REST. HOPE. WAIT.
Yesterday during my time with the Lord, I received a Word from Him that at first had me a little disturbed. But then the Holy Spirit began to minister to me, giving me clarity and understanding, which then changed my response from “Say what?!” to “Lord, I expect the unusual, the supernatural and the incomprehensible things to happen, as I will continue to trust You, Lord!” To God be all the glory!
IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY AND SOMETIMES IT HURTS
As I mentioned earlier, this all started during my prayer time with the Lord, as I laid all my cares before Him. Though there matters I brought before Him was few in number, they were heavy in weight. You see, I’ve been carrying around a heavy heart most of this week, and I wanted to turn it over to the Lord so that negative emotions wouldn’t take root in my heart; thereby contaminating every area in my life. You see, it is not always easy being rejected, dejected, ridiculed, talked about and sometimes berated by others—especially when it comes from people whom you love. I share this with you without any form of exaggeration, and I know that when all is said and done, God will be glorified and many will be edified. I tell you the truth when I say that God is working all things together for my good; as He is using all of the issues I am currently facing to make me more stronger, to prepare me for what’s to come, as well as to teach me how to love others regardless of their feelings toward me.
GOT MUSCLES?
The ability to grow muscle is based upon how often you work your muscle and how much tension and resistance you’re able to endure. In the beginning you may feel a lot of pain and soreness; however, the more you work out you progressively become able to endure even greater resistance and tension. Well, as it is in the physical, so it is in the spiritual, and I know God helping me to develop spiritual muscles. I admit that the process can sometimes be painful. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, my heart was a little heavy this week and I needed the Lord just to strengthen and help me. One of the things that contributed to some of the hurt is all the rejection, ridicule and accusations I’ve been experiencing lately. One example of this was having a loving gesture be purposely and openly rejected, and this has happened on more than one occasion and more than one person. I’ve had some to determine that the many projects God has given to me to do is just me acting on my own agenda or having impure motives; not realizing that I sometimes wish I could walk away from it and the accusations and discrimination that seems to come along with it. However, what supersedes these uncomfortable moments is my determination to be obedient to God. It’s only by His grace and strength that I am able to make it through with peace of mind, joy and love.
THREE PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY
In addition to the things mentioned above, I’ve also had some to suspect that I try to act holy or that I am a phony. They do not understand my determination to live a lifestyle of worship and holiness before God; as only He has the keys to heaven and hell. The 6th Beatitude in Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” and that is the very thing that I seek from God to the point of a yearning desire—as nothing can even compare to communing with the one true living God. This Scripture illustrates how I seek to live life; well, actually, it’s a third of what I strive to live daily with the help, strength and power of the Holy Spirit. The other 1/3 can be found in Matthew 6:33 which is, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I consider this Scripture as the deal between God and me, and this greatly intensified over the last year. It was one year today when He led me out of the world’s system and into my wilderness, yet bringing me to a new dimension of faith, trust and love in Him. To God be all the glory!
The final 1/3 can be found in Matthew 7:21-23 and this is something I keep before my face for the purpose of remaining humble before God regardless of how high or deep He may take me. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
For me, that Scripture has always provided me with a serious reality check because it confirms that a person can be highly anointed and go straight to hell. Additionally, the fact that they said, “Lord, Lord” indicates they believed they had a good relationship with God, and I guess their anointing solidified this belief from their perspective. When you compare this Scripture to the 6th Beatitude (Matthew 5:8), “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”, you can see that a pure heart greatly exceeds any ability to perform many miracles. So it goes back to seeking God to purify my heart in season and out of season; for my desire above all is to see God and to enjoy my life with Him even while I am here on earth. In addition to this, I know the enemy desires that I get so hurt that I allow unforgiveness and resentment to take root in my heart; thereby, corrupting my heart and everything I touch. I rebuke that in Jesus’ name! I’ve already determined that I will forgive and love regardless, and my constant prayer is that God continually floods my heart with pure love for Him in such magnitude that it overflows unto people, even those who may be difficult.
