Thank You “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24) When you arise in the morning, think about what it is to have a precious privilege, it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to live, and to love.
Thank You God for blessing me much more than I deserve. The stone in your hand might be small, but the God who is with you is bigger than the giant in front of you. It is not about your stone, but about your God.
Thank God It’s the beginning of a new season. It’s the beginning of a new season of reaping, reaping, reaping, just the blessings of God in your life. I know it’s been gradual and gradual but when the blessing of God comes in, we are stepping into this thing called the latter rain. The latter rain is always going to be greater than the former. You’re talking about the flood gates, some of you have had the floodgates of problems in one thing after another and when you recuperate from one thing, it hits you with another, but in this season, God is getting ready to overwhelm you with His goodness.
Can you imagine the blessings of God coming on the left hand and the right hand, when they are pushing you in your back, just pushing you into your destiny? I’m telling you God has great things in store for His children, He’s a great Father. He just wants to overwhelm you from the left to the right. He’s got Angels just holding sickles on your behalf in the north, south, east, and west. He is getting ready to release things on the earth that will overwhelm you from the east to the west with blessings that will come in signs of deliverance, miracles, and blessings, miracles, and blessings, a season of them in signs of wonders, a season of them, suddenly God will shift your season suddenly, where you have had a hard time, but suddenly things will shift in your favor. If you believe it, you will receive it. You will see God move, the naysayers will sit back and see God’s children being blessed, people getting healed, people getting delivered, people getting encouraged, property liens given into your hands, and people getting goodness and mercy extended to them. This is a new season; He is expanding your territory on the left and right. God is giving you wisdom; you’ll be able to hold on to it this time. Justice will roll in like mighty waters and righteousness come down like mighty streams.
May God turn your affliction; may your affliction never rise again. Have your way this morning Lord, let it rain, let it rain. He’s cutting off things that need to be cut off but adding blessings in your life that you have been desperate for, a season now, cause God’s getting ready to feed you on a new level of where you are going but not where you are coming from, and this is the Lord’s doing. God is going to give some of you your divine testimonies of what He is doing in this season.
God said your suddenly is breaking through now. You didn’t know what God was doing but He was working on you. Suddenly the check comes, it is shifting in your favor. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. The miracle is in process right now. I pray this year is a year of blessing, breakthrough, and abundance for you and those you love most. When you have a setback, don't take a step back. This year is your year of COMEBACK, and you will soon see that the setbacks of your last 12 months were a SET UP for your best days which begin NOW! This is your season of blessings; you are being made in the likeness of Elohim. I pray that God will anoint you and give you new ideas. Have expectations like never before. Tell God to use everything in you for His purpose. We shouldn’t have to be pumped to praise God. Praise Him anyhow this morning,
Jeremiah 1:11-12, “Moreover, The Word Of The Lord Came To Me, Saying, Jeremiah, What Do You See? And I Said, I See A Branch Or Shoot Of An Almond Tree [The Emblem Of Alertness And Activity, Blossoming In Late Winter]. Then Said The Lord To Me, You Have Seen Well, For I Am Alert And Active, Watching Over My Word To Perform It!” (Amp).
Watch God's Winter Performance. You Can’t Pray Your Life’s Seasons Away! There are some situations you aren’t meant to Change—You’re Just Meant to Endure! 2 Timothy 2:3. In other words, what you’re Currently dealing with that’s Heavily Weighing You Down in the Natural, is considered by the Spirit “…Our Light, Momentary Affliction…” Therefore, you’re not going to deal with it always, But You Have to Deal With It Right Now! So keep in mind, When You Can’t Alter Your Circumstances, That Means They Are a Perfect Fit For Where You Are and Where You’re Going. They are only for a Season, and when it’s time to Change, the One who birthed all the Seasons will change it! The stone in your hand might be small, but the God who is with you is bigger than the giant in front of you. It is not about your stone, but about your God.
I love the months surrounding holiday seasons, but in all truth, I honestly won’t mind if the North Pole weather cuts its visit short! I was discussing my deep freeze feelings with a friend who lived in Alaska most of her life, and she helped me to possess a different perspective, in fact, an even positive outlook on our cold weather season. She simply said, “Just keep in mind that cold seasons kill a lot of bugs!” Now it didn’t make me happy that I still had to endure the rest of the cold season, but it sure made me happy to know that while I’m dealing with the cold, the cold is dealing with the bugs!
SIMPLY PUT, DON’T LET THE COLD BOTHER YOU, IT’S ACTUALLY KILLING WHAT’S BUGGING YOU!
