1 SOME time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “DO NOT BE AFRAID, Abram, FOR I will PROTECT YOU, AND YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT."
2 BUT Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, WHAT GOOD ARE ALL YOUR BLESSINGS WHEN I DON'T EVEN HAVE A SON? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.
3 YOU have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 THEN the LORD said to HIM, “NO, your servant will NOT be your HEIR, FOR YOU WILL HAVE A SON OF YOUR OWN WHO WILL BE YOUR HEIR.”
5 THEN the Lord TOOK Abram outside and said to HIM, “LOOK up into the sky AND count the stars if you can. THAT'S how many DESCENDANTS you will HAVE!”
6 AND ABRAM BELIEVED THE LORD, AND THE LORD COUNTED HIM AS RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH."
Genesis 15:1-6 (NLT)
• It is not enough to wait for the fulfilment of the promises of God, you had to use the time of waiting to correct whatever might be wrong in your life which He has been calling your attention to.
IF this is not done, the waiting time could be prolonged than expected.
- The Israelites journey in the wilderness was prolonged, because they refused to work on their characters; being stiff-necked and rebellious (Exodus 33:3; Deuteronomy 9:13).
THUS the fulfilment of being taken to the promised land was delayed (Numbers 14:20-34). - You had to work on your life as you are waiting, in order to expedite, or speed up, whatever God has purposed to do in your life.
(a) Move up in your fellowship with God.
(b) Move up in the study of the Word of God, prayer, fasting, Giving, and your commitments to the work of the Kingdom.
(c) Be lost in the service of the Kingdom. When God sees your faithfulness and commitments, He will bring whatever He has promised to the fulfilment. - God has what is looking for in your life, an expected level of growth, and until He sees that in you, He might not fulfil whatever He has promised to do.
- Ask God what to do, what He does want from you. He will tell you whatever is wrong and what He expected you to do to right whatever wrong causing the delay.
- It might take time before He actually tells you the root cause of the issue, thus, you have to be painstaking.
- God is patient and can endure with our shortcomings. If He has not revealed to you, what you should correct in your life, it means He has not seen enough brokeness in you.
- If you are thoroughly broken, and you are ready to know the truth, and obey without arguments and the justifying of the self; He will tell you what is expected of you to do—to right whatever the wrong.
- If you still want to fight and argue with whoever told you the truth, it means you are not ready yet, and your waiting would have to be prolonged.
- If you are arrogant, full of the self, He would not correct you; and may not say anything yet on your matters.
- Are you ready for a change in the matters of your life? If you are truly ready, it will show in your demeanour or attitude—in how broken you are. It would show in how you received corrections when you are corrected.
• Characteristics of a Broken person:
(i) A Believer who is broken acknowledges God in all things (Proverbs 3:5,6).
(ii) A broken Believer would want God's Will in all things. Thus, he or she would be sensitive to the leadings of God (Psalm 25:9).
(iii) The person who is broken would be ready to discard his or her plans and embrace God's plans for his or her life.
(iv) Such would be willing to sacrifice anything to please God—do God's Will.
a. You must be ready to receive His rebuke and have the willingness to change when you are corrected.
REMEMBER, you are dealing with God, He knows the intent of your heart.
b. He knows if you are ready to change or not, when He corrected you. Are you ready?
• Job said: IF a man dies, shall he live again? ALL THE DAYS OF MY APPOINTED TIME WILL I WAIT, TILL MY CHANGE COME" (Job 14:14 the BRG Bible).
(i) Wait until your change comes.
(ii) At the time of waiting; improve and deepen your fellowshipping, your communion with God.
(iii) Take note of these:
a. Unbelief will keep you long in the wilderness of waiting! Because Faith pleases God, but Unbelief displeases Him (Hebrews 11:6).
b. Any unchanged character would keep you long in the captivity (Numbers 14:22,23,28-34; Colossians 3:5,6).
c. The essence of any delay is to bring a change in You:
3 FOR WHEN THE WAY IS ROUGH, YOUR PATIENCE HAS A CHANCE TO GROW. 4 SO LET IT GROW, AND DON'T TRY TO SQUIRM [wriggle or wrestle] OUT OF YOUR PROBLEMS. FOR when your patience is finally in full bloom, THEN YOU WILL BE READY FOR ANYTHING, STRONG IN CHARACTER, FULL AND COMPLETE" (James 1:3,4 the Living Bible).
• The Amplified Bible says:
3 BE assured and understand that the TRIAL and PROVING of your FAITH BRING OUT ENDURANCE AND STEADFASTNESS AND PATIENCE.
4 BUT LET ENDURANCE and STEADFASTNESS and PATIENCE HAVE FULL PLAY AND DO A THOROUGH WORK, SO THAT YOU MAY BE [people] PERFECTLY AND FULLY DEVELOPED [with no defects], LACKING IN NOTHING."
James 1:3,4 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Whatever is not planted in your life by God, working against your health, such is rebuked and uprooted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
- You are delivered from every oppression of the devil in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Peace!