GOD OF JUSTICE
So yesterday while praying, I asked God to bring justice into the matter. Before I proceed, let me emphatically state that I do not live my life trying to impress or please people. There was a time when I did; however, the Holy Spirit is teaching me how not to live that way each day. Nevertheless I do admit that there are times when it gets a little disheartening when you and your family are frequently ostracized because of another’s perception of you, projection onto you or propaganda about you. I really don’t go out of my way to fight against people’s perception of me, and I guess it’s debatable as to whether or not this perpetuates the problem. The bottom line is that people will believe what they chose to believe, and sometimes it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s right or wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions; however, it becomes a problem when those opinions/beliefs manifests into negative behaviors. This is why I petitioned God regarding this issue; as only He can bring true justice and only He can change a person(s) heart and mind. I no longer try to do the things that only God can do.
I’m not sure if you can recall a few entries ago when I shared with you some of the things the Lord shared with me one morning during prayer. In essence He was forewarning me and preparing me for what was to come. In summary, He told me:
“Harden not your heart toward those who will come against you, for I will silence them and they will sharpen you”. He also told about the gift of discernment and for me not to overlook the spirits I am sensing (i.e. doubt what He’s showing me); as it is this gift in operation. He followed that by telling me not to fear because He’s with me and that there would be many hidden things/spirits/agendas exposed.
I can honestly say that I’ve begun to see some of these things manifest; however, there is still so much more to come. You can read my original entries which were titled “Who Is This King of Glory”, Spirit of Intimidation: The Big Problem Least Dealt With” and “Put Your Faith Where Your Mouth Is”. The latter ties into the next thing I petitioned the Lord on today, which was reminding Him of the Word He’s given me a year ago.
STEPPING OUT AND LIVING ON FAITH
As you may very well know, I was called out of the “world’s” system as of August 13th, which today marks my 1 year anniversary. My leaving wasn’t anything I pre-planned but rather done out of obedience to God. Just 2 months prior to my resignation, the Lord began telling me some of the upcoming events in my life, one of which was leaving my job. I remember the day all too well; as I was 8 minutes into a 45-day consecration I was doing along with my church. At 12:08 AM one Sunday morning in June, I was sitting on my bed writing in into my prayer journal what the Lord had shared with me. He told me that I will be leaving my job, and I automatically assumed that He’d show me my next job prior to resigning; for I was a single mom of 4 (3 at home at that time). A few moments later He followed that by saying, “You will not feel the pinch of the famine that is in the land”. At the time, I didn’t know that a Scripture like this existed; I just knew I was comforted by His words. Nonetheless, I certainly didn’t think He’d require me to resign 2 months after He revealed that to me, which is exactly what happened. On my last day as an employee, I had absolutely no idea where my next move would be. All I knew is that I was acting out of obedience to, faith in and love for God.
So here I am, a year later and I humbly confess that my living is nothing short of a miracle from God. I admit that on the day I resigned, I was absolutely panic-stricken, and it took me a few months to realize that I wouldn’t be returning to the workforce as I knew it. Prior to me learning this, I’d wake up almost every morning asking God to tell me the next step He wanted me to take; for I thought it’d be disastrous if I tried to finish what He started. I don’t know how many times in a day I’d ask Him this question; however, His response to me was consistent: Rest and Be Faithful. In my ignorance, my response was something to the tune of “Lord, I’ll rest once You tell me when I’d be working so that I’d know how I’m going to pay these bills!” I was and am a single mom of 4, not dating (so I had no one to back me financially) and a homeowner; thus, I had and have a lot of bills. At this time, it was difficult for me to see past this all of the financial obligations I had. It took a few months for me to finally realize that God was up to something: developing and increasing my faith, setting me up in ministry and teaching me how to trust in and depend on Him only.
