Not long ago I told the Lord, “I wanted to serve Him with all that I am to be all that He called me to be.” I dedicated my life to Him to be a vessel for His glory. It’s so easy to say those words, but what follows afterwards isn’t always easy. At least I can say in all honesty, for me it hasn’t been easy; however, it is worthwhile. I wouldn’t change anything.
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”.
God didn’t say there wouldn’t be hard times, even for those of us who call ourselves Christians. What does it truly mean to be a follower of Christ?
Some think that God is like a genie in a bottle. They rub the bottle, get three wishes and live happily ever after. The truth is that God isn’t a genie in a bottle. He is God, creator of heaven and earth. He loves us with an unconditional love. His will for us is to love, honor, and trust and obey Him. He desires like any father to give us the desires of our heart. He also knows what is best for us. He sees what we can’t see. He knows what we don’t know. The very thing we want may be the very thing that will lead us to destruction. God never forces His will upon us. He gave us free will. We can choose to serve or not serve Him. The choice is ours. What exactly does that mean? I can only speak for myself. My expectation is in the Lord. It’s not in a person, place or job. People leave. Jobs that were very stable at one time aren’t anymore; they can end in a moment’s notice. Where do you turn to? Where is your hope when the disappointments of life come to get you down?
Psalms 62: My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
You see, my hope is in the Lord. He knows my coming in and my going out. God has always been with me. He blessed me, provided for me and my sons, gave me ideas, promoted me into management positions. I was a single mother of three sons, but never a single mom, for God was and has always been a father to my children. Psalms 68:5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
I desired to serve Him more. I wanted to draw nearer to Him, for people to truly understand Who He is. I see so many who don’t even acknowledge or thank Him. If it wasn’t for God, where would I be? I know His hand of provision, protection, grace, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, deliverance and love. His love is the greatest.
In my desire to truly serve Him, I went before Him in humility, prayer and repentance. I asked Him to let my will be surrendered to His will. I asked Him according to Psalm 139:23-24.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
My desire is to exalt God, not myself. I’m only a vessel that God uses, if He chooses to do so. I said to God that I would do all that I could to honor Him and glorify His name, so all would know that He is the God of Abraham, Israel, Jacob, our God that loves us so much that He gave His only begotten son, that we may have eternal life. John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
In doing so, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me that He was going to do a new thing. Isaiah 43:18
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness. And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
At that moment I understood whatever I was about to go through wasn’t about me. It was to STAND like never before on His word, trust Him and obey. It was about faith.
In 2010 I was laid off of my corporate job; a single mother of three sons. The Lord was with me. He blessed me, provided for me and my three sons. I saw His hand like never before. He said, it’s not the job, it’s me that provides. The job was only one means of provision. I am the ultimate source of provision. He gave me favor with the bank in regards to my home. He ordained me to be a minister for His glory. I returned to a higher contract management position at one of the largest health care providers in the state in 2011. That position ended in 2013.
The Lord is faithful. Once again, it’s not about me; it’s about Him. I’m a tither. Tithing is a covenant with God. The one that He made with Abraham. His word can’t return back void. He must do what He says He will do. When you have done all you can do STAND: I stood on God’s word and spoke the scriptures listed below out loud to Him in praise, honor, glory and boldness. I expected God to be who He said He was. I expected Him to do something. I needed Him to be God. I knew He wouldn’t let me down. I knew He would come through. I didn’t have a person to call upon. I called upon Him.
Malachi 3:10-12.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
I called upon Him according to Malachi 3:10-12. I said “LORD, I NEED YOU TO INTERVENE WITH MY MORTGAGE COMPANY AND BLESS MY BUSINESS ANOINTED GIFTS AND SERVICES THROUGH THE FRUIT OF MY LABOR. I NEED YOUR HELP. I’M NOT A LAZY WOMAN. YOU SEE MY HAND, BUT IT’S NOT ABOUT ME. IT’S ABOUT YOU. YOU TOLD ME IN YOUR WORD, IF I HONORED YOU WITH MY TITHES AND OFFERRINGS, TRY YOU NOW, YOU WOULD OPEN UP THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT BLESSINGS, YOU WOULD REBUKE THE DEVOUR FOR MY SAKE. I COME BEFORE YOU NOW TO PRAISE YOU, TO HONOR YOU, TO THANK YOU. I NEED YOU TO BE GOD. WHERE I’M WEAK YOU ARE STRONG. I STAND ON THE COVENANT THAT YOU MADE WITH ABRAHAM, JACOB AND ISACC, THE SAME COVENANT THAT I HAVE WITH YOU THROUGH MALACHI 3:10-12 AND I SAY TRY YOU NOW IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I EXPECT YOU TO BE GOD ACCORDING TO PSALMS 62. MY EXPECTATION IS IN THE LORD. MY HELP COMETH FROM THE LORD.
I prayed that prayer on a Thursday, just two days before my event with my business and ministry Anointed Gifts & Services. On Saturday, two days later, although the turnout for the event was low, my booth was busy all day with people coming in and out. From that event I was able to book an appointment to do an upcoming workshop for a senior center regarding changes to medicare and other insurance programs. On the following Tuesday, five days later, there was an envelope with a letter from my mortgage company stating I didn’t have to pay my mortgage for the remainder of the year. I began to run through the house praising God. Tell me what our God can’t do. By the way, I didn’t apply for the program they gave me. They had lost the paperwork to the previous one that I did apply to. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”. If God is for us, who can be against us.
For those of you are facing challenges because you said Lord, I surrender to you, “Let thy will be done” know that there isn’t any challenge greater than God. It’s not about you. It’s about God. He will bring you through. It’s for His glory. God has you. That’s His promise.
Keep the faith. Stay in prayer, seek God’s face daily. Give Him the glory. KEEP STANDING ON HIS WORD. HIS WORD WILL NOT RETURN VOID. HE WILL NOT LEAVE NOR FORSAKE YOU. HEBREWS 13:6.
Be sure and pick up a copy of my ebook Hope is alive at www.godspowercommunity.org/HopeIsAlive
Your testimony blessed me today.
ReplyDelete