The Reason We Spend Time With God Is Not So That We Will Feel Invigorated And Ready To Face The Day And Get Through Our Agenda; The Reason We Spend Time With God Is So That He Can Set The Agenda.” Everyone Of Your Disappointments Is Your Appointment.

The Reason We Spend Time With God Is Not So That We Will Feel Invigorated And Ready To Face The Day And Get Through Our Agenda; The Reason We Spend Time With God Is So That He Can Set The Agenda.” Everyone Of Your Disappointments Is Your Appointment With God.

Psalm 42:2, “My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with Him?”  (ERV).

I thought of King David. King David was ‘hydroplaning’ when he wrote Psalm 42:1-5. You see, things were moving fast, and he was losing control, especially of his emotions. David says, “A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I’m thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, ‘Will I ever make it – arrive and drink in God’s presence?’ I’m on a diet of tears—tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, ‘Where is this God of yours?’ These are the things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, shouting praises, singing thanksgiving – celebrating, all of us, God’s feast! Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?” (MSG).

David’s hurting, David’s crying – morning, noon and night, David is an emotional wreck, David has people looking at him and his situation and so they began pestering him: ‘where is this God of yours?’ Which is how some people may view you and what you’re struggling with: ‘Where is this God of his?’ ‘Where is this God of hers?’ They say things like, ‘I thought you said God was all-powerful; all-knowing; ever-present; almighty; awesome; powerful; your provider; your healer; your protector; your deliverer; your way-maker; your loving and altogether wonderful Heavenly Father. But, if He is in fact all those things, and He’s your God, where is He in your situation? Where is His help in your time of need?’ And David was clearly so friendless while battling this ordeal that he in fact started talking to his own soul: ‘why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues…?’ David’s slipping, David’s overwhelmed, David’s emotions are hydroplaning out of control! Are Yours Too? It’s okay to be honest. After all, only the truth sets you free. Masking, masquerading, pretending, faking it till you make it, are all nothing but chains of bondage. Don’t allow them to keep you bound any longer.

If the truth be told, I was there not too long ago. My challenges were a lot bigger than my resources. I felt like my faith was like a twin-sized fitted sheet on a king-sized mattress; it just couldn’t stretch far enough to cover! I was overwhelmed and anxious. I felt like I’d never catch up on anything. I was falling behind in, devotionals, proper scheduling of engagements, etc. Everything just seemed too much! It felt like having 2 body parts being stretched into 20 different directions! The stress of it all had me losing weight, gaining weight, losing sleep, and if I kept at it, I could’ve lost my sanity!

But I must say, I’ve been there before, and if truth be told, I can’t honestly say that I will never be there again. But that day I wandered into this psalm, Psalm 42, where I was hit with a probing question which turned out to be the answer for me. Now, if you’re feeling yourself hydroplaning right now, maybe it’s an answer for you, too. In Psalm 42:2, David asks an extremely important question, that I had to learn to ask likewise, he asked: “…When can I go and meet with God?” (NIV).

Like David, I needed to stop my spinning world and simply get away with God. So, I got away with just my Bible and my notepad, and I met with God. That may be your Lord’s prescription for all that’s ailing you right now as well. Although many of you may respond, “No way! There’s just too much for me to do to just stop everything!” Well, that’s exactly why you need to! Whether you know it or not, you’re losing control. You must slow down to listen to your Lord for an extended, uninterrupted, unhurried period of time if you’re ever going to get back on track! Trust me, I’m the Queen of, ‘I don’t have time!’ But that’s why you must be proactive. Purposely Schedule Time With God! That word ‘schedule’ is defined as, ‘a set plan for carrying out a process or procedure; arranging a timetable.’ And what’s the first thing you need to do to start scheduling anything? You have to figure out what your priorities are! A ‘priority’ is defined as, ‘something that is regarded as more important than others; something that is superiority in rank, position, or privilege; preferential; something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives; something that is deemed urgent; supreme and most valued.’ And shouldn’t that be descriptive of our God as our priority before any other person, place or thing? Isn’t He more important than the hair and nail appointment you scheduled? Preferred than your brunch date? Higher in rank and position than going to the laundry, movies, supermarket, or even a church or ministry event? Shouldn’t God be the first person we give preference and privilege to? After all He’s done for us, and means to us, doesn’t that merit giving Him our attention instead of all the other competing alternatives in life? And certainly, in these end times, wouldn’t you say that meeting with God consistently is urgent?!