Far too often we quickly get upset over the Bad, not realizing that it usually leads to something Good! Most of us have lived long enough to see it happen – something Good coming out of something that’s Bad, or even difficult and unpleasant. Therefore, if you’re in a season in your life that’s cold right now, and you’re feeling the chill of crisis; the breeze of bitterness; the winds of worry; the damp of depression; the ice of irritation; the blizzard of backbiters; the storms of struggle; and the rains of restlessness, know THAT EVEN WHEN THE CONDITIONS OF THE SEASON RESTRICT YOU, THEY CAN NEVER CONSTRICT YOUR GOD!
You see, the word “RESTRICT” means: “TO PUT A LIMIT ON, KEEP UNDER CONTROL, DEPRIVE OF FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OR ACTION” It’s Latin Origin ‘RESTRINGERE’ literally means ‘TO TIE BACK’. We’ve seen that in many winter seasons, as the blizzards hit we’re RESTRICTED in bus, cab, and train service. We’re LIMITED in various methods of transportation and KEPT UNDER THE CONTROL of snowplows as to when we could move, and how far we could go. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND ACTION was DEPRIVED for so many who couldn’t get to where they needed to, because they’d been “RESTRICTED”. Which is where we coined the phrase: “MY HANDS ARE TIED!”
But bear in mind, that even when we’re ‘Restricted’, God Is Never ‘Constricted’! The Word ‘Constricted’ Means: “To Make Or Become Narrower, Especially By Encircling Pressure Or Attempting To Tighten Around”. It’s Latin Origin ‘Constringere’ Literally Means To ‘Bind Tightly Together’. You see, Your God Is Too Big To Be Made Narrow, And He’s Too Powerful For Pressure To Place Him In A Tight Grip! Even In Seasons Where You’re ‘Restricted’, Take Comfort In Knowing That Your God Is Never ‘Constricted’! Even When Your Hands Are Tied, His Will Never Be! Regardless To The Condition, He Can Still Bless You In The Midst Of Your Most Brittle, Bitter And Brutal Blizzard! Your God Is Too Powerful To Be Pressured! Even When You Grow Weak, Never Forget The Strength Of Your God!
DAVID DIDN’T! 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, “David blessed GOD in full view of the entire congregation: Blessed are you, GOD of Israel, our father from of old and forever. To You, O GOD, belong the Greatness and the Might, the Glory, the Victory, the Majesty, the Splendor; Yes! Everything in Heaven, everything on Earth; the Kingdom all Yours! You’ve raised Yourself High Over All. Riches and Glory come from You, You’re Ruler Over All; You hold Strength and Power in the Palm of Your Hand to Build Up and Strengthen All. And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to You, praising Your Splendid Name.” (MSG)
EVEN WHEN IT DON’T FEEL LIKE IT’S IN YOUR FAVOR, BECAUSE HE’S YOUR GOD…IT IS!
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)
One phrase you will hear repetitively during the Winter Season is “I’ll be glad when Winter is over”. But the problem of getting “Out of Season”, Prematurely, is not good. Here’s why: “To everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). So no matter how hard you pray, You Can’t Pray Your Life’s Seasons Away! There are some situations you aren’t meant to Change—You’re Just Meant to Endure! 2 Timothy 2:3, “Take [with me] YOUR SHARE of the hardships and suffering [Which You Are CALLED TO ENDURE] as a good (first-class) solider of Christ Jesus.” (AMP) Paul puts it like this, “For Our Light, Momentary Affliction (This Slight Distress of the Passing Hour) is ever more and more Abundantly Preparing and Producing and Achieving For Us an Everlasting Weight of Glory [Beyond All Measure, Excessively Surpassing All Comparisons and All Calculations, a Vast and Transcendent Glory and Blessedness Never to Cease.” (2 Corinthians 4:17 AMP). In other words, what you’re Currently dealing with that’s Heavily Weighing You Down in the Natural, is considered by the Spirit “…Our Light, Momentary Affliction…” Therefore, you’re not going to deal with it always, But You Have to Deal With It Right Now! So keep in mind, When You Can’t Alter Your Circumstances, That Means They Are a Perfect Fit For Where You Are and Where You’re Going. So Stop Trying to Change Your Circumstantial Clothing! They are only for a Season, and when it’s time to Change, the One who birthed all the Seasons will change it! “Don’t try to get out of anything Prematurely.”
In Winter, trees take advantage of the season to rebuild their strength and prepare to be fruitful next season. Their sap and substance goes underground. Then in the Spring it pushes its way back up again in the form of New Growth. Looking back over your life you’ll find that your achievements are Seasonal. Growth comes, then struggle, and vice versa. Each Season Has Its Purpose. God has a reason for not allowing you to be productive all the time. When He permits Winter winds to blow through your life, He’s preparing you for the coming Spring. That’s why James wrote, “Consider it a …gift…when tests and challenges come at you from all sides…under pressure, your faith…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). One of the issues you’ll struggle with in a waiting period is the urge to Hurry, Because Your Flesh Always Wants to Make Permanent Decisions Based On Temporary Circumstances. Don’t Do It! Every Situation Doesn’t Call For Immediate Action! The Only Biblical Way For You to Become Mature, Well-Developed and Lacking Nothing Is To Endure Hardship! So if you try to find a short-cut to getting out of your trials, You’ll Have to Take a Longer Journey to Get to Your Destiny!
