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Sanctification

Sanctification means to set apart: sanctification means separation-HA Ironside

According to HA Ironside’s book; Holiness, The false and the true there exists the following types of sanctification:

-Absolute sanctification: it is by the one offering of Christ on the cross
-Progressive sanctification: it is by the Spirit and by the Word
-Sanctification by the Spirit: it is internal. It is an experience within the believer.
-Sanctification by the blood of Christ: it is eternal. It is not an experience; it is positional. It has to do with the new place in God’s eternal favor occupied by every believer. It is an unchanging and unchangeable position, to which defilement can never attach in God’s estimation.

I want to focus on sanctification by the Spirit and the Word.

We live in a wicked world however, the Lord ensures that it serves to be a salutary experience for His saints. Each day contains unique challenges that serve as opportunities for spiritual growth. When we align our will with the Lord’s path, the Holy Spirit empowers us to strengthen our spiritual resolve and manifest His divine nature.This arm of sanctification requires our participation.As believers, we read the Word and pray however once we interact with the world we do not seize the opportunity to walk in the Spirit. Somebody angers us and we retaliate or get offended. When stuck in traffic or in long or snaking queue , many give into impatience instead of seeing it as a golden opportunity to exercise patience. Many love those who love them and give only to those whom they will receive their money back. We jettison these opportunities by choosing the flesh. That is why we never mature in Christ. It is not about how much knowledge one has acquired but the degree to which one has transformed into His image. The call is to be sanctified here on earth for there is no sanctification process that will transpire in heaven.

Sanctification is more than the spiritual disciplines that we adhere to as believers such as fasting, prayer, serving or even giving. We can adhere to these disciplines and not to the sanctification process.
Sanctification of the Holy Spirit and the Word involves yielding to the Holy Spirit and obeying Him.

We may find certain things to still be acceptable to us but not to the Lord. As we proceed to submit to His work of sanctification we will find that certain behaviors become unacceptable. The Spirit may do His sanctifying work even as we consistently spend time seeking Him. We may notice that certain behaviors disappear without our physical effort.He causes us to “meet Him where He is” so to speak, making His standard deep seated, personal convictions. The Lord is committed to making us holy.

While all believers share in the gift of salvation, the degree of individual sanctification does vary. This distinction explains why certain behaviors evoke deep conviction in some, while others remain unperturbed by them. To illustrate, some may find secular music permissible, yet as one matures in faith, the biblical exhortation to remain untainted by the world becomes a personal mandate. Since such music originates from worldly influences, a more sanctified perspective often views it as incompatible with a life dedicated to the Lord. The money changers were permitted to sell in the synagogue, yet when the Lord came He overturned their tables in holy anger and uttered ” stop turning my Father’s house into a market place!”. The leaders of that time who claimed to believe in God saw nothing wrong with this. The Sadducees and Pharisees did not act as He did. This variation in conviction exists among believers.

The process of sanctification often creates a sense of isolation, not only from the world but occasionally within the church itself. It is a path that can be solitary; as one disciplines the flesh through the empowerment of the Spirit, they may find themselves amidst fellow believers who have not yet embraced that same measure of devotion.

When the Lord saved us, He liberated our flesh from its lord, sin, so that He could be our rightful Lord. Our nature will always be expressed through the body. The flesh possesses the power to rob us even of our true personality. The Lord made us in his own image that means He initially made us to have a nature like His. Sin however robbed us of experiencing it and oppressed us to the degree that we helplessly displayed a carnal nature. The carnal nature robbed us of all possibility of experiencing the freedom rooted in our original, true nature which is God’s nature. Not only that, it robbed us of our true personality and authenticity. When we choose our carnal nature and we find ourselves impatient, using filthy language, displaying a bad attitude, we suppress our true personality.

Sin distorts our personality

The Lord has a pleasant personality. He is not stressed, depressed, feeling defeated nor is He negative. He is always hopeful and due to these factors His personality is pleasant. Additionally, when we walk according to the Word, choosing to be patient when our flesh is irritated, gentle when tempted to be rude, overlooking offense when it is apparent, our attitude completely shifts. We will notice that it is as if we are a new person. We will notice that we are not grumpy and negative.We will experience a complete transformation. We become the unadulterated version of ourselves, free from the contamination of sin’s influence on us and it shows in the nature and personality we display!

Walking in step with the Spirit reflects the nature of God and restores our authenticity

That is why when we truly yield to the Lord and choose to walk in step with the Spirit and those who knew us prior to being saved bring up our past, we cannot even relate. Yes, we are saved and the old has passed however that version was not the real us. That version was marred by sin. There exists attitudes, wounds and behaviours in our bloodlines that get passed down, committing the same crime. They bend us out of shape and contort us, therefore robbing us of our authenticity. We may notice that the anger we see on our father’s side of the family is in us too. This then leads to an angry, impatient and proud persinality. The Lord restores our authenticity through walking according to His Word. Unforgiveness makes us bitter and critical. Unchecked desires make us secretive and destroys our innocence. But when we forgive, we are peaceful and joyful. When we are self controlled we retain our innocence and purity and we walk in integrity.

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The battle with sin

When we get saved,the Bible says that we are no longer under the control of the prince of the power of the air. We are delivered from darkness into the kingdom of the son of his love. We have the Holy Spirit and we have grace to live right. So why is there a culture of sinning among the saints?

When we get saved we receive a “fight” between us and what once enslaved us. We can resist or are called to resist what we once easily yielded to without question. We are called to pluck out our eyes when they cause us to sin or cut off our hand which causes us to sin. All this denotes a  severe confrontational uprooting of sin. We are not to take it lightly. Sometimes we battle with sin due to not being cognizant of the fact that we are cutting off the fruit which proceeds to rear its head instead of addressing the root.

The snare of sin

We communicate the dangers of sin and why we should not sin and we should. However, wholeness and inner healing should be spoken of equally. Our broken childhoods, unmet needs, wounds in our souls, fears, and hidden issues in our hearts make us susceptible and vulnerable to sin. We are a three part being namely spirit, soul and body thus, things  are not always as they seem. Consider the following illustrations;

-The command from the Lord is to not fornicate yet a man who has rejection issues coupled with idolatry falls prey to a counterfeit love interest who threatens to end the relationship unless they engage in sexual relations.They find themselves in a cycle of fornication due to not standing up for the truth and remaining single until the Lord sends them a Godfearing partner.This is a multi layered situation and conundrum which arises from being on the throne of our lives instead of giving that place to the Lord. The enemy’s wiles will possess greater sting and potency on such a one.  

-Gluttony thwarts the efforts of one who is overweight because they find comfort in food. Without addressing the emotional aspect of this dynamic they remain in a pool of defeat.

-The man who oversteps on his marriage due to soul ties they failed to break ahead of getting married.

The list is neverending. Our needs and brokenness give expression to sin in our lives not because we want to, but due to the fact that we are seeking to have our needs met. Unmet needs when not addressed and identified lead many on a voyage of bondage to sin. Many attempt to fast and be delivered from demons to no avail. Frustration accompanies many on their walk with the Lord not by virtue of a deficiency in effort but due to unresolved issues that lie behind the veil, maneuvering them with subtle tyranny like a puppeteer. Until the issue is addressed, bondage will persist. 