You see, a pastor friend of mine used to say, ‘people do what they want to do.’ And it’s true. A lot of the things we say are out of our control, and out of our hands, are not. We’ve simply chosen them as higher on the priority chain than God. How insulting is that to one who laid down His life that we might live?!

Truth is, I understand. Life can become overwhelmingly busy. But nothing in life should become so busy that we have no time to spend with God. And that means outside of Sunday morning services; Wednesday night prayer and bible study; Sunday school or other ‘church/ministry’ activities. But this spills over into purposely getting up at 5am just to sit in quiet time with God. Not to repent; not to ask for stuff; not to seek His favor; but to sit and listen to the heart of God. I’m persuaded we can no longer hear God because we talk too much! We can sit in prayer for a whole hour, and we’re the only ones talking. Then we say ‘amen’, and off to the races. But God has things He wants to say too. How much of God’s directions, wisdom and guidance are you missing out on simply because you can’t be quiet and listen? But no, we can’t sit and wait for God to speak, because we have to beat the clock coming and going every day!

But here’s a quote that has come to be one of my favorites: “Nature does not hurry, yet Everything is accomplished.” (Lao Tzu). If you think about it, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, all come year after year, and neither ever rushes to get here, yet they come faithfully and consistently! “For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop.” (Genesis 8:22 MSG).

In other words, all the things that God has set or better yet “pre-ordained” in life and for your life, Will Occur, in their Proper Season! Habakkuk 2:2-3, “And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.” (MSG); Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: (MSG) That word ‘opportune’ is defined as, ‘done or occurring at an especially appropriate time.’ Its’ Latin Origin ‘opportunus’, comes from the combination of: ‘ob’ (meaning ‘in the direction of’) and ‘portus’ (meaning ‘harbor’). Which is descriptive of the wind driving towards the harbor, hence the idea ‘seasonable.’ It’s when something happens at the right time and season, so it’s effortless, even a simple blow of the wind can send it off in the right direction. It’s timely and well-timed. It’s appropriate, fitting, proper, suitable, fortunate and seasonable. And ‘seasonable’ is defined as, ‘something appropriate for a particular season.’ That’s why you must stop running around trying to make everything happen for yourself overnight! What God deems necessary to happen in your life will happen when it’s the right season for it to happen! Isaiah 60:22, "...I am God. At the right time I’ll make it happen.” (MSG) You don’t have to be so busy trying to force what is going to fail because you’re attempting to make it come to pass, out of season! What God has ordained for your life, will have to happen by His hands, not yours. And when you leave it in His hands, you can be assured that it’s already Handled With Care! You Just Have to Wait For Your ‘Due-Season’, which means, ‘a good and appropriate time.’ Saints, God has something Good in store for you, you just need to wait for the right, appropriate, good time for it to come to pass! Remember, God knows seasons, which is why you don’t have 90-degree weather in winter; nor do you have snow in summer! God has ordained the seasons in the earth and in your life! Trust Him, and Trust His Timing.

Therefore, you need not hurry, rush, or attempt to bring forth fruit in the wrong season! If it is to happen, it will! Don’t make the mistake that many, especially those in ministry, are making…and that’s driving so fast up the mountain to reach the top, that they’ve missed the breathtaking scenery along the journey! In their hurry to reach the top of the mountain, to mount a flag of victory, to make a name for themselves, they missed all the “little miracles” along the way! They missed the clouds and the silver lining, they missed the calming powder-blue sky, they missed earth’s most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, they missed the flowers that determined to push their way through the dirt and sprout forth anyhow, they missed all the creatures, the creation and the Creator rushing to “create” something themselves!

