Psalm 27:14, “WAIT and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, WAIT for and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord.” (AMP)
Some of the most exciting moments in sports are the touchdown or field goal that win the game, especially, when there’s no time left on the clock! That game-winning basket as the final buzzer sounds is unforgettable! The game-winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning is remarkable! I’ve come to find out that whatever the sport, there is nothing like a sudden victory when victory seemed so far out of reach! It makes the fans go ballistic!
“I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.” (Earl Warren).
Truth be told, it can be real nerve-wracking when you’re behind and time is running out! But it’s an awesome moment when a hero pulls out an unexpected victory…at the last minute! And the longer I walk with this God of ours, the more I’ve come to appreciate Him as the God of the last-second victory, or the God of the eleventh hour, as I’ve called Him so often.
The Bible reveals many names by which God wants us to know Him. One that has meant so much to so many for so long is “Jehovah-Jireh”. It means, “The Lord will provide or the Lord will see to my provision.” You may be facing a need or situation right now where that is literally your only hope – that the Lord will provide. Maybe it’s a job, a friend, or much needed finances; maybe it’s the house, the healing, the breakthrough or soundness of mind you need. Well, if that’s the case, today you need to be reminded that we have a rock-solid promise in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (NIV). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (AMP). One of the things that so greatly encourages me about this Scripture is just how thorough our God is. He will meet ALL of our needs; He will liberally supply and fill to the full OUR EVERY NEED. God doesn’t pick and choose among our needs to see which He will meet, but His Word declares He will meet them ALL! Meaning there is absolutely no area in your life that will be left with an unmet need in God’s timing! You don’t have to worry about your family; friends; job; finances; health; school; future etc…because God has them all Completely Covered! ALL of them! Now that’s a promise you need to be thankful and grateful for daily! But if that’s not enough to celebrate, look at the word ‘liberally’. It’s defined as, ‘bountifully; generously; lavishly; open-handedly; in large amounts; favorably; freely; abundantly.’ In other words, your God is by no means selfish! He’s going to not only meet ALL of your needs, but He’s going to do so, LIBERALLY…BOUNTIFULLY; GENEROUSLY; LAVISHLY; OPEN-HANDEDLY; IN LARGE AMOUNTS; FAVORABLY; FREELY AND ABUNDANTLY! And you have what needs to worry about again? That’s right, NONE!
Also, it’s important that you understand that this Scripture lets us know that God’s supply has nothing to do with what’s happening in the economy, in the news, at work, in the white house, or in what your limited resources can or can’t do! It’s all about His Unlimited “Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus” account in Heaven, which transcends every limitation earth can provide! That’s why you’ve got to keep in mind the quote: “If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.” So, if you’re still trying to wrap your little head around how our Big God is going to accomplish such Great things for little old you, DON’T! You’ll only give yourself a physical and spiritual migraine! You simply have to trust and believe that God meant what He said, and He will fulfill every promise that He’s given you! His blank check is signed “Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus“, and His check CAN’T bounce, and the account can NEVER be overdrawn or emptied! Like His mercies, His “Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus” are renewed daily! Aren’t you just glad about Jesus?!
The truth of the matter is, you may never understand how God supplies rivers in the desert, but when you’re thirsty, knowing that He can and He will is enough! So before you allow your fears to get the best of you, remember this quote: “The Fear of God kills all other fears!”
Now to be honest, I believe God often waits a while to meet our needs…On Purpose! Let’s look at Scripture: “A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany…the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Master, the one you love so very much is sick.” When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.”…Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.” (John 11:1-4, 14 MSG). So before you panic, know that God always has a reason for allowing you to sit in the waiting room! And His reason is always the same: “…it will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son…and…You’re about to be given new grounds for believing…” Your waiting, while wounded, gives God Glory and Increases Your Faith by giving you New Grounds or New Reasons to Trust Him even at the Eleventh Hour! That’s why you can’t get discouraged because as the saying goes: “…it’s usually the last key in the bunch that opens the lock”! So, be patient, a door of opportunity is about to open just for you! God just wants to know if you’ll trust Him in the wait?!
