- “So this is the situation: MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAVE NOT FOUND THE FAVOUR OF GOD THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SO EARNESTLY. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
- As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes, so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.”
Romans 11:7,8 (NLT)
• The Jews could not find God’s favour because of their hard heartedness.
- As a believer, if you close your heart to what God intends to do in your life, you may not receive His favour.
THOSE who have flexible hearts are the ones who receive His favour.
HOW flexible are you in your walk with God? (Romans 1:7). - A believer’s life is planned and programmed by God, and the plans are unfolded gradually as he or she submits to God’s will.
“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)
• If you want to hold fast to the past, you may miss God.
- Life is in phases: God will bring different people on your way at different phases or stages of your life.
- Thus, if you want to cling to the previous phase which has concluded, when God has moved to another phase, another level; you may miss God.
• The undoing of any number of Christians is, they do not understand the ways of God (Isaiah 55:8; Romans 9:32; 10:30).
- God works in different ways.
IF God wants to move you to another phase or level in your walk with Him, He might change your place, location, and the people around you—the people you relate with.
- "NOW THE LORD HAD SAID TO ABRAM: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house TO A LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.
- I WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing."
Genesis 12:1,2 (NKJV)
- If you chose to cling, hold fast, to your present place and the people there, while God has moved to the next phase or level; you will definitely miss His best for your life—you become a monument.
"BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO GO OUT TO THE PLACE WHICH HE WOULD RECEIVE AS AN INHERITANCE. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:8 (NKJV)
- God will not bring a change in your life without changing your location, place, and the people you relate with.
- If you want to keep your place, your location, and the people you have been with, you may miss God.
• The change in your life could only be effected if you do allow God.
- And the change being effected culminated in answers to your age long prayers.
- Desires, expectations, and longings of several months or years, which you have been waiting for; would come with a change.
- Someone who resisted a change may not receive the best of God—the blessings which God has for them might not get to them.
• Be submissive to God and His plans for your life.
- Be ready to cooperate with God when He makes a move in your life, even if you do not fully understand the meaning of what He is doing and what the outcome would be.
- God may allow or permit certain conditions, circumstances, or problems in order to move you to His plans and wills for your life.
HENCE do not resist or fight whatever God may permit to bring His plans to fulfilment in your life—embrace His will.
• Follow the trends of God’s move in your life.
- You should maintain the proper attitude and posture of unwavering and unquestioning commitment and submission to God and His ways.
- God could bring a thing into existence, cause a thing to happen in your favour, if you cooperate with Him and do allow His will to be done.
"Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I WILL EVEN MAKE A ROAD IN THE WILDERNESS AND RIVERS IN THE DESERT 🏜️."
Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)
• The Jews were rigid and were not sensitive to the move of God, thus they missed the favour of God which they had been seeking for (Romans 9:30-32).
- "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
- BUT ISRAEL, PURSUING THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAS NOT ATTAINED TO THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
- Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. THEY STUMBLED AT THAT STUMBLING STONE."
Romans 9:30-32 (NKJV)
• If you fail to embrace God’s plan and you miss what He intends to do for you or through you, you may suffer unnecessarily—suffering which might have not been necessary if you had cooperated with His plan in the first place.
- Although He is a God of second chance but missing His plan may prolong your wilderness experience or captivity.
- You may need to wait for another couple of months or years, for such an opportunity or chance to come again (Romans 11:26,27).
- "And so all Israel will be saved, a as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
- For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
Romans 11:26,27 (NKJV)
• Your place will not be lost to another person in Jesus’ name.
Peace!