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” (Saint Francis de Sales).

People of God, slow down! Reprioritize your schedule and pen down more time with God. You need His guidance and direction. You need His instruction and wisdom. You need to hear His voice. And you cannot get any of that rushing into prayer and rushing out. You can’t get that while having a to-do-list longer than your time spent with God.

 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think He’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” (Matthew 6:30-33 MSG).

STOP HYDROPLANING, GET IN HIS PRESENCE AND HUSH!

Take the time this week to write down what you’re feeling and thinking as you make it your most important business to meet with God and listen to Him. Ask Him for a fresh look at the people in your life, at the pressures, and at your priorities. Ask Him to help you see the forest again; because if the truth is told, you’ve been overwhelmed by focusing on all the individual trees!

In His presence, set some priorities. Make some plans and weed some things out. You can trust what you’re sensing in an extended time with God. Which needs to be on a more regular basis. Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (MSG) If you want to learn how to live freely and lightly without being tired, worn out, burned out and weighted down with a life that is heavy and ill-fitting, then do what Jesus invited you to do: “COME TO ME; GET AWAY WITH ME; WALK WITH ME; WORK WITH ME; WATCH ME; KEEP COMPANY WITH ME!” That a lot of ‘ME’! Which tells us just how important Jesus feels about our relationship with Him. He desires to spend time with us, and He makes it a priority because He wakes us up every morning without fail; keeps us safe throughout the day; and blesses us with sweet sleep every night. How can we NOT desire to spend time with Him…On Purpose?!

And I’m not talking about spending time with God when the doctor gives you a bad report; or you’ve lost a loved one; or the job laid you off; or the kids are acting up; or the marriage is about over; or the bank accounts have a whole lot of zeros but with no other number in the front! No, that’s the times when we always go running to God. Then, He’s a Priority, Because for Us Our Problem is a Priority. But that’s not how you build a solid relationship. Spending time with God must be purposeful and consistent. Spend time with God when everything in your world for a change seems to be going ‘right and good.’ Since those are the times when God is greatly ignored. God has already promised to meet our every need, but that doesn’t mean we treat Him like that’s all we need Him for. He desires a relationship, and a relationship requires time. Make sure you’re not shortchanging God on your end!

If you’re traveling at a high speed right now and you feel yourself losing control, first, SLOW DOWN! You need to carve out time away where your Lord can show you what He wants, what He sees when He looks at the people in your life, when He looks at the situations in your life, and when He looks at the needs in your life. Remember, you have to be still to know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”). Here’s some instructions for you every day from the varying translations of that Scripture: “Be still…” (AMP); “Let be and be still…”; (AMPC); “Our God says, ‘Calm Down’…” (CEV); “Let go of your concerns…” (GWT); “Stop your fighting…” (CSB); “Stand silent!” (TLB); “Cease striving…” (NASB); “Be quiet…” (NLV). And lastly the Message Bible says, “… “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” (MSG) That’s what you need to do today: Be still, calm down, let go, stop fighting, be silent, cease striving, be quiet and step out of the traffic, take a long, look at God, your High God, and know that He alone is Above Everything! Even Your Schedule!

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” (Gandhi).

Stop allowing your entire life to be arranged around trying to get something done, outside of God’s Will, God’s Plan, God’s Purpose, and God’s Timing. It’s all futile, and you’re missing out on life and more importantly, you’re missing out on a relationship with God! Therefore, today, I challenge you to slow down long enough to ask a simple question: “…When can I go and meet with God?” Then, if you’re smart, you’ll also take time to answer it by saying, ‘Right Now’!