PUTTING HIM IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIS WORD
Now today, as I face many financial matters and many notices, I came before God and reminded Him of His Words to me since last year:
1. To leave my job;
2. I will not lose my home;
3. I will not feel the pinch of the famine that’s in the land (later I learned there was a Scripture saying this in Psalms 37:19 which reads, “In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty”);
4. I will suffer a moment of decrease; however, He will sustain me during that season;
5. Gave me the Scripture Psalms 34:9 “Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.”
6. My bills will be paid;
7. Trust Him
In Isaiah 43:26 the Lord says, “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare you, that you may be justified”, and that’s what I did that morning. I reminded Him of the things He promised me and I asked Him to move on my behalf so that His Word is fulfilled. I named the things I needed from Him as it pertains to finance and how my inability to pay these things was a result of my acting on obedience to Him. Once I finished pleading my case before Him and as I was about to end the prayer, I asked God was there something specific He wanted me to do that day (I’ve recently began doing this before concluding my prayer time with Him). The Word He gave me caused me step back, with an attitude I must say, and ask Him again in hopes that I had heard wrong. He repeated the Word a 2nd time. Now, before I continue, let me pause for a moment and take my time.
MORNING MANNER: REST
Saturday evening after petitioning the Lord about paying bills, I asked Him was there anything He wanted me to do. The Word He gave me was ‘Rest’. I’m like, OK, He’s giving me the same Word He gave me right after I resigned. At the time I really didn’t understand why He told me this, but then a few months later I did. When He told me this on Saturday, my response was, “Help me to rest God. Show me how to do it especially now.” After the prayer, I began to meditate on the word He gave me and breaking it down to its simplest form. The word ‘rest’ denotes a peaceful state of mind because all that was needed to get done was indeed done; for it was finished. My interpretation as it relate to my current circumstance was for me not to worry about something He’s already taken care of. To rest and remember He is God.
MORNING MANNER: HOPE
So back to yesterday’s prayer, when I asked Him what will He have me to do on this day, the word He gave me was ‘hope’. Initially, I had an attitude and I was like, “What do you mean hope?” Keep in mind, I had just got finished discussing my finances and what He’s told me last year, and now He’s telling me to hope? I asked Him again and He repeated it again, “Hope”. I was like, “OK, Lord, You’re really going to have to show me what this means, because I don’t understand ‘hope’. I need something more concrete than hope, Lord.” I can tell you that I truly thank God for grace and for the Holy Spirit; as He shows me so much patience and forbearance and I know that sometimes it takes me a while to really get what He’s saying or showing me.
The Holy Spirit began to minister to me, taking me to what I call ‘Back to Basics”. As this happened, two things came to mind. One of them was the Scripture Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Amplified translation really breaks it down:
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
The other thing that came to mind was to get the dictionary just to see the definition of hope; in which there was 5 definitions:
1. The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out well;
2. A person or thing in which expectations are centered;
3. Something hoped for;
4. To look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence;
5. To believe or trust.
As I was reading the definitions, it was as though my mind instantly revised the definitions I read from Webster’s dictionary. In my mind, it read:
1. The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out well;
2. A Person or thing in which expectations are centered;
3. Something hoped for (NOW faith is the substance –the title deed—of things HOPED FOR);
4. To look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence (delete the word reasonable because my God can do that which is unreasonable, the defies logic; He can do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask for or think!);
5. To believe or AND trust.
As I began mulling over these things in my mind, I realized how much we casually use the word hope to the point where it severely minimizes its worth. In the natural realm, we use this word without putting to much though into it, “I hope I make it to work on time” or “I hope I get married” or “I hope my cat doesn’t get flees” or “I hope I get a promotion”. The word hope in the natural realm really is one step above desire and is left there as that. Using the definitions above, I’d have to say that the natural depiction of hope is #3, something hoped for. Quite simply, hope is just an emotion and nothing more.
FROM NATURAL TO SPIRITUAL
HOWEVER, in the spiritual realm, the word hope is a mighty and powerful word. Our entire Christian faith is based upon belief, faith and hope. Our ability to have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ rests upon a heart filled great hope. Halleluyah! At the end of this entry, I’ve put several mighty Scriptures that speak of hope and how it relates to God and us. I tell you that my looking at hope as God sees it definitely changed my view of the short yet mighty word!
