In every circumstance and every situation, there is one determining factor that has the power to alter, change, restore, and make brand new. It alone holds power to manifest an answer where only questions abound. It is the single factor that set's you apart. This one element is the golden ticket, the treasure map, the compass of direction. The single key that opens every door tears down every wall, and defeats every enemy is the presence of God!
Favor is a funny thing. It's not garnered because you desire it. It is bestowed for reasons only the one giving can determine. Jacob had 12 sons, but it was the 11th that captured his heart. Joseph was the firstborn of the woman he'd worked 14 years to marry. Because she remained barren for so many years, Joseph was not conceived until Jacob's old age. Finally, seeing the fruit of that love gave Joseph the favor that no other son could achieve. The giving of a gift showed Jacob's favor and affection. A coat of many colors.
When faced with another problem or another battle, the temptation is to take the victim mentality even if you've won the previous battles and think you have a setback. If your self-talk sounds something like, "Just when things were going good, this had to happen." Or, "Why does this always happen to me?" Then you've got to shake yourself loose from the grip of self-pity.
We've all jumped to conclusions. We see something, hear something, or imagine something because we saw nothing and heard nothing. Relying on senses alone will lead to a conclusion that is just as imagined.
Hang on, saints! God is faithful. And He is going to see to it that the promise He made you comes to pass. Staying encouraged in the waiting season is key. But to do that, we need to look at the first promise. In that promise, we see three important factors about promises.
If you really knew who He was, you would ask Him. He has the gift-ready. He comes prepared.
Doesn't everyone want to know what to do? Yet, there is a second and equally powerful need. To know when to do it. Former chairman of Chrysler, Lee Iacocca, once said, "Even the correct decision is wrong when it was taken too late."
We've all heard that God works in mysterious ways. Well, those who say it aren't wrong. When Elisha wanted to retrieve an ax head from the bottom of a lake, his instruction was to throw a piece of wood in the water where the ax head sunk. This action caused it to float. When Gideon needed an army, the instruction was to use torches and pots as weapons. They won. When Israel needed water, God told Moses to throw a tree in the bitter water, and it would be made sweet. Water problem solved.
What does real surrender look like? Surrender doesn't mean laying down or throwing up your arms in defeat. Surrendering means wrestling.
Regardless of the state of a man, God is just. In Exodus, He did not demand that Pharoah worship Him, nor those who lived in Egypt. His command to Pharaoh was simply to allow His people the freedom to do so. He knew at the end that Pharoah would allow them to go and do as He commanded. Still, because He is just, He allowed Pharoah to let them go and worship Him before any judgment would be pronounced against the Egyptian king personally, his land, or his people. God is so good that He gave this defiant, earthly king the ability not to do battle with the King of Kings. And in His mercy, He still gives this ability to the kings, presidents, and officials of today. God is not slow in His deliverance, folks. He is deliberate. And He will always win. Our part is to continue to proclaim the message during the waiting.