David experienced a crazy emotional roller coaster ride throughout Psalm 42:1-5. But the last part of Psalm 42:5 says this, “…Fix my eyes on God – soon I’ll be praising again. He put a smile on my face. He’s, my God.” (MSG) This is how you bounce back like David did. You meet with God and fix your eyes on Him alone. You purposely remove all the distractions and see and hear only Him. You Get In His Presence and You Stay Present. And if you do, the conclusion of your meeting with God will be, “…I’ll be praising again. He put a smile on my face. He’s, my God.” Check your calendar, this is One meeting you can’t afford to miss, raincheck, reschedule, or cancel!

Schedule Time With God, Your Soul (And Your Life) Needs a Drink of His Living Water! To hear the whisper of God you must turn down the volume of the world. Find time to disconnect from everything around you and be still in His presence today. He is waiting for you to draw near. You don’t need a diploma to preach about Jesus, you just need to spend time with Him.”

Spending time with God isn’t a magic formula for a perfect life; it’s a rock-solid foundation that will hold you up when everything around you is shifting sand. Reduce your stress level by taking time to unplug from the world, open your Bible, and listen to what God has to tell you. God wants more than five minutes of your day. He wants to be part of your every moment. Your highs and lows, and everything in between.

Every one of your Disappointments is Your Appointment with God. We have heard that time spent with God is never wasted. Spending time with God, puts everything else in perspective. God is never too busy to listen. Never be too busy to talk to Him.

Psalm 16: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore”  

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

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We All Know The Disappointments That Come When We Base Anticipation On What We And Other Humans Can Deliver. God Will Never Have A Problem Delivering.” What’s Damaged You As A Child Does Not Have To Destroy You As An Adult. Enter God's Delivery Room.

Father, today we stand in victory and call everything into submission through the authority of Jesus Christ.  Illness must flee; circumstances must flee and lack must flee. There’s nothing too hard for You to end.

I love this analogy

When GOD wanted to create the fish, HE spoke to the sea, when GOD wanted to create the trees, HE spoke to the earth but when GOD wanted to create Man, HE spoke to Himself.

Then GOD said, “Let US make Man in Our image, according to Our likeness.

If you take a fish out of the water, it will die and when you take a tree off the ground, it will also die. Similarly, when Man is disconnected from GOD, he dies.

GOD is our natural environment. We were created to live in HIS presence. We must be connected to HIM because only in HIM there is Life.

Remember...

We recall that water without fish is still water, but fish without water is nothing. The soil without a tree is still soil, but the tree without soil is still nothing.

GOD without Man is still GOD but Man without GOD is Nothing. 

STAY CONNECTED TO God.

“…I cried because of my affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell I cried, and thou heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:2).

You See, Deliverance Comes When You Can Worship God During The Worst of Your Troubles!  Tell yourself from this day forward, the devil is a liar! I will let nothing, and no one cancel my worship again! Not their words, facial expressions, opinions, criticisms, discouragement, or bitterness! 

We All Know The Disappointments That Come When We Base Anticipation On What We And Other Humans Can Deliver. God Will Never Have A Problem Delivering.”  “What’s Damaged You As A Child Does Not Have To Destroy You As An Adult. God Can Deliver You From All Your Hurt And Pain. Enter God’s Delivery Room!”

Jonah Worshiped in The Midst of To Get It, you will Have to Ask Yourself, ‘Do I Really Want It That Bad?’ Because to Get This Kind of Deliverance, you have Got to Possess the Ability to Worship in The Worst of It! God Will Never Have A Problem Delivering.” God Does Not Stop Being Sovereign Because Of Your Situation!  Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Method of Your Deliverance? 

Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Prophet? Are You Willing to Be Delivered Where No One Can See It and Talk About? Are You Willing to Be Delivered When God Uses A "Nobody" To Declare the Word of Healing to You? Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even If You Have to Do Something “Beneath” Your Title, Office, or Position in Order to Get It?  Understand That There’s No Doubt About Your Deliverance Coming, You Just Need to Accept the Fact, In Advance, That Your Deliverance Will Come, But It Will Not Come Clean! You will Often Have to Get Dirty Before You Get Delivered! Can I Prove It?