Mind renewal as a tool to overcome 

 We act according to what we believe. The dangers of not addressing issues in our lives and seeking healing from past or even present hurts is that they serve as data for our subconscious to utilize in order to “protect us” . Our minds and soul seek to protect us from threats and will ensure that we are faithfully acting according to the script it has for us. For instance, when we have a belief that no one can be trusted, we will act according to that belief by not trusting anyone. We need not exert much effort, the action will automatically align with that belief. We will even find ourselves sabotaging healthy relationships to remain faithful to the script in our minds. This is why the Lord tells us to renew our minds because we are wired to act according to what our minds believe. 

Conversely, we may have knowledge of the truth and still fall into sin! 

When this occurs, we are required to confront a lie we are believing. Lies lead to bondage which prohibits truth from being implanted in us. They cause us to come into agreement with the enemy, leading to a formation of strongholds. Effort is required to dismatle them. We have to apply the word repeatedly and implant truth that will take root.We do not put on new clothes without taking a shower or a bath first, yet many attempt to put on Christ without washing themselves with the water of the word. 

For those who are exposed to prophetic environments, the solution presented is mainly deliverance and prayer. However, that is a power encounter that will uproot the entity. Many experience deliverance only for bondage to return on their way home. The issue needs to be severed at the root. At times counselling is required to ensure long lasting freedom. When the root is unknown, deliverance is ministered and the person fills up with the Word in general and not according to how they were bound. This will lead to frustration. 

Sometimes, issues in our lives make it seem as though the weapons of the enemy are exceedingly potent when in actual fact, he just walked in on a situation that was compromised and precarious, giving him an advantage. He wins victories he should not be winning because he is after all a defeated foe. when two individuals, one who has a robust immune system and one who is immunosuppressed are exposed to the same germ, the former can walk away from that encounter unharmed while the latter can be hospitalized. It’s not that the germ suddenly increased its potency when it entered the immunocompromised individual. It is uncomplicated for the spirit of rejection to oppress an individual who has wounds of rejection. It is facile for self pity to oppress one who is compromised in this area with a victim mentality. Little is required to establish agreement and achieve torment. It is not that the spirit was vicious, but the battle was lost before it commenced.

Ultimately, many forgo the discomfort of freedom because of the solace they experience in bondage. The process of liberation often necessitates the agonizing severance of ties that, while  dear to us, serve as the life giving force to our confinement. When we are in love with our chains, we won’t seek to be free. The Israelites moaned concerning the manna. They longed for the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic they ate in Egypt. They forgot that they cried out to the Lord to set them free and began to long for slavery when they were confronted with the price and challenges connected to their freedom. Unfortunately, this is the reality that some choose for themselves. 

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The ways of the Lord

Understanding the ways of the Lord is paramount. We sometimes pray to the Lord to alter our circumstance and when He does not move immediately, we are tempted to get weary. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Sometimes the Lord has to move a couple of things around in order to answer our prayer. In Him moving these things, causing them to align, He is answering. We may be looking at one area and pouring our prayers and fasting into it and not witnessing any tangible change. However, the Lord does not think as we do. The best thing to do is to take a step back and notice ways in which He is moving, partner with that and trust Him. When the other parts have coalesced, He will then bring it to pass. We expect the Lord to do it now because we petitioned him. We did not factor in the wisdom of God. 

Sometimes, the Lord has to permit things to fall apart so that the correct ones can fall into place. 

When the Lord gave Joseph the dream concerning his brothers and father bowing before him, he was not privy to what it would take for its fulfilment. We think because God is sovereign, He should easily perform things at the blink of an eye. However, He does not operate that way. The Lord is patient. He is strategic. He is holy in His ways. God knew that his brothers would be tempted by jealousy and sell him as a slave. God in his sovereignty could have shielded him yet, His wisdom caused him to permit it to transpire. 

Recognizing that Joseph would face the profound temptations of bitterness and unforgiveness, the Lord utilized his victory over seduction to fortify his character. By honoring God in that moment of trial, Joseph made room for the Lord to commence a transformative work within his heart, preparing him emotionally and spiritually for the challenges of his future. This resulted in Joseph forgiving his brothers when circumstances beckoned for it. The Lord set him up for future obedience!

Furthermore, Joseph’s refusal to succumb to seduction, though occurring while he enjoyed success and private opportunity, demonstrates that spiritual foresight is forged through active integrity: ” you meant it for evil but God meant it for good” he uttered. Yes, the Holy Ghost is with us and Christ has been made unto us wisdom; however, certain issues require obedience in one season so that when the trap or snare comes in another season, the optics to see it have been developed. This is one way the Lord delivers us.

While the Lord’s goodness and mercy are universal, the manifestation of His power is often contingent upon active submission and obedience. The perception that some are “favorites” is a misconception; rather, these individuals have transitioned from passive expectation to an active partnership with His Word. Consequently, certain breakthroughs remain inaccessible through divine goodness alone, requiring a functional alignment with His requirements to alter long standing circumstances.

This is similar to what transpired to Abraham, the Lord foreknew that he was going to love his son more than Him. This is not an unusual occurrence when one has had to wait for a long duration for a breakthrough. They can easily fall into the sin of idolatry. Therefore the Lord had to prepare him ahead of time and fortify him to be able to obey Him and sacrifice his son when He asked him to.  How could he not have fallen into idolatry when he had to wait for 25 years for Isaac? 

Our circumstances at times set us up to fall into sin. The Lord knows this all too well and if we will be cognizant of this or hide ourselves in His Word, He will prepare us to overcome the temptation when it comes.

Additionally, when the Lord desires that we occupy certain spaces and platforms, He will prepare us for it. Unfortunately, some rush into it and while operating in that space, fall into sin. At times, this is due to the individual’s failure to submit to the preparation process of the Lord. The Lord is able to see the weaknesses in our flesh that will be awakened when we enter certain spaces of influence and He can uproot them ahead of time-if we will let Him.

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The Lord sees us

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him. Do you want to be healed?( John 5:6)

The Lord was actually asking this man if he was willing to pay the price for good health. He was asking if he was willing to part with the sin that put him in the condition he was in.

Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. This is what He said to him after he saw him in the temple, following healing him. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”(John 5:14)

The man did not comprehend this. The sick man answered, “Sir, I have no one here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first. (John 5:7)

This man was disgruntled. His entire efforts of getting in the pool were thwarted. Pain and suffering has a tendency of making us selfish and self centered. Everyone at this pool was pursuing their own healing. This man was seeking assistance from individuals who were incapable of such a task which unveils his state of mind. The mind is designed such that when we hold a conscious or subconscious belief in our minds, to seek experiences congruent with that belief, establishing a form of confirmation bias and proving us right.Our minds will specifically tailor and seek out these experieces for us on the basis of our belief . Our beliefs set the stage for our experiences. Succinctly, you experience what you believe. Hence the Lord said all things are possible to him who believes. He was  goading us to believe correctly. 

