learned to pray “Lord, keep my children safe not just from others, but from their own imaginations; desires; wants; lusts; insecurities; immaturity”, and the like. I do not just say “Lord bless my finances.” But “Lord, bless me to be a good steward over the finances that you have provided for me. Help me to be disciplined in my spending and saving…” I do not want to be like the blind men sitting by the road yelling Lord have pity and mercy on me, when my specific request is, “I WANT YOU TO GIVE ME MY SIGHT!”

Now it is not that He does not know what the need is. He just wants us to know what we believe Him for! Listen to Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [SPECIFIC] REQUESTS known to God." (AMP) God honors specific faith! Not demands, but requests that are always under the umbrella under which even Jesus Himself prayed, "Not My will but Yours, Lord." Coming to God persistently, daring to believe Him for big, bold, specific requests touches His heart! As a sidebar: That Scripture says, "...CONTINUE TO MAKE YOUR [SPECIFIC] REQUESTS KNOWN TO GOD" Not to the psychic; not to the horoscopes; not to your friends and family; not even to your little prayer circle. Make Your Specific Requests Know to GOD! This means, you may need to stop talking to people so much, and start talking to God more!

Listen to our text in the Message Bible: “As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, “Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!” The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, “Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!” Jesus stopped and called over, “What do you want from Me?” They said, “Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!” Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant and joined the procession.” (MSG)

Jesus was “…Deeply Moved…” by their request, and He is just as “…Deeply Moved…” by yours…especially when it is Specific!

You know what I also find interesting as well? Once they make a persistent, big, bold, and specific request of Jesus; once their request is granted; they “…joined the procession.” This is the SAME CROWD of critics that tried to mess up their miracle! Therefore, you cannot be deterred by your critics. Let God’s work in your life be what silences those who tried to silence you! Think about it: Two blind men shouting to get their sight silenced those who tried to shut them up…is not God amusing!

Let today be the day your prayer life takes on a new dynamic. One that is specific in its nature. One that goes to God KNOWING He hears, and He answers! SEE to it today that you Make Your Prayer Request Specific! You Have NOTHING to Lose and EVERYTHING to Gain!

Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray [WITH SPECIFIC REQUESTS] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.” (AMP).

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

 

So, What's The Big Thing That's Making You Afraid & Discouraged? These Bills Are Bigger Than God." Really? This Crisis Is Bigger Than God. Is It Really? This Pain, This Illness, This Family Problem; You've Seen God Heal & Provide. Why Doubt Him Now?

 Join Me: I Am On FaceBook Live Each Saturday at 9:00 A.M.& YouTube At Noon For A Word Of God. Here Is The Link Where You Can Meet Me for 45 Minutes. https://www.facebook.com/HSRH2011/.  CD Link. https://jpolsonmusic.com/

 

1 Samuel 17:48-51, “That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine was crashed, face down in the dirt. That’s how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant’s sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives.” (MSG)

Do you really want to miss the Promise because you doubt God’s Power? Do you really want to die in fear, because you didn’t live in faith? I think not!

So, What's The Big Thing That's Making You Afraid, Making You Discouraged? "These Bills Are Bigger Than God." Really? "This Crisis Is Bigger Than God." Is It Really? "This Pain, This Illness; This Family Problem; it's bigger than...." Oh, forget it! It's nowhere near bigger than God! Nothing is! Compared to YOU, the challenge or the obstacle is huge. But what are you going to compare to GOD, who created and controls a hundred billion galaxies and everything in them? Why don't you measure your monster next to Him? You'll find your fear turning to faith and your stress melting into peace!

You’ve seen God heal, you’ve seen God deliver, you’ve seen God save, you’ve seen God do the impossible; you’ve seen God turn it around in your favor. So why do you doubt Him now? You’ve seen God keep a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on the table, clothes in the closet. So why do you doubt Him now? You’ve seen God protect you and provide for you. So why do you doubt Him now? What the doctors said before didn’t stop God from being God…what stops Him now? You’ve seen God grant you a job, a paycheck, insurance, transportation. So why do you doubt Him now?

We need to learn how to measure our giants by the size of our God, not our God by the size of our giants! After all, what can be measured against God?