Let’s take a brief look at Philippians 4:19 again, it says He promises to meet all of our needs, BUT He does Not promise When! See, most of us already know that He can do it, and that He’s promised to do it, but if only He’d share when He’s going to do it, we’d be less likely to flip out when the last grain of sand is found in the hourglass! But then that wouldn’t be considered faith, now would it?! Hebrews 11:5-6, “By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” (MSG) Don’t you think it’s time you add some more bricks to build your faith a little higher and a little stronger?! Don’t you think God has more than proven that He is able regardless to it being the 11th hour; regardless of the diagnosis; regardless of who else doubts it can happen; regardless of what’s going on in the family, in the business, at school, at work or even in the church?! God has shown up time after time, and it’s time now that you trust and believe that He will indeed do it again! Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” (AMP) The word ‘assurance’ is defined as, ‘being certain in the mind; confident; free from doubt and uncertainty.’ The term ‘title deed’ is defined as, ‘the deed constituting the evidence of a person’s legal ownership.’ The word ‘confirmation’ is defined as, ‘documented evidence of proof; substantiated facts; and validation.’ The word ‘guaranteed’ is defined as, ‘certain; protected by promise; an agreement by which one person undertakes to secure another in the possession or enjoyment of something; a bond; contract; covenant; surety; and warranty.’ The word ‘evidence’ is defined as, ‘something that furnishes proof; something legally submitted to ascertain the truth of a matter.’ People of God, that is what your faith should embody! It should be filled with assurance knowing that the title deed of God’s promises to you have been confirmed to you, guaranteed by Him, and His ‘Yes and Amen’ are all the evidence you need! Your job now is to seal your faith with conviction! And ‘conviction’ is ‘to be fully persuaded!’ Saints, if God said it, you will see it, just wait for Him!
Ramona C. Carroll said it best: “Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.”
But unfortunately for many of us, when we get to that last grain of sand, we panic, and come up with desperate and oftentimes ridiculous ways to so-called meet our needs on our own! Again, let’s look at Scripture: “Sarai, Abram’s wife, hadn’t yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “GOD has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her.” Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.’ (Genesis 16:1-2 MSG). And believe it or not, nations are still paying for that ridiculous attempt at “helping God out”! Word of Wisdom: God Does Not Need Your Help, Just Your Faith!
But too often we abandon our trust in God because, He’s – if we dare be honest—taking too long (at least according our deadline)! For even the Psalmist knows what this feels like, He said: “Please, God…Treat me nice for a change; I’m so starved for affection. Can’t you see I’m black-and-blue, beat up badly in bones and soul? God, how long will it take for you to let up? Break in, GOD, and break up this fight; if you love me at all, get me out of here. I’m no good to you dead, am I? I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb!” (6:1-5 MSG). See, you’re not the only one who wants to stamp “Federal Express” or “Overnight Delivery” on God! But such actions take us right out of the Will of God and aborts what God was going to do on our behalf if we would’ve trusted Him enough to wait on Him! “But those who WAIT for the Lord [who EXPECT, look for, and HOPE in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 AMP). How amazing is it that this Scripture reads so similar to our opening text of: Psalm 27:14, “WAIT and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, WAIT for and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord.” (AMP) Sounds a lot like FAITH means a great deal to God! He desires for us to trust Him, which oftentimes isn’t our greatest struggle, it’s the waiting in faith that’s the struggle. But God provides in His own time and in His own way, and He will not be pressured or rushed because our schedule and agenda reads different than His!
Now, it’s in Genesis 22, where we find that God is known as Jehovah-Jireh for the very first time. We can learn a lot from how He worked that day for Abraham. See, Abraham had, by faith, obeyed God’s direction to take the son God had once promised to him, climb Mt. Moriah with him, and sacrifice his son there; as God (the Father) would do Himself one day with Jesus (His Son). Believing that God will somehow provide something he can’t imagine, Abraham yet promises his servants that both he and his son Isaac will return from the mountain. Genesis 22:10 says his faith and obedience went so far that “he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” At that very last moment, God stopped him and showed Abraham a ram, stuck in a thicket, who would be sacrificed instead of his son. And the Bible says, “So Abraham called that place, ‘The Lord Will Provide.’” (Genesis 22:14) Let’s view this text in a few translations:
“So Abraham named that place THE LORD WILL PROVIDE. And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord IT WILL BE SEEN AND PROVIDED.” (AMP);
“Abraham named that place “THE LORD SEES.” That is the reason people today say, “On this mountain THE LORD IS SEEN.” (CEB);
“So Abraham gave that place a name, “THE LORD PROVIDES.” Even today people say, “On the mountain of the Lord, HE WILL GIVE US WHAT WE NEED.” (ERV);
“Abraham gave that place the name, “THE LORD WILL GIVE US WHAT WE NEED.” And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord IT WILL BE GIVEN.” (NLV);
“Abraham named that place GOD-YIREH (GOD-SEES-TO-IT). That’s where we get the saying, “On the mountain of God, HE SEES TO IT.” (MSG)
I reiterate, what needs or concerns do you have to be worried about again? NONE! Why? Because the Lord Will See to it that What You Need Will Be Provided; He’s Going to Personally See To It Himself; He’s Promised to Give You What You Need. So What Do You Do In the Meantime, When the 11th Hour Really Turns Into a Mean-Time?! You Trust God No Matter What!