 It did not dawn on this man that those present were likewise, invalids just as he was, yet he was offended by their lack of courtesy. His illness affected his judgment. The fact that he was expecting aid from these individuals indicated that he was entitled, blaming them evidenced a sense of self pity and pride. We cannot demand assistance from anyone, even when we are ill. This man sounded offended. 

The wounded soul

When we sin and remain impenitent, it gives the enemy a foothold and an opening. Consequently, he can attack us and that includes making us sick. Sin wounds the soul, giving the enemy legal grounds to attack. It is quite common for an internal soul-wound to give way to a physical ailment. Conversely, the trauma associated with a prolonged physical illness often results in the wounding of the soul.Of course, not all sickness is a consequence of sin. 

When an area of our lives is affected by sickness or otherwise, we are required to guard the other healthy areas.  

This mans circumstances necessitated  the Lord to make him whole.  Not only was he infirmed in his physical body, his perception and mindset required His healing touch. His soul was wounded. The Lord needed to empower him to stand on his own again and regain his independence. Hence, he told him to pick up his mat and walk. He did not offer to help him to get up. 

This man was at the pool just as everybody else due to it being the avenue that was provided for healing. Yet,this was not yielding the desired outcome. The Lord provided another way for him to attain freedom. 

Suffice it to say, sickness possesses the capacity to warp a person’s mindset and paradigm when precautionary measures are not exercised. Subsequently, more measures will be required to attain wellness and wholeness, as observed with this man who required wholeness and not healing alone. 

There is a story cited in Evangelist Diga Hernandez’s book, Carriers of the glory, becoming a friend of the Holy Spirit. He held a crusade with his unnamed prophet friend and a woman who looked utterly hopeless, wallowing in her illness was in the prayer line. He was ministering to one individual when he glanced at her. He then thought to himself that he will minister to her next. When he got to her and wanted to pray, the woman said she wanted to die. He wanted to pray for healing however the Holy Spirit halted him and said she required a prophetic word first. Diga does not possess the gift of prophecy so they went to his prophet friend who prophesied accurately to this woman. He told her everything that she revealed to Diga when they were conversing. Subsequently, Diga prayed for her and she was healed instantaneously. 

When this man was pursuing his healing and failing at every attempt, Jesus saw him. The Lord sees us in our struggles. He met him where he was. He did not give up thus the Lord created an alternative way for him. Nobody could assist him but God. We at times may despair due to people forsaking us . Yet, this story reminds us that even when others forsake us or their aid fails to alter our situation,as it was with this man who was brought to the pool only to fend for himself, the Lord remains able to intervene where our circumstance is impregnable. He can still make a way where there is ostensibly no way. 

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Living right does not exempt us from testing, it invites it

God strips us for various reasons. He can even strip us of what we have to get our attention and pull us to Himself when we have wandered off. 

One of the reasons God exposed Job to the devil was to increase him. Contrary to popular belief, misfortune does befall the obedient.

Job was proceeding well in his Christian walk because he wasn’t being tested. When he was, he questioned God and sinned. Sometimes we are “good believers” due to the Lord not permitting any tests our way. We spend time with the Lord blissfully and once we interact with the world, we find ourselves getting offended at a snarky remark or hastily giving into anger when the Word instructs us to be slow to it.

Job felt that so long as he lived right, no testing should befall him. He trusted in his righteousness instead of the Lord. He felt that God was being unjust (Job 9 :22-24) Joseph on the contrary,  fled  Portipher’s wife’s seduction and yet was incarcerated. God left him there for yrs even though he was innocent, however, he dared not question or complain against  God. Living right does not exempt us from testing, it invites it. 

Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego(The three Hebrew boys) uttered the famous words “our God will deliver us but even if he doesn’t we will not bow” ( Daniel 3 : 17-18) This is what Job lacked. He felt that his righteousness should exempt and disqualify him for testing but the 3 Hebrew boys said “even if he doesn’t deliver us, we won’t bow”. They trusted in the Lord regardless of the outcome.

Testing shows where our trust lies. It exposes us.

Some people upon witnessing how the Lord took us through the fire and brought us out unscathed, or at least hear that He did, believe in His existence. Our testimonies are potent in giving people a taste of the reality of our God. The Lord calls us to be His witnesses. What is a witness? According to Merriam-webster disctionary it is:

  • 1  attestation of a fact or event : testimony
  • 2
  • : one that gives evidence
  • specifically : one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal
  • 3
  • : one asked to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its having taken place
  • 4
  • : one who has personal knowledge of something

As it pertains to believers, we share about the Lord, our testimonies and how we have seen that the “God of the Bible” is truly who He says He is. He performed this in my life or so and so’s life.I saw it.

King Darius recognized that Daniel’s God is the true living God when he survived the lions. 

Sometimes, issues that the Lord permits are typically enduring due to the Lord having an end goal. He is seeking to accomplish something.The capacity of the Lord to utilize a life surrendered in faith is beyond human comprehension. The Bible says those that know their God shall do exploits(Dan 11:32), not those who believe in the Lord. Consider Daniel. His faith in God changed the worship of an entire kingdom! ( Daniel 6: 26).No church, nor group of believers were present.The Lord accomplished this through one man . Additionally, we observe this in Paul’s life as well.When he was on the island of Malta he was bitten by a venomous serpent that should have ended his life. The Lord permitted this because the inhabitants of that island knew the type of species the serpent was.Needless to say, it opened the door for the gospel to be preached and for souls to be won. Such narratives are replete in the body of Christ.

Furthermore, Paul and Barnabas were scourged and through that painful, agonizing encounter, the jailer and his family were saved. On the tv program, The 700 club, a story was narrated of a group of young men who travelled to an island where the Word had never been preached before. Lamentably, the men were killed by the inhabitants of that island. However, today, the descendants of those martyrs are preaching on that island. The people who murdered the young men received salvation; however, what paved way for this salvation were the valiant young men who were on fire for God and wanted to take the Gospel where it had not been heard. I can recall the story of a prominent pastor in the body of Christ who took the gospel to an Islamic state. He and his team were severely battered anand bruised and he inquired of the Lord if they should depart and go home. The Lord exhorted them to stay and today, they have been able to establish a church there. 

 Misunderstanding the ways of the Lord yields errors in judgment. Unbeknownst to Job, he was being prepared to receive a deeper revelation of the Lord. He concluded after the Lord questioned him “ truly I spoke of things I have not known”(Job 42:3). Some revelations and increases do not come through fasting or praying but through overcoming testing. Job is  testament of this. 

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Trials, tribulation and afflictions

The life of the believer is one that is not without trials, afflictions and tribulations. The Lord even guaranteed that we will face trouble in this world(John 16:33). Sometimes we make the error of telling the unsaved that if they follow Jesus Christ then all trouble will cease in their lives; that everything in their lives will go smoothly. We even have church songs that validate this fallacy saying, “there are no troubles when God is near”. However, scripture states otherwise. The Lord has not promised to keep us from trouble. He thrusts us into it, knowing that He has overcome the world. He has called us to overcome. The Bible says He has given us an overwhelming victory(Rom 8:37) however that is our spiritual standing. We have to walk it out. 

We are called overcomers, yet in the book of Revelations we are told repeatedly that “he who overcomes…” and a reward will be given such a one. So we are to overcome whatever that we face to win the reward. 

