Time to stand!

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 may be telling you something completely different, your faith is surging.  Then…silence! Situations seem to get worse and the way gets a little darker, the answers you have been waiting for don’t come. You know that God is still there but you don’t hear Him. You know that He has 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? 

The Lord sent me directly to Genesis 28:15-22.

I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.”⁷ Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”  Jacob was up first thing in the morning. He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it. He christened the place Bethel (God’s House). The name of the town had been Luz until then.  Jacob vowed a vow: “If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I’m setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house, this God will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I’ll return a tenth to you.” (MSG)

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. However, notice that God did not bring up His past. He did not remind him of how shady He was. In fact, He did the opposite…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 to his father’s house but he stood on the Word and did what he promised with his tenth and God blessed him repeatedly because of their covenant.

When it gets quiet, stand on the Word! Saints, 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. “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Gal. 6:9, NLT) 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!