REMEMBER: THE COLD SEASON GETS RID OF BUGS (AND WHAT’S ‘BUGGING’ YOU), SO DON’T RUSH IT, LET IT COMPLETE ITS WORK!
David understood this, that’s why he said, “My times are in YOUR hands…” (Psalm 31:15). Once you understand that, you’ll stop fretting and worrying knowing with certainty that people and problems can’t short-circuit God’s plan for your life. “This is God’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I Know What I’m Doing. I Have It All Planned Out – Plans To Take Care Of You, Not Abandon You, Plans To Give You The Future You Hope For.” (Jeremiah 29:11 MSG) If you can acknowledge that, you’ll find peace—and stop trying to “make things happen, out of season!” Do Your Part: WAIT! God Already Has His Part PLANNED!
When God drops a seed into your life it needs time to take root and grow. And you don’t have to be concerned with the outcome, because when it’s planted in a fertile, faith-filled heart, the results are guaranteed. The hard part is knowing that you’re on the verge of a breakthrough, then having God tell you to Wait. But it’s times like these, when you think He’s forgotten about you and the promises He made to you, that your patience really gets a workout. It’s in moments like these when your heart begins to faint, and your faith begins to waver. But take some advice from David, he said: “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps, and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1-3 AMPC). When you honor God’s timing, you always land on solid ground, and end up with a fresh reason to praise Him! In other words, it’s not enough to wait, but you must wait the right way…Patiently and In Praise! Just ask JOSEPH!
The Book of Genesis tells us about a very long winter season in the life of this Old Testament hero. In a nutshell, his brothers hated him because he was his father’s favorite. They threw him in a pit and nearly let him die there. At the last minute, they changed their minds and lightened up a little – they settled for selling him into Egyptian slavery instead. Joseph got a great job in the house of a powerful man, and then lost it when he refused the advances of the boss’s wife and she falsely accused him of assaulting her. Then, two long years in the king’s prison as a result. Ultimately, Joseph came to the attention of Pharaoh who eventually promoted him to second in command in the mighty Egyptian empire. That’s when a famine drove Joseph’s brothers to Egypt in search of food – Food Only The Brother They Had Betrayed Could Give Them By The Way! (Sidebar: Never Hate Your Haters!) And when they finally realize who he is and experience the forgiveness and mercy that they DON’T DESERVE, Joseph speaks these words: “You Planned Evil Against Me; God Planned It For Good To Bring About The Present Result—The Survival Of Many People.” (Genesis 50:20 Hcsb). The Message Bible says it like this: “…Don’t you see, you planned evil against me BUT GOD USED THOSE SAME PLANS FOR MY GOOD…” (MSG). Even though your winter is “PLANNED”, scheduled annually to come back around, NEVER FORGET THAT YOUR GOD ALWAYS HAS PLANS OF HIS OWN FOR YOU! “…I Know What I’m Doing. I Have It All Planned Out—Plans To Take Care Of You, Not Abandon You, Plans To Give You The Future You Hope For” (Jeremiah 29:11 Msg).
What The Weather (And Your Haters) Have Planned For You Can’t Compare To What The Will Of God Has Planned For You! From The Pit To The Prison To The Palace, Joseph Prospered, He Was Sustained By One Thing He Knew Had Not Changed—God Was Working On A Bigger Plan! If you belong to Jesus, then Joseph’s God is your God, too. And He’s a God who uses even the wickedness of man to do great things. For Joseph, vengeful brothers, false accusations, and terrible injustices Became Tools That God Used To Take Him To Places And Positions He Could Never Have Gone Otherwise! Which Is Why I Reiterate: Don’t Let The Winter Bother You, Because It’s Killing What’s Bugging You!
If it’s cold right now, if it’s dark right now, don’t let discouragement win. Don’t let bitterness or resentment or resignation ruin the greater plan God is working on. Romans 8:28, “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a PLAN] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” (AMP). During this winter in your life, He wants to build in you qualities that will lead to future greatness. He wants to give you a closeness to Him that you’ve never had before and would never get any other way. And then, He wants to use this season to position you to make a greater difference with the rest of your life than you ever imagined! As Cold as it may seem right now, God is working out some pretty Cool plans for your life! Regardless to what the Meteorologist tells you, There Is A Sunny Side to a Cold Season!