Jonah chapter 2 is another one of my favorite Scriptures! You See, right in the Midst of Trouble, Jonah Still Prayed unto the Lord! He Forgot about his Situation and Fully Turned His Attention to God! Can you imagine what would happen if today the church did the very same thing? If we sought God, no matter our situation? If we still fell on bended knee no matter how many times the rug has been pulled out from beneath us? If we still talked to God, no matter how badly others are talking about us? If we still went to church even if we had to walk there? If we would still read the Bible even when we have lost the job? Can you imagine if we still sought God regardless of our current circumstances!?

Just think what would become of our lives if we prayed as the Bible admonishes us to: “Pray At All Times” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 GNT) Just imagine how strong our relationship with God would become if we indeed prayed at all times. And that includes praying when the car breaks down; the kids are failing in school; the marriage is holding on by its last string; the job just laid you off; the doctor just gave you a cancerous diagnosis; your parent passes away; your sibling is strung out on drugs; your church is emptying out; your bank accounts can’t even keep the bare minimum anymore; would you still be able to pray to God, even in these times? Would you still trust Him? Would you still lean on Him? Would you still believe Him? Would you still praise and worship Him? Would you still have Faith in Him? Would you still thank Him?

When you study the content of Jonah’s prayer in Jonah 2:2-9, you’ll discover that he wasn’t praying the ‘give me or get me out of this prayer’, but a Prayer of Worship and Thanksgiving (“…But I’m Worshiping you, God, calling out in Thanksgiving!…” (Jonah 2:9 MSG) However, what happens next is Absolutely Dynamic; the Bible says, “And the LORD Commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 2:10 NIV). What a Mighty Deliverance! BUT, if you look at what Jonah Worshiped in the Midst of to Get It, you will have to ask yourself, ‘do I really want it that bad?’ Because to get This Kind of Deliverance, you have Got to Possess the Ability to Worship in the Worst of It! Yes, that means to pray, worship and thank God while the eviction notice is on the front door; the pink slip after 20 years was just handed to you; the doctor has nothing else he can do for your disease; your teenage son tells you he has a baby on the way; your daughter comes home with a tattoo across her forehead; there’s nothing in the fridge but the light-bulb; the toilet water won’t go down, the heat won’t come up, the car won’t start and the bills won’t stop! YES, You Have to Still Pray, Praise, Worship and Thank God in the Midst of It All! So How Badly Do You Really Want It?!

First off, it was due to Jonah’s Disobedience that he was in Trouble in the first place! So, Jonah was where he Deserved to be, and God Put Him There, the Bible says, “Now the Lord had Prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah…” (Jonah 1:17). Like Jonah, many of us are where we are due to our OWN disobedience! BUT the very next verse says, “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God Out of the Fish’s Belly.” (Jonah 2:1). Truth be told, sometimes Deliverance Looks Downright Disgusting. Your Deliverance Is NOT Going to Look Pretty! After all, did you really think Jonah would spend 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a fish and come up smelling like roses? Truth is, I hate to even walk past the scent of a fish market, let alone have to be in the belly of a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights! So, no, Jonah was not coming out fresh and clean! And neither are you going to come out of all you have been in smelling like Febreze!

Just look at Mark 7:33-35, the Bible reads: “And taking him aside from the crowd [privately], He thrust His fingers into the man’s ears and spat and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, He sighed as He said, Ephphatha, which means, Be opened! And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak distinctly and as he should.” (AMP). Sweetheart, your deliverance is Not going to come with the latest fad-prophet sprinkling fairy dust over you and waving a pearly white magic wand! NOPE! Ear Wax and Spit! So, Do You Still Want to Be Delivered?!