One of the funniest things in the world to me is listening to a child’s perspective. After all, the world looks a little different through five-year-old eyes. Chase was five and he was the grandson of one of my dear friends. One day little Chase was out with his Mom, and they drove past this construction site and saw one of those giant cranes. Well, Chase got completely wide-eyed as he watched the humongous mechanized monster moving things around so powerfully! And then finally, in total amazement, he tried to find a way to express how big that crane looked to him. Here's what he said: "Mommy, it's bigger than God!"

Which is the thought that brings us to 1 Samuel 17:33. Here, we’re watching the army of Israel being totally intimidated by Goliath, the Philistine giant/bully. Yet David is this little guy who wants to go out and fight him! But Saul, the king, replies in verse 33, "…You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him. For you are [only] a young man and he has been a warrior since his youth." (AMP). And then in Verse 37, David says, "…The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you." (AMP)

So by the time we get to verses 45-47, David Charges the Giant! David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” (NIV).

Now, the Israeli army looked at Goliath and said like Chase, "He's bigger than God!" And therefore, they retreated!

David seemed like the least likely person to take on the giant, but he was the only person there who believed that God was bigger than the giant!

So David, it says, "…ran quickly toward the battle lines to meet him." (NIV).

The Jews of Moses' day and Joshua's day; well, they made the same mistake when they measured the challenge in front of them. They looked at the Promised Land and they saw walls, and cities, and warriors that were bigger than they were. Listen to Numbers 13:31-33, “But the others said, “We can’t attack those people; they’re way stronger than we are.” They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, “We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers.” (MSG).

They had men say in essence, "God's Bigger Than Giants!" But unbelief won the day, and so the people got to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness as a result! Listen to Numbers 32:10-13, “The Lord became very angry.  And he said that no one who was twenty years or older when they left Egypt would enter the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE BELIEVED IN THE LORD’S POWER, EXCEPT CALEB AND JOSHUA. They remained faithful to the Lord, but he was so angry with the others that he forced them to wander around in the desert forty years. By that time everyone who had sinned against him had died.” (CEV)

"It's bigger than God!" That's what unbelief says. It's what worry is saying. It’s what fear is saying. It’s what discouragement is saying. We don't really believe that theologically, but practically we seem to. We get beaten by the walls, beaten by the giants and the obstacles, because we think, "This one's pretty big, maybe too big for God!"

Where is your child-like faith, to replace your child-like fear? Why are you responding like little Chase, who doesn’t know any better? To him, everything is huge, even a machine compared to God, appeared (in his little mind) as bigger than God. However, you know better so why is this your response and reaction?

Psalm 146 reads, “Hallelujah! O my soul, praise God! All my life long I’ll praise God, singing songs to my God as long as I live. Don’t put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing! God made the sky and soil the sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says – he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners – he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. God loves good people, protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. God’s in charge – always. Zion’s God is God for good! Hallelujah!” (MSG)

Now, that’s how we need to view our God! Bigger Than All Things! Always in Charge no matter what becomes out of Control in our lives! Listen, there is absolutely nothing that God can’t do except lie and fail! So why are you allowing circumstances to crush your faith?

And I’ll be the first to tell you, this is not what I’ve read, but what I’ve lived. I know what it feels like to feel as though your marriage struggles are bigger than God; bills are bigger; the pain is bigger; the enemies attack is bigger; the lack of employment is bigger; the lack of money is bigger; the lack of food and shelter is bigger. Been there! And I know first-hand the response on both sides. I know what it feels like to experience all of those things and feel as if God has forgotten you or that your situation is so big that God has to figure out a solution to your problem. And I can tell you personally, thoughts like that only bring about fear, worry, lack of sleep, loss of hair, loss of peace and joy, high blood pressure and the like. In other words, it does not help, it only hurts! But, I’ve also grown, matured and developed into a woman of faith. I learned to trust God to handle what I can’t get a grip on. And I’ve watched Him supersede even what I asked of Him in prayer. I learned how to look at obstacles, trials and struggles as only another means of increasing my faith, challenging my hope, and building my trust, dependence and reliance on Him. I learned that my hardships and hard times were only teaching me to do more than read the Scriptures, but to apply them, live them and walk in them. You can’t walk by faith while standing still in comfort. Stretched faith comes from uncomfortable and unfamiliarity! Listen to James:

James 1:2-4, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (MSG)

Tests, Challenges, and Pressures, Work FOR You, Not AGAINST You!