Remember: Jehovah-Jireh – often steps in right on time, which is usually—when there’s no time left! Which reminds me of a quote I love, “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.”
God loves to come through for us when there is absolutely no place else that answer could come from, and there is no time left on the clock. It’s 11:59! The buzzer is about to sound! But that’s when God shows up with His provision, at a time and in a way that will blow you away, give Him all the glory, and show people around you the consistent greatness and faithfulness of your God! Then it’s only natural that you’ll experience a whole new level of faith in Him and worship for Him! God’s last-minute victories are some of the most awesome moments of your life! So don’t lose faith now! “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” (Oswald Chambers).
As believers, we ought to guard and protect our confidence in our God’s ability to bring to pass everything He said He would! Hebrews 3:6, “But Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].” (AMP); Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” (AMP); Hebrews 10:35, “Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward.” (AMP); Luke 1:45, “And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.” (AMP)
People of God: Guard Your Confidence!
Also Keep in Mind: The greater the need, the later the hour, the more amazing God’s work on your behalf! That’s why you need to determine to be like your sports heroes and hang in there until the end of the game! And when God steps in and grants you a last-second victory, before the last grain of sand falls, remember, like the sports fans, go absolutely ballistic…in praise, worship and thanksgiving! Will the wait be easy? Absolutely not, in fact it’s one of the hardest things to do! But remembering that God watches over His Word to perform it; remembering that God does not and cannot lie; remembering that God keeps His Word and every promise He makes, certainly makes the wait a little easier!
Jeremiah 1:12, “…for I am alert and active, watching over My Word to perform it.” (AMPC)
Numbers 23:19, “God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing His mind. Does He speak and not do what He says? Does He promise and not come through?” (MSG)
Joshua 21:45, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all had come to pass.” (AMP)
Isaiah 55:8-11, “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” (MSG)
And yes, I understand that the mortgage is over-due; the tuition seems impossible to pay; the car note is about to turn into a bus pass; the doctors may as well sign your cause of death certificate; the marriage is on life-support; the job is strangling your sanity or the lack of one is strangling your about to close on empty bank account; the kids don’t seem like they’ll ever get better; and the nuts in your family tree have you ready to dig up roots and kill the whole tree. And yet, I still say wait on God and watch Him work, even at the 11th hour! He’s done it before, and He can and will do it again! Don’t lose heart, patience, peace, joy or faith. God sits up too high to let His people down! Hold on and hang in there, before the last grain of sand falls, God will step in with a last minute miracle! You Just Wait, Hope and Expect in Faith That God Will Do as He Said He Would Do!
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG)
“All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” (Romans 8:22-25 MSG).
“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.” (Psalm 37:7 AMP)
“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” (Galatians 6:9 MSG)
“There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven.”; “He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God] – yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 AMP)
“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG)
“How we handle the journey will determine the destination.” (Billy Cox)
“When it looks like nothing is happening, God is at work.” (Bishop James R. Chambers)
“Just because it hasn’t happened Yet, doesn’t mean it won’t. Wait on God’s perfect timing and trust Him for the outcome.”
“Waiting time is never wasted time when God is involved. When your breakthrough does not come immediately, it is not because God has forgotten you or left you on the shelf. He is developing and building you, polishing you so that when the time is right, as with an arrow, He’ll unleash you. And like a skillfully crafted and honed arrow, you will hit the mark.”
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” (Joyce Meyer)
“Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on what we’re waiting for.” (Charles Stanley)
“Sometimes we don’t understand why we are waiting. Often it is because God has something great in store, it’s just not the right time.” (Joel Osteen)
“No matter how long it takes, when God works, it’s always worth the wait.” (Author Unknown)
“Joseph waited 13 years; Abraham waited 25 years; Moses waited 40 years; Jesus waited 30 years. If God is making you wait, you’re in good company.”
“Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place, than to rush and have things fall apart.”
“To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working.” (Louie Giglio)
“Waiting is God’s Grace for things that we can’t handle Yet.”
“Don’t Under-Estimate What God is Doing in Your Season of Waiting.”
“Have patience and wait for the thing you want most. Don’t chase it. Don’t run after it. If God wants you to have it, He will give it to you at the right time.”
“Praise God for the ways you see Him working. Then trust Him for the ways you don’t.”
“There will be times when the Will of God will not be clear to us. During those occasions we are expected to retain our faith and Wait On the Lord.” (Dr. James Dobson)
“Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.” (G. Campbell Morgan)
“God will surely come and He can never come too late.”
Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BePatient #BeExpectant
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