The pursuit of a righteous lifestyle is not a mechanism for the avoidance of trials, nor should it be utilized as such, for such an endeavor shall prove futile. One must adhere to a path of rectitude solely to honor the Lord and to submit fully to His divine Lordship. Trials remain a distinct and inevitable phenomenon that shall manifest regardless of one’s personal conduct

​It is profoundly distressing to encounter adversity despite having exhausted every effort to prevent its occurrence

This may be the believer suffering from lung cancer yet they haven’t smoked a day in their life. Or the married couple struggling to conceive yet walked in purity in the days of courtship and  have honored their marital vows. Nevertheless, the grace of the Lord is sufficient for us.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all(Psa 34:19). The Lord desires us to have experiential knowledge of His Word and not to merely quote scripture. When we face trials and see the Word cause a shift, a resolve is forged in us. Our faith in the Word deepens. It is an error to think that living right and walking in obedience exempts us from trials. Job received a good report from the Lord yet he was sifted by the enemy. 

With that said, the enemy goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour(1 Peter 5:8). He cannot devour everybody. As believers we will face the enemy until the day we leave this earth. We don’t even have to do anything for him to attack us; we are to trust that whatever attack the Lord permits will be used for our good.

Some benefits of trials and tribulations

  • They produce patience
  • They bring us closer to the Lord
  • We can be anointed by what we go through so that others can be set free through us
  • They bring us closer to the Lord
  • They strengthen our trust in God
  • We grow through them
  • They make us unshakeable and not easily moved 
  • The Lord can use them to prepare us for our destiny
  • They can equip us with compassion for those going through what we went through
  • The Lord can expose the enemy’s wiles and strategies to us
  • Our testimony of overcoming them can encourage others going through the same thing
  • Overcoming them brings promotion from the Lord and He can entrust us with more responsibility

It is imperative to know the Lord’s role and ours when going through trials. Who has the Lord promised to be for us while we go through trials? Here’s a few:

  • A refuge and  stronghold ( Psa 9:9)
  • Our confidence( Proverbs 3:25-26)
  • The One who will fight for us and we are to be still(Exo 14:14)
  • He will uphold and strengthen us( Isa 41:10)
  • He will be with us in trouble, deliver and honor us (Psa 91:15
  • Cause our enemies to be defeated before our face and scatter in 7 directions
  • Our strength(Psa 37:39)
  • Hide us in His pavillion, in the secret place of His tabernacle and set us upon a rock. He will cause our head to be lifted above our enemies( Psa 27:5-6)

Our role is:

  • To take refuge in Him(Nahum 1:7)
  • Trust in Him
  • Cast our burden upon Him(Psa 55:22)
  • Submit ourselves to Him, resist the devil(James 4:7)
  • Stand(Eph 6:13)
  • Fight the good fight of faith(1 Tim 6:12)
  • Cry out to Him(Ps 34:17)
  • Maintain our gaze on Him(25:15)
  • Remain in His presence
  • Know that we are kept(Ps 121:5)
  • Know that He will make it work for our good(Rom 8:28)
  • Seek His face, remind Him of His promises and who He promised to be for us while in it

There are moments where we can barely hold on to Him and our hope is shattered. The Lord is called the author and finisher of our faith. He has promised to uphold us. It is written: The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for he will uphold him with his hand(Psa 37:24). He is called the lifter of our heads(Psa 3:3). So we should never feel that if we fail then it will be our demise. The responsibility for our spiritual sustenance does not reside within ourselves; rather, even within the specific roles we are ordained to fulfill, our absolute reliance must be placed upon the Lord.

 We are required to remain steadfast in His presence because that’s where our safety resides. We encounter superfluous adversity when we abandon the bounds of His presence and attempt to resolve the problem on our own and risk losing the “adding” that was connected to the trial . Additionally, God ordained trouble can beget more ungodly trouble, leading to a plentitude of issues God never intended for us to experience. When the Lord leads us through adversity, we are to trust that He has already provided means to sustain us. We may not be made privy to this and so we are required to walk by faith. Consider Elijah who was fed by a raven and Paul who was provided for in prison by the Philippian church. The trial is not to merely discomfit; it is always for a purpose. There is grace when we go through trials that but that grace is only in His presence. Trials add to the believer, and if they ever take anything away, it was a hindrance or He excised it to ensure more fruitfulness. Psalm 138:7 says Though I walk through the midst of trouble you will revive me. You will stretch your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand will revive me. 

Revive according to Strong’s concordance means: keep, give promise, nourish, preserve, quicken, repair, restore, save, be whole…

Those are the benefits of walking through the midst of trouble! He promises to keep us. That means we will not be lost to Him while in trouble. He will give us a promise and we certainly require it so that we do not despair. 

To nourish according to the English dictionary means

  • To nurture , rear
  • To promote the growth of
  • To furnish or sustain with nutriment: to feed
  • Maintain, support

So the Lord utilizes trouble as breeding ground for our growth. He takes on the role likened to that of a mother towards her newborn babe or the role of a committed gardener. He is steadfastly committed to our growth and He provides the necessary nutriment and scaffolding. When we do not know that, we fall into resentment, offense and get angry at Him. Regrettably, due to our myopic view, we may walk away from Him.

Additionally, we may pray to the Lord and He might answer the prayer with a trial. Why? Because it adds to us. One of the definitions for revive is restoration. When we are not acquainted with how He sometimes answers prayer we may be tempted to be offended at Him. We may feel that He is not answering our prayers due to falling into endless trials. However it is written that we are to rejoice when that transpires

Sometimes the deliverance is in the fire. Believers often petition the Lord with the expectation that He shall prohibit the occurrence of trouble. Nevertheless, the Sovereignty of God occasionally permits such hardships to transpire, recognizing that the most sscaffolding. Salvation is often achieved through the experience of the trial rather than the avoidance of it.Although Daniel prayed to the Lord ahead of time, he was saved through immersion in the Den.

Myles Munroe: Daniel’s quality of Kingdom faith is very rare today in the religious community as many of our contemporary doctrines and belief systems promote a shallow version of faith that focuses more on “avoidance faith” than enduring and overcoming faith. It is a faith built on avoiding troubles, trials, and tests rather than enduring and overcoming these temporary opportunities to prove the eternal power of our Kingdom. We need the faith of Daniel to be restored to our world today.

It is written when you go through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, the flames will not set you ablaze ( Isa 43:2)

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Dying to self

We are called to die to self. Paul says I count the things I left behind as dung so that I may gain Christ(Phil 3:8). The Lord gives us commands that we are to follow however we need to rely on the Spirit to do so. Many are defeated by sin due to relying on themselves. The Holy Spirit is called the Helper for a reason. Paul says to the Galatians; You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh ( Gal 3:1-3)This is the reality of many. We want to overcome without ever leaning on the Spirit thus we weary ourselves and wallow in sin, feeling utterly defeated. 

Dying to self includes dying to our own will, ways and desires. The Lord places a demand on us to leave what is misaligned with His will for us. This is challenging as we have our own will and desires however, we are to permit the Lord to actually be our Lord, which means owner.What do we do when we are enamored with what He demands we relinquish? 

