The Timing Issue (Part II)

I can tell you that the waiting is definitely not easy, because there is always a press, a straining forward. Apostle Paul said in Phil 3:13 'I press on towards the goal for the prize which Christ has called me heavenward.' There will be times you will be discouraged when you see nothing happening. There will be lies thrown by your enemy saying you must be crazy or stupid to believe this promise. Your enemy may tell you that you must have heard God wrongly for if it is really His will, it must have already happened long ago. You may be comparing yourself to people around you who too have waited but have received their promises. You may be wondering what is taking God so long or whether you have missed it somewhere. Or that God has forgotten you and left you behind.

In times like these, brethren, you must go back to His word. Go back to the vision that you have written and encourage yourself in The Lord. Focus on His faithfulness and His love for you. Maybe just take some time off that promise and rest in His presence. It will refocus you and give you strength to carry on. Reviewing your past victories will also help to strengthen your faith as you tell yourself that since God has done it for you before, He will surely do it again. Tell yourself that you are not alone, for many great men of faith in the bible and even in modern times have gone through the path and emerged victorious. Whatever it is, don't give up. When the going gets tough, you can always take a break, time out but don't leave the race. You may think that the fulfillment of this promise is all about you but you will never know how much your perseverance will impact others. It's not just about you anymore.

So you may think: if this vision God gave me may only occur some time in the future, which I don't know, so what am I going to do in the meantime, while waiting? There is always a time and season for things to happen this side of heaven. I would say: just enjoy whichever season you are in. Even though you are still waiting for that promise to manifest, it doesn't mean that is the only exciting thing that is ever going to happen in your life. Along the way, God has many bountiful blessings stored up for you, as some harvests in your life may come earlier. Just enjoy these blessings of God along the way. The key is finding a balance between giving up on your dream and being so fixated on it that you cannot do anything else. That is a place of peace, while you can rest in Him while waiting.

Sometimes you may have to go through a season or two before you come to that due season, the appointed time of your manifestation. Some of these seasons may feel like the wilderness. Know that these seasons are necessary to prepare you if not God wouldn't have allowed you to go through those seasons of waiting. While you may not like these wilderness seasons, they are very important in building up your character. For it is usually in the wilderness that one gets to encounter God in undiscovered ways and that one gets to discover who he or she is to Him. God is merciful. He will not leave you in that dry season for too long. When you have learnt and heard all that He wanted to teach you in that season, He wastes no time in moving you out of the desert.

When that time comes, things will start to get exciting. You will know your due season has come from the messages God has been showing you. Not only that, He will cause signs and wonders to occur according to His messages. Look out for the changes in seasons, the signs of the fig tree telling you that summer is near. The reason He is showing you these signs is to get you prepared to cross over to the new season. Usually God will tell you to fan into flames, rekindle the fire, raise up your hopes and expectancy, look out for the manifestation of your promise. He is getting you into position to 'give birth to' this dream. Be sensitive to His leading and be prompt to do what He tells you during this time for it would be crucial to the delivery. It is an exciting time because all those years you have been waiting for it, this moment has finally arrived. You wouldn't want to miss a single bit of this momentous time in your life. Yes, in a short while, you will be carrying this promise which means that you have finished the race well. And your reward has finally come. Your joy would be great!