MORNING MANNER: WAIT
Since I told you all of this, I figured I should just go right ahead and briefly tell you the Word He gave me today. Well, I was petitioning the Lord about many of the things I wrote about earlier and asking Him for strength. In addition to dealing with accusations, rejection and false rumors, I’ve also been battling depression all this week and I needed God to give me strength. I prayed, cried, meditated, petition, cried, read His Word about the matters and begin speaking His Word over each circumstance. After I was done, I asked the Lord if there was anything He wanted me to do today. His response was “Wait”. I’m like ‘Wait on what? Is there something particular?” He simply said ‘Wait.’ “Well”, I thought, “I did try to fancy going into the workforce but my spirit just confirmed what I already knew.” I said OK and asked Him to bring this to my remembrance at the right time. In addition to that, Isaiah 40:31 came to mind:
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
As I was looking for that Scripture, I kind of bumped into another Scripture, which is James 5:17-18:
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
DETERMINED
After reading that Scripture, I was still a little down about things but had determined to move on through. I decided to go get a cup of coffee and then come home to complete this entry (I’ve been working on this for about 2 days now). When I got into my car and tried to leave out of my driveway, I learned that my car was not working; as I was not able to even move my car from my driveway though I tried several times. For about 10 – 15 minutes I sat in my car with sadness because I didn’t know how I’d be able to get it fixed. I eventually got out of the car and went upstairs to my bedroom, wherein I began to play a song that’s been with me all this week. The song was sung by the late Reverent James Cleveland which I believe is titled, “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired.” As I listened to the song, I began to cry out to God; however, what was also brewing on the inside was determination and the mindset of I will not stop!
As I sat on my bed wondering how God was going to move, I was reminded of what God had done for Joshua in Joshua 10:12-13;
Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies….So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
DARE TO ASK GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE
To ask such a request was very daring and bold; however, it also shows us that we can dare to ask God for bold and unusual things. Just now the Scripture Genesis 18:14 is brought back to my remembrance, which is when God told Abraham a 2nd time that he and his wife Sarah will bear a child. As you very well know, from a natural perspective, this was next to impossible considering they had everything working against them: Sarah was barren plus she was old and Abraham also was very old. The actual Scripture mentioned above is God’s response to Sarah’s, who was eavesdropping, laughter when she heard God tell this to Abraham. God’s response was, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Though they had all the odds stacked against them, they had the Almighty God working for them; an Almighty God that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask for or think. Halleluyah!
WRAPPING IT UP
To recap, these are the 3 words God gave me each day I asked Him what He wanted me to do that day: rest, hope and wait. I think if I had to put these words into one word, the word would be ‘faith’; for when you truly have faith in God, you can enter into God’s rest; when you truly have faith, you can plant your hope in God and expect Him to do all that He said, even if it requires Him to do a few miracles; when you have faith in God, you can keep your hands off of what only God can do, and simply wait on Him – for those who wait upon the Lord shall never be ashamed. Remember Isaiah 40:31, which says:
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
In closing, I John 5:14-15 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” I have truly grown and have learned how to expect God to do the very things that may seem to me as incredible, insurmountable and absolutely impossible. My prayer is that my testimony has encouraged and inspired you to seek the Lord as you’ve never done before. I challenge you to stand on every single promise God has made to you, regardless of how the circumstance may appear right now. I pray that your faith in God greatly increase and that God shows Himself mighty in your life because of your faith and trust in Him. I pray that you see increase in every area of your life and that through your faith, you begin enter into God’s rest, believe, trust and hope in Him for everything, and wait upon the Lord with a continuous praise and the expectation that He will deliver! These things I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
A few Scriptures that illustrates the greatness in hope:
Romans 8:24-25, “If there isn’t any hope, there would be no faith; “for in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Rom 5:1-5, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
I Pet 1:3-4, “Thank God… that in His great mercy we have been born again into a life full of hope, through Christ’s rising from the dead! You can now hope for a perfect inheritance beyond the power of change and decay, reserved in Heaven for you.”
Lam 3:25, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”
Rom 12:12, “Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.”
Gal 5:5, “For to us, our hope of attaining that righteousness which we eagerly await is the work of the Spirit through faith.”
1 Pet 3:15, “…Be ready at any time to give a quiet and reverent answer to any man who wants a reason for the hope that you have within you.”
Titus 2:13, “while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ.”
HAS THIS ENTRY BLESSED YOU?
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