  • We can ask Him to give us the desire to let it go
  • We can ask Him to take away the love we have for the item or person
  • We can ask to be fortified to obey His command
  • We can ask Him to show us the truth about what we love

We are to plant ourselves in His presence, lean on Him so that we receive His strength and obey. We are then to count that item as “dung” and cease yearning for it. If we keep looking at it, our affection will never die. We are to stand with the Lord in agreement and not with our hearts. When we stand with the Lord,our will, will die. This is also a helpful strategy in overcoming sin. We can never overcome what we yearn for. 

Dying to self is a daily choice, an unceasing commitment. The Apostle Paul said I die daily(1Cor 15:31) When we stop dying, we commence to live in sin. 

Amy Klutinoty: Die to self.

Die to your ego. Die to what you think you deserve. Die to the fear that holds you back. Die to materialism. Die to greed. Die to worldly accolades. Die to the addiction of seeking attention and validation. Die to fleshly lusts and addictions. Die to the desire to always be understood and accepted. Die to false expectations. Die to worldly reputation. Die to your vanity, your pride…Die to self and live for Christ

Benefits of dying to self

Dying to self empowers our christian walk. It ensures our forward movement and loosens the grip of entanglements that hold us back. We are liberated to be consumed by the will of the Father. Jesus, who had no sin was born for the sole purpose of living for the Father’s will. He even said “ the prince of this world is coming but he has nothing in Me. He has nothing in common with Me”(John 14:30). He had nothing in common with the enemy and thus He proceeded to make strides and progress in His personal growth, growing in favor with God and with people(Luke 2:52) and fulfilling His ultimate purpose of dying for our sin. 

Additionally, He was unnerved by people’s rejection, preferences, mockings, hatred and when He was misunderstood. We stand to gain this and more when we die to self. 

King Saul was not dead to self and this caused a plethora of issues that disqualified him as a king. He was controlled by people, lived to please his followers and sought their approval more than God’s. The Bible says fear of man brings a snare but those that trust in the Lord shall be kept safe(Prov 29:25). Everything that serves as oxygen and a necessity for the survival of self will serve as a chain and a hindrance to us. It is an unnecessary weight we don’t require. 

Other things that inflate self that are required to die are 

  • Our timing
  • Our preference and how we think our lives should be
  • How we feel the Lord should speak to us

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

Because we were crucified with Christ, there should be a marked difference in how we live now. The old us was living without any faith in the Lord. We could face life without Him however,  now that we are saved, we should not be able to do life without Him. Even the Lord said He lived because of the Father(John 6:57

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The narrow and wide gates

The way of destruction accommodates many individuals; however, the way that leads to life is selective.The way of destruction has a low standard and is low maintenance. Minimal effort and exertion are required and it is accessible. The wide gate places no demand on the one going through it. Many companions are found in the  destructive way, ensuring that solitude is a foreign concept. The difficult way is challenging, not impossible to find. The narrow gate selects and determines what can come along with us on the journey to the difficult way. It requires one to be lightweight. This is why the Lord purges our conscience of dead works and repentance is a way of life in this way. Agreements with the enemy are shut out and we walk circumspectly to avoid getting entangled with anything that will make us lose our footing.Heb 12:1 says we are to lay aside every weight which means burden (weight). If it hinders us it is weight that should be set aside. 

Only the Holy Spirit can determine what this weight is. Many may say what they are accommodating in their life is not necessarily “weight” because they find it pleasurable and even destressing. Nevertheless, it is an observable fact that sin offers a transient pleasure. It is often most difficult to relinquish those elements which the Holy Spirit must excise, for they are frequently rooted in our affections.

We are naturally inclined or predisposed to love what the Lord hates. It is only when the Holy Spirit works in us to hate what He hates do we come into agreement with Him. The narrow gate makes it difficult to find the way that leads to life on account of many wanting to find it without going through the selection process; nevertheless, Jesus told us that there are requirements to following Him. We must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. Many want to follow Him without meeting His requirements and by doing so, close off the way to the path that leads to life in their own faces. Many want to bring forbidden items on the journey thereby making it even more arduous, laborious and impossible to find this path leading to life. Paul said he counted everything as dung so that he may gain Christ(Phil 3:8). This path cannot be stumbled upon nor be found arbitrarily. There needs to be a conscious and deliberate effort towards finding it. It is meant to be found-”few find it”. It must be sought after. It must be desired.Once found, it leads to life. We will experience life on this side of eternity and in the next. It is life for your soul, spirit and body. We may lie to ourselves and claim to be on this path but the absence of life will testify against us. It will prove us to be liars. 

Strive to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able(Luke 13:24)

Consider the rich young ruler, who was told to divest himself of all possessions and give the poor to gain eternal life; however, he was unwilling. He wanted to do things his way and still enter through the narrow gate. He was barred out. Isaiah 1 chronicles how Israel was in rebellion. They were covered with wounds from head to toe with no healthy spot on their body. Their wounds had not been dressed yet. They brought sheep to be burned as sacrifices and the fat of fine animals. Yet the Lord said it was useless to bring Him offerings and when they lift their hands in prayer, He will not look at them. He wanted to wash their sin away; however, they were unwilling ( Isa 1:1-20). They wanted to serve Him according to their terms;however, He would not have it. He rejected them. He has not changed. If we persist to carve out our own way of worshipping Him we will not enter through the narrow gate.

How can we enter through the narrow gate?

-Living a life of repentance

-Dying daily

-Walking daily in His light where His Word determines our steps

-Seeking the Lord on His terms

-Allowing the Spirit to lead us

-Submitting to the sanctification process

– Avoiding compromise

-Not conforming to the ways of this world

– Putting on Christ which is putting on His character

-Ensuring to seek Him daily with hearts that genuinely desire to know Him

– Loving what the Lord loves and a hatred for what He abhors

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How we live matters

As children of God we will stand out from the crowd. We must accept this truth and not recoil from it. The Lord’s ways expose us, we are lights set on a hill. So long as we live according to His Word, it will be apparent whose we are. This causes us to be labelled as weird or “taking this God thing too seriously” as they say, thus mistaking our devotion for religious fanatism.We will be the object of scorn and ridicule.So for fear of standing out, some succumb to compromise, conforming to worldly ways in attempts to fit in. We should not refuse to be transformed because we fear being seen as odd for we are strangers and sojourners in this world.

The cost of standing out

Some believers fear that they will be unrelatable and will face a lonely path and thus settle for surface level sanctification if ever. They fear the cost that is attached to truly following the Lord. Therefore, they choose to have one foot in the world and the other in the Lord, attenuating the potency of their devotion and witness. The Lord said to the church in Laodicea that He will spew it out of His mouth because it was neither hot or cold(Rev 3:15-16). This area of compromise feels safe and comforting. It does not threaten the way we order our lives nor our preferences. Many will look at us bewildered at how we are not engaging in sinful activities as they are. The Word says to not envy the sinner(Prov 23:17). It is written that faith made Moses when he was grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king’s daughter. He preferred to suffer with Gods people rather than enjoy sin for a little while. He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt…(Heb 11:24-26). He chose to stand on the side of righteousness even when it caused him due to valuing the Lord above worldly treasure.