Listen for the two important truths here: One, the man’s ears were opened! “So, faith comes from HEARING…” (Romans 10:17 AMP) Now, you may not like the method God uses to deliver you, but you will love hearing by faith what He has to say to you! The deliverance may be downright disgusting, but won’t it be worth it to hear God say: “…All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God: God’s blessing inside the city, God’s blessing in the country; God’s blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. God’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl; God’s blessing in your coming in, God’s blessing in your going out.  God will defeat your enemies who attack you. They will come at you on one road and run away on seven roads. God will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; he will bless you in the land that God, your God, is giving you. God will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of God, your God, and live the way he has shown you. All the peoples on Earth will see you living under the Name of God and hold you in respectful awe. God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself will not have to take out a loan. God will make you the head, not the tail; you’ll always be the top dog, never the bottom dog, as you obediently listen to and diligently keep the commands of God, your God, that I am commanding you today…” (Deuteronomy 28:1-14, MSG)

Wouldn’t a Dirty Deliverance Be Worth Hearing All of That?!

Secondly, his tongue was loosed! The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21 AMP); It further shares, “You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways.” (Job 22:28 AMP) Having your tongue loosed, means you get to decree life over your life and change it with the creative power your God has given you in your ability to open your mouth and speak it! The Bible says, “…and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.” (Romans 4:17 AMPC) Once your deliverance takes place and your lips are loosed, regardless to what your situation may still look like, you open your mouth and declare the nonexistent things God foretold and promised you and you speak to them as if they already exist! “I’m healed; I’m whole; I’m debt-free; my marriage is repaired; my children are returning from straying; my bank accounts look like phone numbers with the 1 and area code attached! I’m cancer free; the mortgage company said yes; the grant was approved; I’m driving the car off the lot; God is sending me the mate He custom designed just for me; the business proposal has been approved; the tuition is free; the church is full; my household is saved; my family is delivered; the addiction has been arrested by the Holy Ghost; the anointing is fresh; the gifts are stirred; closed doors of opportunity are unlocking as I speak; the promotion is mine; the elevation is mine; the doctors diagnosis is being reversed; the blood-work is coming back in my favor; the x-rays are clear; the chemo, radiation and dialysis are stopping; I’m graduating!”

You see that is the beauty of deliverance, no matter how dirty it is, you get to receive the restoration of your hearing and speech! It may be dirty but thank God for deliverance anyhow!

Need another Dirty Deliverance Example? Just Look at Mark 8:23-25, the Bible reads: “And He caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, do you [possibly] see anything? And he looked up and said, I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking. Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently [that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects], and he was Restored and saw Everything Distinctly [even what was at a distance].” (AMP). There’s That Spit Anointing Again!

Who Knew Jesus Was Such A Dirty Deliverer?! But this deliverance comes with the blessing of restored vision! Not just physical, but spiritual! All those dreams that you had that were so big and clear before life happened and you stuffed them on the shelf, are coming off the shelf! You will be like Joseph, have one dream that is big, then dream again and it gets even bigger! You may not like the dirty deliverance, but you will love the results! Things that were so foggy and unclear are going to be 20/20 in 2022! You were blind to God’s favor; blind to ways being made on your behalf; blind to the miracles coming down your street and to your house, but oh what happens when God delivers your vision! Another thing I love about this text is that it says, “…he was Restored and saw Everything Distinctly [even what was at a DISTANCE].” Once you are delivered and your vision is restored you will not only see the blessings and favor of the Lord on your life, but you’ll be able to see the blessings on multiple generations to come! Your deliverance and restoration are not just for you, but for your posterity that has not even been born yet!

You See, Deliverance Comes When You Can Worship God In The Midst Of The Worst Of Your Troubles! Understand That There’s No Doubt About Your Deliverance Coming, You Just Need To Accept The Fact, In Advance, That Your Deliverance Will Come, But It Will Not Come Clean! You Will Often Have To Get Dirty Before You Get Delivered! Can I Prove It? The Bible says, “Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: “Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed, and you’ll be as good as new.” Naaman lost his temper. He turned on his heel saying, “I thought he’d personally come out and meet me, call on the name of GOD, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are Cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not Bathe in them? I’d at least get Clean.” He stomped off, mad as a hornet. But his servants caught up with him and said, “Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard and heroic, wouldn’t you have done it? So why not this simple ‘wash and be clean’?” So, he did it. He went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, following the orders of the Holy Man. His skin was healed; it was like the skin of a little baby. He was as good as new.” (2 Kings 5:10-14 MSG). 

Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Method of Your Deliverance? Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Prophet? Are you willing to be delivered where no one can see it and talk about? Are you willing to be delivered when God uses a "nobody" to declare the Word of healing to you? Are you willing to get delivered even if you must do something “beneath” your title, office, or position to get it? How Bad Do You Really Want to Be Delivered!? Because Naaman dipped seven times in the dirty Jordan River, will you quit at 2 because it is just asking too much of you? Naaman was above ground, dipped seven dirty times and came up clean, however, Jonah lied in the belly of a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights! Listen, if you cannot handle 7 dips, you will lose your natural mind over 3 days and 3 nights! So, how bad do you really want to be delivered?!

Honestly, Do You have Enough Guts to get Dirty Before You get Delivered?! Can you Worship and Give Thanksgiving right in the Belly of the Fish, before you get set Free on Dry Ground?! Truth is, anybody can Worship and Give Thanks AFTERWARDS, But the Beginning of Deliverance is Doing It DURING?! And since we are talking about Worship, how about we visit Jonah’s Church, enter his Sanctuary, and take a good look around at What Jonah Worshiped in the Midst Of! Jonah 2:2-6, Describes Jonah’s Fish Temple of Worship: The Bible says, “In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God. He answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried, ’Help!’ You heard my cry. You threw me into ocean’s depths, into a watery grave, with ocean waves, ocean breakers crashing over me. I said, ’I’ve been thrown away, thrown out, out of your sight. I’ll never again lay eyes on your Holy Temple.’ Ocean gripped me by the throat. The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight. My head was all tangled in seaweed at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root. I was as far down as a body can go, and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever…” (MSG).

And you think you have got problems? We have the audacity to complain about the little things?! We allow any and everything to hinder our worship, but nothing we face at home, church or work can compare to what Jonah had to worship through in his! Jonah worshiped in the midst of fish guts and seaweed, and we get an attitude over the small stuff. Are you kidding me?

Look at what Jonah worshiped in the midst of! But yet in still, we cancel our worship due to rolling eyes and attitudes; over what someone said or didn’t say; because they didn’t sing our song; because it’s raining outside; because they sat in our seat; because of what the doctors said. Tell yourself from this day forward, the devil is a liar! I will let nothing, and no one cancel my worship again! Not their words, facial expressions, opinions, criticisms, discouragement, or bitterness! Why do I refuse to let it cancel my worship? Because I can say with Jonah, “…Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive, O God, my God! When my life was slipping away, I remembered God, and my prayer got through to you, made it all the way to your Holy Temple. Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds, walk away from their only true love. But I am worshiping you, God, calling out in thanksgiving! And I will do what I promised I would do! Salvation belongs to God!” (vss. 1-9 MSG)

If Jonah can worship God during all of this, surely, we can worship God in the midst of our situation! God does not stop being Sovereign because of your Situation! He can do anything, anywhere for any one of His children! That is why you need to understand the power of your worship. It summons all of Heaven to meet you in Hell, just ask Jonah, “…I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heard my voice.” (vs. 2). If Jonah Can Cry Out to God in the Midst of a Belly of Hell, Surely, We Can Walk into Our Pretty Sanctuary and Worship God? He lay in fish guts while we sit on cushioned seats, and we still cannot worship God? His music was the indigestion of a fish, while we have a whole minstrel section and yet we still cannot worship God. He was at the bottom of the ocean, and we sit elevated in our prestigious pulpit seating and yet we still cannot worship God? How is it that Jonah can give God his all right where he was, and yet we have not given God anything and we are in a better position than Jonah?!

And a bonus: You do not have to look for God in worship, if you worship, He will come looking for you! “…true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the FATHER SEEKS.” John 4:23 (NIV).

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com