Hebrews 11: 8-12 By faith Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed by going to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land, as in a strange land, living in tents [as nomads] with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. 10 For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has foundations, [an eternal, heavenly city] whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive [a child], even [when she was long] past the normal age for it, because she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true [to His word]. 12 So from one man, though he was [physically] as good as dead, were born as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand on the seashore.
Many of you experienced a tremendous amount of pressure in 2018. The workload increased and you wondered whether you could handle it all. At times, you even felt like it was unmanageable and felt tempted to pull back. There might have even been a temptation to withdraw from the responsibility and people you have been called to. Sometimes, when you’re carrying a weight that’s heavier than what you’ve carried before you can be tempted to give up. It may feel as if the weight you’re carrying is so beyond your comfort zone that your arms are shaking. For some, this is how you felt last year, on the brink of giving up, tempted to throw the weight to the ground but I aim to encourage you to stay where you are.
Even though your arms are shaking due to carrying what may seem to be too heavy for you, don’t give up. You are uncomfortable because you’ve gone further than you’ve ever gone before. You keep saying to yourself, “what if I drop everything I’m holding, that’ll be a mess”. Fear has been creeping in, making you think of the worst case scenarios and having you imagine every possible outcome besides the possibility of it all going well.
It may seem as if you are carrying too much but if you are truly led by the Lord, you are carrying what you need to carry in order to develop muscles for your purpose. You are on the brink of all you’ve been praying for so you can’t give up now! If you forsake the pain, you will forsake the promise.
Like Abraham, you are living as a foreigner in the promised land. You can finally begin to
see the promise emerging and you are in the vicinity of it. You are no longer just believing but the fruit of the promise is budding. However, you haven’t seen the fullness of what God has promised you. As far as you may feel to fully experiencing the promise, don’t lose hope. Keep praying God’s will over your life into manifestation and most importantly keep believing. If you live in doubt, the Bible describes you as a ‘double minded’ person who ought not to expect to receive anything from God. (James 1:6-7)
James 1:3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
The enemy would love to steal your faith right now and sow seeds of doubt in order to keep you trapped but as excruciating as it is, you have to stand on the word of God. I’m not going to say that it’s going to get easier this year but I do believe that you will get stronger. You will see the fruit of your labour and experience the reward of hard work by doing exploits for the Lord. It’s only a matter of time but in due course you will reap what you have sown. Everything is changing and everything will change, so you cannot give up now. As we embark on the journey called 2019, understand that the increased pressure that you experienced in 2018 is not in vain but it is for the purpose of God. It is for the plan of God to come into manifestation. When God promised you what He promised you, He meant it. So let faith arise for you’re not at a dead end but you are on the brink of purpose.