What standing out entails

Standing out entails more than preaching the Word. It is how we conduct our lives on a daily basis, for the purpose of making Him known. We are living epistles. People look at us and get a glimpse of who the Lord is, His standard and His ways. But you are the chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation, God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light(1Peter 2:9). We usually celebrate the fact that we are a chosen race, His priests, a holy nation, his own chosen people however the reason why He made us that was for the purpose of proclaiming his wonderful acts. The Lord created us for His renown;For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear( Jer 13:11) How we live matters and serves as a witness to a dark world.By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith(Heb 11:7) When we walk by faith and obedience instead of hiding it we, like Noah, condemn the world. We show that it is possible to obey the Lord and their disobedience and rejection of the Lord is a choice. Why? because we are proof of it. Furthermore, the Word says that people suppress the truth in unrighteousness. When we live the way they do we do the same and the truth concerning the Lord does not reign.We are likened to billboards that echo Gods existence and that is why we cannot conform to the standard of this world. We will silence our witness, lose our light and lose our saltiness, which gives people a taste of who the Lord is.

The ever increasing light of the believer

When we get saved, our lives cease to be our own. We are connected to the Kingdom of Heaven and the will of the Lord. Salvation commences with the believer. The Lord transforms the believer and he or she is fortified to take responsibility over their own life and live deliberately in light of the principle and laws of the Lord which govern this realm below and His Kingdom. The light extends and is introduced into our families. With our presence and spiritual alertness and watchfulness, darkness and patterns that persisted or even seek to enter are thwarted or resisted. The light extends to the lost. Some individuals will not follow Christ because we evangelized, but on account of how they experienced the love of God through us. This testimony of Riaan Swiegelaar, a former South African Satanist( Satanic church co-founder)exemplifies this. He was shown love by a Christian woman, a poignant experience which marked his life: In mid-May, Swiegelaar gave his last interview as a member of the SASC on the CapeTalk radio station. Following the interview, a woman working for the station, whose name he would not reveal, came to him and demonstrated God’s love in an unexpected way.

“I told her, ‘I don’t believe in Jesus and I don’t believe Jesus Christ exists’ because I didn’t. She came to me after the interview, after I said that and she hugged me and she held me in a way that I’ve never been loved,” Swiegelaar said.

Therefore, the way we live has ramifications that are far reaching beyond ourselves. Failure to commit to the Lord in our actions means all that is stated in this piece is thwarted.

The last call by Charles Finney: Every christian makes an impression by his conduct and witnesses either for one side or the other. His looks, dress, whole demeanor, make a constant impression on one side or the other. He cant help testifying for or against religion He is either gathering with Christ or scattering abroad. At every step you tread on chords that will vibrate to all eternity. Every time you move, you touch keys whose sound will re-echo all over dark caverns and vaults of hell. Every movement of your lives, you are exerting a tremendous influence that will tell on the immortal interests of souls all around you

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Experiencing the promises of the Lord

A need to appropriate the promises

The Lord has won the victory, he has triumphed over the enemy. We are recipients of the promises of God that accompany that victory. The manifestation of these promises are not automatic. We have to appropriate the victory of the Lord over our lives so that we can experience these benefits. For instance, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer. The bible says bad as you are, you know how to give good gifts. What more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask (Luke 11:13). So for those who did not receive, they have to ask.The same goes for generational curses. It is said we cannot be cursed in Christ because cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree(Gal 3:13). The Lord indeed hung on a tree, (the cross) to liberate us from curses however, that is our spiritual standing. While the legal curse was broken at Calvary, believers continue to witness the persistence of ancestral patterns, necessitating a deliberate application of Christ’s victory to sever these lingering ties. 

Joshua 18:3
So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long are you going to wait before you go in and take the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

The seven tribes had to take the land given to them by the Lord and that is akin to us taking hold of everything the Lord has given us through Christ as His heirs. With that said, we have to know which scripture is relevant and complimentary to our circumstance. We may find that certain circumstances are relatively easy to surmount on the other hand, some are seemingly impregnable. We are required to seek the Holy Spirit to reveal which scripture to apply.

 God protects His own but he told Joseph and Mary to flee when Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus(Matt 2:13). Paul had to learn how to be content though the scriptures tell us that the Lord supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory(Phil 4:19).

We may find ourselves in a certain season and the promise relevant for us may be to “endure” and not necessarily to obtain the breakthrough in that moment. We may find that we do all we know to do but the answer only comes later or at the end.  

We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy (James 5:11)

When Paul had the thorn in his side he  prayed three times for the Lord to remove it but He said his grace is sufficient for him(2 Cor 12:7-9). Had Paul not heard that he would have proceeded to pray in vain, feeling forsaken by the Lord as the thorn persisted in his life .The answer was to lean on the Lord’s grace and not to press into prayer for relief. 

Fulfilling righteousness

There are other times when we are not experiencing the promise because we have not fulfilled righteousness. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, that is not what I am alluding to. In Matt 6:33 we are admonished by the Lord to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things shall be added. The righteousness we are to seek is to be in right standing with the Word of God.

When John the Baptist was hesitant to baptise the Lord, Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized( Matt 3:15). Only after fulfilling all righteousness did the Holy Spirit descend on Him and the report of “this is my Son with whom I am well pleased come. Those two acts were not arbitrary. 
Furthermore, when the Holy Spirit has led you to a given promise in the Word of God, study and fulfill the conditions. We often confess scriptures over our lives and we should however, we should not confess it if we don’t meet the requirements. We cannot put a bandaid of the scriptures over our disobedience or lack of righteousness. Consider the following scripture; You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You(Isa 26:3). The caveat to experiencing peace here is for our mind to be stayed on Him and to trust in Him. When our mind is on the problem, we cannot claim this scripture. Second scripture, Psalm 23:1 the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Well, we shall not want if we meet the requirement of making the Lord our shepherd. Consequently, the benefits of that psalm will be ours. 

Redefining “good”

 The Lord is a sun and a shield. He gives grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly(Psa 84:11) This does not mean we will never find ourselves lacking something. “Good things” are not always tangible. Peace, hope, joy, wisdom …these are not tangible, however, they are good things. The Lord will not leave us empty and barren. While Paul was in prison and was in need, he did not immediately have the provision however, he had something good- contentment.

Bend to the revealed will of the Lord

There are times where we are applying the scripture of ask and you shall receive, however, it is not necessarily what the Lord wants to give us and as it is written; we cant ask for fish and be given a serpent by Our Father. The Lord will then have to change our desires, give us His desire, prepare us for it and then fulfill it. Many are the plans in a man’s heart but the will of the Lord prevails(Prov 19:21)

The Lord was feeding the Israelites manna in the desert but they demanded to have meat. We must be cautious not to overide the revealed will of the Lord in a season. We are to trust and partner with the Lord’s leading when we are cognizant of it instead of persistenting in our own desires.   

Faith working with patience

Through faith and patience we obtain the promise( Heb 6:12). We need both and not only faith.