In some ways, Jesus’ disciples expected their Winter to begin with His announced departure to heaven. The One who had called them to be with Him was now leaving them and entrusting to them the work He had started. In Luke 24, Jesus tells them to tell the world about Him and then, “…while He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.” In a way, their Winter had begun, as it often does when you lose someone you love. But they knew what to do with their Winter! In the book of Acts chapters 1 and 2 teach us what they did to Work Their Winter Season, “they all joined together constantly in prayer.” Then they got their team of 12 back to full strength by replacing Judas with another disciple. And “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place…and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” At that point, they exploded on the city of Jerusalem with the Gospel that would, that day, start spreading around the world! But they had to use their Winter to get together, to regroup, to get stronger, and to get closer to God. You need to handle your Winter the same way. Don’t just sit there worrying or feeling sorry for yourself or wallowing in your emotions. Take action to get strong. Spend extra time with God right now. Strengthen your relationship with your family, friends, coworkers, and church family. Think through what you need to stop doing and what you need to start doing to focus on what really matters. And prayerfully plan for a future, right there in the middle of your valley, even when the future looks very uncertain.
1...Get Into the WORD of God: (even as everything in heaven and earth shall pass away, His Word Never Will)! (Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth will perish and pass away, But My Words Will Not Perish Or Pass Away.” Ampc); (Isaiah 55:11, “So Shall My Word Be That Goes Forth Out Of My Mouth: It Shall Not Return To Me Void [Without Producing Any Effect, Useless], But It Shall Accomplish That Which I Please And Purpose, And It Shall Prosper In The Thing For Which I Sent It.” Ampc).
2...Get Into WORSHIP: (the posture where you don’t go seeking God, but He comes seeking you)! (John 4:23, “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING JUST SUCH PEOPLE AS THESE AS HIS WORSHIPERS.” (AMPC).
3...Get the WISDOM of God: (it is essential to making wise decisions)! (James 1:5, “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, LET HIM ASK THE GIVING GOD [WHO GIVES] TO EVERYONE LIBERALLY AND UNGRUDGINGLY, WITHOUT REPROACHING OR FAULTFINDING, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN HIM.” AMPC).
4...Get Into the WILL of God: (this is the place that is attached to your promise)! (Hebrews 10:36, “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish THE WILL OF GOD, AND THUS RECEIVE AND CARRY AWAY [AND ENJOY TO THE FULL] WHAT IS PROMISED.” AMPC).
5...Get Into the Right WARDROBE: (no soldier fights without his fatigues)! And what are fatigues? (The phrase “military fatigues” was coined by the United States Armed Forces in the mid 1800’s, and was used in reference to the clothes worn by soldiers detailed to menial or hard labor. Over time, the definition of military fatigues has changed to essentially mean any uniform worn by a soldier on work detail, on duty, or while on the field of battle!) And what are your “fatigues”? (READ: Ephesians 6:11-18).
Discouragement and fear and drifting from God – those are your greatest enemies, not what faces you on your battlefields! This Winter is not dead time or despair time. It’s get ready time! What you do with your Winter will decide whether you win or lose the war! Therefore, Get into the Word of God; Get into Worship; Get the Wisdom of God; Get into the Will of God; and Get into the right Wardrobe! Then Work Your Winter!
Think about it: If Jeremiah could see the branch or shoot of an almond tree (evidence of alertness and activity that God is still performing His Word, Even In the Lateness of Winter), surely you can see Something Worthwhile in Your Winter season! Remember This: No matter how long or brutal your Winter season is, hold on to God’s Promise: “…I am alert and active, watching over My Word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 AMP). Be Encouraged: He’s Still Watching Over His Word to Perform it in Your Life…Even in Late Winter! You wouldn’t think to see almond trees blossoming in late Winter. Shouldn’t that happen in Spring? Well, the wonderful thing about God is that, unlike us, He’s not bound by the Seasons! He can bless you at any given time He deems fit! Your job is to be like Jeremiah, AND SEE IT BLOSSOMING! Before the Winter season ends, you will see the evidence of blessings Springing forth! Keep your eyes open, and see more than just the winds, snow, blizzard, and hazardous conditions. But walk by faith and see the flowers preparing to bloom ALREADY! Wait for it; Watch for it; It Will Come! “Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch or shoot of an almond tree [the emblem of alertness and activity, blossoming in late WINTER]. Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, FOR I AM ALERT AND ACTIVE, WATCHING OVER MY WORD TO PERFORM IT” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 AMP). DON’T BOW OUT JUST YET, GOD’S PERFORMANCE IN YOUR LIFE IS NOT OVER!
Note: An almond branch was evidently chosen because it is the first tree to bud in Spring! So, Celebrate! Because After Enduring Your Harsh Winter, You Will Be Among the First to Blossom in Spring!
Job 5:9, “His miracles are marvelous, more than we can count.” (CEV);
Romans 4:19-25, “Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That’s why it is said, “Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right.” But it’s not just Abraham; it’s also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.” (MSG)
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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