This week I have had a strong sense that many have found themselves suddenly in a place again where they are facing a ‘testing’ of promises the Lord has given them, the testing being the circumstances in opposition to the word from the Lord in their lives. I saw there is a huge temptation to fall into disappointment and discouragement. The Lord is leading His people out of hope deferred (Proverbs 13:12) and into greater realms of hope and faith, but also into the place of seeing His promises fulfilled in their lives.
As I was pondering this before the Lord, I heard the Lord speaking over many in the body of Christ that are facing this ‘testing of their promise’ again.
“Do not be discouraged by another testing of your promise, My timing is perfect. This is not a set back, it is a set up for MIRACLES”
I had a dream the other night and I saw the word “PATIENCE” in a huge billboard sign before my eyes in this dream. In the dream I had the sense of the Lord encouraging His people to continue to wait upon Him. To trust His timing and have patience.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” – Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” – Lamentations 3:24-25 – (ESV)
I felt the heart of the Lord strongly for those that are struggling with yet another testing of their promise and the word of the Lord in their life, to not look at this as a ‘setback’. Lift up your eyes up and look into the eyes of Jesus, for you are positioned for a miracle. The Lord has not changed His Word to you. In fact I hear the Lord saying that many are on the door of their miracle. Posture your heart to receive.
POSTURE YOUR HEART AS ELIZABETH DID
“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45 ESV)
In this moment of things ‘testing’ your promise, I heard the Lord say “Posture your heart as Elizabeth did”. Believe and expect the fulfillment. Do not cast your eyes upon the things that speak against your promise, but stand in hope and faith knowing that an appointed time for manifestation of the promise is upon you.
Allow the Lord to fulfill His promise to you in His way and in His timing. Create the space for the new thing to grow through your faith and surrender/yielding to His timing. For the faithfulness of the Lord is going to be demonstrated to you in profound ways (Lamentations 3:22).
This is not only a time where the Lord is going to fulfill His promise to you, not only is He going to fulfill that which He has spoken, there is a wholeness, a freedom, healing and breaking of the chains of many, many years of disappointment.
The Lord is causing a deepening of trust and surrender to His ways and timing in many right now. There is also a testing of the heart taking place by the Spirit of God in the lives of His people, as He fashions a people who live from a heavenly perspective and not an earthly perspective. The fire upon the heart can be intense, but the love, strength, comfort and encouragement of the Lord surrounds His people. Encouraging them that there is an extending happening to carry the increase and to carry it with a surrendered heart to His ways, knowing that He is good, knowing that His timing is perfect and that deep place of trust in Him is the place where miracles are going to begin to spring forth in greater ways than have been seen. This is a deep maturing of faith, to carry greater manifestations of promises fulfilled and partner with Him for greater exploits than could be imagined.
The Lord wants to encourage you, don’t look at what’s happening and the stretching right now and despise it but trust in Him that He has you, He’s got you, and He is faithful to accomplish that which He has spoken (Isaiah 55:11).
The things that the Lord has spoken to you are going to begin to grow. The testing of your faith through these trials and continual battles over your promise as you have leaned in and continued to draw close to the Lord, are building your faith, your character and your strength to carry and move into more than you have anticipated. This isn’t a setback, don’t let the enemy convince you that this is a setback, this is a setup, because you will see the hand of the Lord bring forth miracle after miracle in your life. Take heart, He is faithful.
“Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” (Joshua 21:45 NIV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3 ESV)