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue(2 Pet 1:3). It is through knowledge of Him and not knowing things about Him. This knowledge is a deep intimate knowledge and not head knowledge. This type of knowledge is attained through spending trysting time with the Lord studying His Word, worship, remaining faithful to the Lord in every season, fasting, obedience etc. These are some of the avenues we use that permit the Lord to reveal Himself to us.

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Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord and, I shall not slip- Psalm 26:1

Walking in our integrity

Lamentably, we live in a generation that does not take kindly to being told what to do. We still maintain a sense of autonomy while claiming to submit to the Lordship of Christ. Our generation is regrettably marked by arrogance and that is displeasing to the Lord. Arrogance is one of the sins He hates yet we embrace it openly. We refuse to yield to correction because, “we don’t feel convicted about what we are receiving correction for” is the usual response. We do not tremble at the scriptures brought to us when we are in sin and we proceed to brazenly flaunt our disobedience, entrenching the sin of arrogance. We need to repent. We will never stumble upon walking in integrity, it is an intentional and deliberate action we must choose to pursue.

Though the path of integrity is fraught with challenges, it is immensely rewarding. It is taking responsibility for our actions.The Word says a prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished(Prov 22:3). People mistake integrity for pride or being overzealous however, it is neither.People will even go to the extent of shaming us for walking in integrity however, we must resist the urge to lower the standard to please man. Walking in integrity is a deliberate intention. To illustrate, Dan1:8 states
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

There is however a nuance between integrity and people pleasing that we should be cognizant of. Integrity looks like having knowledge of the truth and simultaneously proceeding to circumvent situations that could besmirch our character.Consider a minister who is married, who, out of courtesy, provides a female congregant with transportation but requests she sit in the rear seat to avoid any appearance of impropriety. I am reminded of 1Thess 5:22 which states; abstain from the appearance of evil.

If it appears to be evil in the sight of man however, we know it is innocent,we are still required to avoid it.Though some may deem this unnecessary, it is a hallmark of wisdom. Such decisions safeguard both the sanctity of marriage and one’s reputation. This is not people-pleasing;rather, it is the honoring of an Audience of One, our Lord. People may say taking such great lengths is absolutely unnecessary and inconsequential however, it is wisdom in action. Is this people pleasing?unequivocally not. People are not in our hearts and are not privy to our intentions and what seemed like a kind gesture can swiftly be misconstrued into something evil.

Integrity initially honors God, then it subsequently shields you. He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him (Prov 14:2). Nobody ever regretted walking in integrity yet many have regretted walking carelessly.Integrity singles and distinguishes you out from the crowd. Many become perplexed as to why you don’t join in when they do what the Lord finds offensive and distasteful. They may even be inclined to say we are acting “holier than thou” or superior to them. They may feel that we are turning living into an arduous task . However, integrity reveals the fact that it is actually possible to live a God honoring life. People are accustomed to acquiescing to the demands of the flesh so much so that they think certain things are out of their realm of possibility. When we walk in integrity, it inspires them and they aspire to have what we have. Integrity is a treasure and should be seen as such, not a burden. We walk in integrity because we want to honor the Lord and be pleasing to Him since He is so holy, however, it should be noted that we don’t do it to earn His love. We are already loved and accepted in the Beloved

Benefits of walking in integrity

  • It honors the Lord
  • It aids us in walking in righteousness which positions us to have “all things added unto us”( Matt 6:33)
  • Integrity helps us to be prudent and take precaution against possible pitfalls
  • It serves as a defense against rumors and the perversion of one’s actions.
  • It prevents unnecessary strife in marriage by removing grounds for suspicion.
  • It protects the soul from the shame and guilt inherent in sinful conduct
  • It aids us in walking in the high calling of the Lord. We are told to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, meaning in fearing the Lord, which is profound respect for Him and hating what He hates while loving what He loves
  • It aids us in proceeding to walk in the light
  • It aids us in being blameless in the sight of people, thus, promotes a sense of being highly esteemed by others
  • People find us to be trustworthy
  • It is a guide; The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them ( Prov 11:3)

Disadvantages of not walking in integrity

  • A lack of integrity leads to profound remorse and the difficulty of self-forgiveness.
  • We can easily fall into self condemnation over our past actions
  • It gives a foothold to the enemy
  • Loss of trust from people
  • We will inevitably reap what we sow. We are sowing bad seed that we will reap
  • It besmirches our character and although God forgives and forgets,people do not. They doubt our conversion and proceed to associate us with our past

In conclusion

We do not possess the wherewithal to walk in integrity from our own reserve. We must place our trust in the Lord so that we can be enabled to do so. We may fall, but He will lift us up and fortify us to proceed on this journey.

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Wait upon the Lord

I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait i say on the Lord-(Psa 27:13-14) Believers will inevitably encounter seasons of waiting in their Christian walk. The Bible says there is a season for everything under the sun. It is doctrinal fallacy to presuppose that the Lord’s victory equates to immediate reception of all His promises in the present moment. That is unscriptural. Many can attest to having  prayed prayers that the Lord has not answered to date. Rest assured, the Lord hears your prayers. His eyes are on the righteous and His ears are open to hearing their cries(Psa 34:15). The Bible says through faith and patience we obtain the promises. Do not feel condemned by these false teachings.

Many people in the Bible waited. Our Lord had to wait until He was 30 years old to start His ministry.Joseph had to wait 13 years while Abraham had to wait for 25 years.David waited 12 years. Waiting is not a sin nor does it mean that the Lord has abandoned or rejected you. He says I will never leave you nor forsake you(Heb 13:5). Waiting however can induce exhaustion to the soul, causing it to grow weary and to resort to poignant longing for withheld provisions.

What do we do in these moments?

The Lord says ” For I will satisfy the longing soul and every languishing soul I will replenish( Jer 31:25). For He satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul he fills with good things( Psa 107:9). Remind the Lord of who He has promised to be for you in these moments. He has promised that these moments of waiting will not leave us depleted. 

Why does the Lord make us wait?

  • To refine our character.
  • To prepare us for what He has prepared for us.
  • He heals deep wounds
  • We are given a new perspective and paradigm to assist us with the next chapter He is bringing

To excise traces of self dependence and to teach us to depend on Him

  • It exposes our human limitations as we are placed in a vulnerable position where our aid can only come from God
  • It fosters growth
  • During this time the Lord unearth’s hidden sins and iniquities that may hinder what He has prepared for us thus, He delivers us from it
  • He challenges our limiting beliefs and faulty mindsets.
  • He is going before us to make the crooked places straight(Isa 45:2)..
  • He imparts wisdom and gives us understanding.

What do we do as we wait?

We wait and hope. Our wait should not distress us. At this juncture of our journey in Christ, hope in the Lord provides luminosity amidst obscurity. Feast on the Lord. The Lord is your portion( Lam 3:24)Believe in the goodness of the Lord. Don’t permit your circumstance to vilify or besmirch His character. Trust that He is working out all things for your good. It is Charles Spurgeon who said “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken And when we can’t see the Lord’s hand we must trust His heart”.

Serve or use your gifts to glorify Him.