Truth is, if many of us weren’t tested or challenged to endure hardship and pressure, our faith would remain the size of a mustard seed for the entirety of our Christian Walk! And is mustard seed faith bad? Absolutely not! Listen to Matthew 17:20, “Because you’re not taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” (MSG) How awesome is that?!

But, should we stay at the same mustard seed size of faith? I think not!

Mustard seed faith is awesome! However, it’s a SEED for a reason! The word “seed” is defined as “a flowering plant’s unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant; the beginning or process of something which continues to develop and grow; to stimulate growth and development; designed to produce and reproduce. In other words, your mustard seed faith should never remain stagnant as just a mustard seed. It’s a seed for a reason. It’s supposed to reproduce; develop; grow; continue; permeate and spread throughout! It’s supposed to pass through from one capacity to another. And if the Scripture says, “…there’s nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle”, and that’s just with mustard seed faith, imagine what else you would be able to handle with increased faith? In addition, what else would you believe God for if you increased in faith? Maybe then when the bills come in you won’t lose your mind; maybe then when the doctor gives you a report, you’ll still believe the report of the Lord; maybe then when your marriage looks like it’s going down for the last time, it will go another round; maybe then when your children look as if their leaving the faith you’ve taught them, you’ll trust that what you’ve trained them, will not be forgotten; maybe then a layoff will cause you to take a leap of faith instead of lagging behind in fear.

So, are you encountering something really big right now? Well, be awed, but not by what's big, but by your God who's bigger! That's what our little friend saw, something that was bigger than he was so he thought it was bigger than God is. Not So! Nothing and No One is, nor will ever be! That’s where we take heart and courage! Even when something is bigger than you, it’s never bigger than God (who is also IN you!) 1 John 4:4, “Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because HE WHO LIVES IN YOU IS GREATER (MIGHTIER) THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.” (AMPC)

No matter what you face today, it cannot defeat you! Like David; no matter how Goliath came at him nor what he came at him with mattered. David knew he had the upper hand, because He had the Hand of God to hand him his enemies Head! 1 Samuel 17:48-51, “That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine was crashed, face down in the dirt. That’s how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant’s sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives.” (MSG)

You Serve a Big God, No Matter How Big the Battle is that you’re Facing! Like David, You Will Win! But You Have to Remember to Increase Your Faith and Believe That When God Says I Got You, He’s Got You! Hebrews 13:5-6, “…God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?” (MSG)

How dare we ever fear anything when God is bigger than everything, AND, He’s Promised to NEVER let us down or walk off and leave us?! God is ready to help you, so you need to live fearless, after all with God in you and with you, “Who Or What Can Get to You?!”

Don’t make the mistake of missing a miracle because you let something loom larger in your heart than the awesome God of the creation, the awesome God of the cross, the awesome God of an empty tomb, the awesome God of second chances; the awesome God of the universe; the awesome God that’s living in you and coming back for you! After all, if the cross, nails, thorns, spear, death, hell and the grave couldn’t stop or hinder God, what makes you think the gas and water bill that you can’t pay right now can?!

Be encouraged today knowing that there is nothing too Big or too Hard or too Impossible for Your God to Handle! It Is Well, Because With God, We Win, No Matter What! "King Saul thought Goliath was too big to fight, David thought he was too big to miss!"

Romans 8:31-39, “So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? AND WHO WOULD DARE TANGLE WITH GOD BY MESSING WITH ONE OF GOD’S CHOSEN? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN GET BETWEEN US AND GOD’S LOVE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT JESUS OUR MASTER HAS EMBRACED US.” (MSG) 

Jeremiah 32:17, “O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you!” (TLB)

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

Do not Let Your Physical Sight, Destroy Your Spiritual Vision! 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”)!

Join Me: I Am On FaceBook Live Each Saturday at 9:00 A.M.& You Tube At Noon For A Word Of God. Here Is The Link Where You Can Meet Me for 45 Minutes. https://www.facebook.com/HSRH2011/. New CD Link. https://jpolsonmusic.com/

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 11^th 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

www.thewordwithjpolson.org