Standing on the Word...

It’s January and a lot of us are in a place of expectancy. Your faith is strong and you are saying all the right things. You believe God for the impossible and it feels like you are right at the edge of your breakthrough. Even though your circumstances are telling you something completely different, your faith is surging.  And then…silence! Situations seem to get worse and the way gets a little darker and you know that God is still there but you don’t hear him. You know that He’s promised you great things but they seem to be taking a long time. What do you do? How do you stand without giving in to the enemy and his plan to get you to give up and turn back?

You might laugh... but I have believed that I would be rich since I was a little girl. I have had a spreadsheet since I was very young with how I would divide my money up between my church, favorite charities, family and friends. It gets adjusted as time goes by and people come and go but I’ve always believed that it’s coming. What does that have to with anything, Ebony? Well...sometimes during these last few challenging months, I would look at my sheet and it seemed like the ink was fading right off the paper.  I know my breakthrough is right in front of me but sometimes it seems like the days are ticking by SLOWLY. My need may not be your need. Maybe you’re waiting on a healing or a job or a baby or a spouse to get saved.  How do YOU stand when it gets quiet?

Last night I sat down with my Bible and asked God for a word to get me through this silent time and He sent me directly to Genesis 28:15-22.

¹⁵ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” ¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God ²² and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Jacob had just finished deceiving his father and taking his brother Esau’s blessing in the previous chapter. When he received this word from the Lord in a dream he was running away from Esau’s anger and death threat. But notice that God didn’t bring up His past. He didn’t remind him of how shady He was. He blessed Jacob right where he was.  If you are waiting on God to move in your life, don’t dwell on what you used to do or who you used to be, think about what you will do and stand on the Word. Jacob made a vow with God! It took 20 years for Jacob to return back to his father’s house but Jacob stood on the Word and did what he promised with his tenth and God blessed him over and over again because of their covenant.  

I was asking God to be present for me and He reminded me through His words to Jacob that He is with me and will watch over me wherever I go. And even better, He said that He would not leave until He had done what He promised! What an awesome God and He is not a respecter of persons! What He did for Jacob, He will do for you! He will do for me!

When it gets quiet, stand on the Word! My friends, God sees and knows everything that you are going through. He is an ever present help in the time of trouble. Believe what He says and stand on it. Continue to praise, continue to give, and continue to serve. Remember what the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:9 and don’t “become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”.  If God has promised you something, believe Him and confess it every day until it comes to pass! If it seems that God is silent, just know that He is working things out for your good! Keep standing, God is in control!

Amen!