This season demands an intentional deepening of spiritual roots and a rigorous resistance against the adversary’s attempts to utilize material lack as a catalyst for spiritual estrangement. Resist him. Don’t permit worldly assets or the lack thereof to take your Lord away from you. We are but sojourners in this earthly realm. Our home country is Heaven.

This earth is transient, it is passing away. The Lord said Heaven and earth will pass away..(Matt 24:35). So do not leave the Lord because He is “tarrying to move on your behalf”.  He says at the right time I will make it happen ( Isa 60:22). We must remember to fix our gaze on Him and not the perceived delay. The Word that was planted among thorns  was choked by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,making that one unfruitful(Matt 13:22). We need to exercise caution and ensure that our desires don’t make us unfruitful. The cup bearer and chief baker found Joseph in prison yet they left ahead of him. They were in prison for a short while. Sometimes we wait long because our purpose demands it. Joseph’s wait was longer than his fellow prisoners because his purpose was far greater. The Lord does not desire for the blessing to swiftly morph into a curse and destroy us. He ensures that our shoulders are fortified to carry the blessing with grace.

Pragmatic insights

To navigate this season, one should refrain from social media if it breeds comparison, jealousy, or covetousness. Focus on your unique path. Do not compare your life to anyone else’s. Petition the Lord for mercy and grace to get through the wait. Pray and intercede for others. This will assist in prohibiting us from getting self absorbed in the wait. Resist the urge to resort to ungodly ways that contradict scripture in order to railroad the miracle to occur. We must not abandon our posts or succumb to ungodly desires out of impatience, for settling for less is a rejection of the Lord’s best.  

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Called to hope against hope


Believers are called to go against the grain. We are called to dare to believe in the face of dismay and hopelessness. Where this world reaches a terminal point of potential, believers are not halted but empowered to proceed. Rom 15:13 says may the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Hope is a gasoline for faith. It fuels it so that we may proceed to remain tethered through faith and not be tossed back and forth. Paul says, “I know in whom I have believed” (2Tim1:12). Romans 4 says of Abraham that he hoped against hope. He looked at his physical body and he refused to succumb to discouragement and remained steadfast. Such a place is available for the one who hopes in the Lord. For the believer, there exists a cushion of hope in the center of hopelessness. It is written; light dawns in the dark for the upright, for the gracious, merciful and righteous (Psa 112:4)


Benefits of hoping against hope

⦁ Hope is like oxygen to the lungs of the believer. It is life giving
⦁ It provides buoyancy so that we are not swallowed up by tribulation and adversity.
⦁ It maintains health. It is a shield against disease and health complications that accompanies hopelessness such as migraines, tension in the shoulders, stress, depression etc.
⦁ It fortifies the resolve to live despite facing adversity
⦁ It shields us from destruction that befalls the hopeless such as poor decision making due to desperation.
⦁ It facilitates dependency on the Lord
⦁ It permits us to be sustained by the Lord
⦁ It fortifies our faith, ensuring that we please the Lord for without faith it is impossible to please Him
⦁ It shields us from bitterness
⦁ It strengthens us to proceed with our walk of faith despite opposition
⦁ It helps us to assist others even while our own trial persists. We see this in the life of Joseph. Though he was in prison, he interpreted dreams for the cup-bearer and chief baker (Gen 40)
⦁ It maintains joy
⦁ It protects us from a hardened heart
⦁ We engage in warfare when we have hope and the enemy loses the battle. His arrows of hopelessness fall to penetrate our heart.
⦁ Hope permits the Lord to be with us in the valley and reveal Himself. It is in the trenches of hopelessness that hope enlightens our eyes to see the truth concerning the Lord in light of the hopelessness. Hopelessness opens the door to lies that blame the Lord.
⦁ Those that see the Lord in hopelessness through the eyes of hope, tend to have faith that is not easily shaken. It is the believer who rarely faces hopelessness that tends to have weak faith
⦁ Hope strengthens us to face future adversity boldly because we have seen the Lord in the valley.
⦁ It helps us to proceed seeking the Lord’s face and maintain our relationship with Him
⦁ Hope positions us to obtain the promises of God. It aids us in staying and proceeding in position until we obtain the promise.I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living( Psa 27:13)

How do we have hope again when we have lost it and hope deferred has made our heart sick


⦁ Read the Word.As faith comes by hearing the Word of God, our hope is subsequently reinflated
⦁ Be candid with the Lord regarding how you feel
⦁ Encourage your soul. Why are you cast down oh my soul? Hope in the Lord for I will yet praise him who is my Lord and the health of my countenance(Psa 42:11). Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits (Psa 103) The soul is learning to walk with the Lord and will thus put a spanner in our wheels of hope and faith.
⦁ Only say what the Lord has said in his word. This will enable the angels to perform the word on your behalf. You will continue to walk with the Lord in agreement for can two walk together lest they be agreed (Amos 3:3)
⦁ Cry out to the Lord, make supplications unto Him. Cleave to Him. “Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man” (Psa 71:4)
⦁ Let God be your hope, hope on Him. “For you are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth” (Psa 71:5)
⦁ Praise the Lord and offer thanksgiving. “Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with your gory all the day”. (Psa 71:8)
⦁ Let your hope flow like a never ending stream. “But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (Psa 71:14)
⦁ Trust that the Lord will deliver you from your tribulation “You who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth”(Psa 71:20)
⦁ Do not permit hopelessness to mar the Lord’s character in your eyes. Proceed to believe in His goodness and faithfulness. “Also with the lute I will praise You- and your faithfulness, O my God! To you I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. (Psa 71:22)

Hopelessness means we have been taken captive by the enemy. We are in captivity and we need to escape. The bible says give no place or foothold for the enemy to work. Well, hopelessness gives him precisely that. We open a crack in the door for him. The only way out is through having hope in the Lord again. There are times where having hope again makes our stomach churn. Hope deferred indeed makes the heart sick but if you look at the situation with the eyes of the spirit, you will see that hopelessness is a profound liability. It befriends the enemy and gives him leverage. It takes a renewed mind to walk with the Lord, we have to have this set of eyes to truly walk in His victory.
Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave as when one breaks and plows the earth but my eyes are on you God the Lord..(Psa 141:7-8). In hopelessness, we are required to have our gaze on Him again. This will permit His light to dissolve the cataract of lies that have formed over our eyes, consequently hindering us from seeing the truth concerning our Lord. Sometimes the Lord permits us to reach a state of utter hopelessness so that we may learn to depend on Him not ourselves(2Cor 1:8-9). My heart and flesh may fail but God is the strength of my life and my portion forever (Psa 73:26) However, this type of hopelessness is one that transitions to greater hope and faith in God. The Lord permitted Daniel to face hopelessness but he proceeded to hope against hope, praying three times daily. He was thrown in the den of lions but he was not harmed. Hope moves us from the realm of the flesh to the spirit. This means that we fight from a different battle field. The battlefield of the flesh makes us susceptible to the enemy attacking our soul. He can attack our mind, will or emotions and our flesh will feel the effect.This will slow us down tremendously and we will enter a quicksand of dismay. However, when we walk in the spirit we stand on the Word of God. We rebut and refute the adversary’s lies with “it is written”. When we stand with the Lord then “submit yourself to God,resist the devil and he will flee is our portion.