“So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of MANIFESTATION to Israel.”
Luke 1:80 (NKJV)
• King James Version of the Bible renders the verse, Luke 1:80, “… and was in the deserts till the day of his SHOWING unto Israel.”
• It is God’s absolute will that Christians manifest His glory to the world. You are created to manifest, exhibit, what God has deposited in you.
- Every child of God has something to deliver, give, to the world.
- No one comes to the earth planet empty—without anything to offer the world 🌍 (Romans 12:6).
• God created the heavens and the earth, and created man in His own image, male and female He created them (Genesis 1:1,27).
- God blessed man to be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28).
- In other words, God made man the King of the earth.
• Earth is a colony of heaven; what happens in heaven, God wants happen on earth.
- “On this manner, therefore pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
- YOUR KINGDOM COME YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”
Matthew 6:9 (NKJV)
• We should replicate things in heaven on the earth 🌍
- One of the major attributes of God inherent in man is creativity—ability to create.
- God is creative, and He made mankind a creative being.
- You manifest God’s glory through your creativity.
• However, manifestation is a process:
• It starts with growing, becoming strong in the spirit, and being in the deserts.
- Remember, the first stage is growing stage.
~God will take you through the process of growth as soon as you give your life to Christ.
~ Growth process may not be easy, albeit, you have to go through it before you manifest.
~ If you want to manifest, growth is a must.
~ You can grow in your walk with God: through diligent study of the Word of God, application of the Word in your daily life, consistent prayers, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
• The second stage is becoming strong in the spirit.
~ Spiritual stamina, strength, comes through:
(i) The process of drawing life from the Word of God.
“It is the Spirit who gives LIFE; the flesh profits nothing. THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE.”
John 6:63 (NKJV)
(ii) Prayers — praying in the language of the Spirit (Romans 8:26; I Corinthians 14:2; James 5:16).
(iii) Fasting — living a fasted life (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29).
(iv) Spiritual exercise – putting what you learnt, what you know through God’s Word to practice; in your day-to-day activities, and when you face challenges of life (James 1: 22-25).
• And the third stage is being in the deserts.
~ God may permit different desert 🏜️ experiences: Desert of marriage partner, desert of marital fruitfulness; financial desert and so on.
In our text, Luke 1:80, the word ‘deserts’ is in plural which means different needs.
~ Desert is a place of needs, where you do not have all you need or want. It is a place of lack and dryness.
~ Your experience in the deserts will make you strong, tough, and rugged for the assignment God has for you.
~ Your manifestation starts after you have gone through the deserts of life successfully.
• No one manifests the glory without a desert experience.
• You will manifest in Jesus’ name.
Peace!