While I concur that I may not see the full effect of my life with my natural eyes before I leave this Earth, there is a lot that I do see, here and in my world, and I see it because God’s kingdom rule is in full effect here, just as it is in Heaven.
Extraordinary exchanges are taking place in my world, as deliverance in its many forms is manifested. Here is what I see.
From Ashes to Beauty
He is giving me, and those around me, “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isa. 61:3)
The horrid, biting emotion of fear has caused serious harm to me on too many occasions. It has sapped me of much of my God-given potential and thwarted my ability to perform as I was designed to perform. The anticipation of danger has hovered over so many opportunities. I have been crippled by it. I have been frozen by it.
But the current reality is that the kingdom rule of God is effectively displacing the rampant fear that once was. It is replacing fear with the gifts and resources found in faith. God, who always works his ways and his will in a satisfying and agreeable manner, is setting me in places where I can walk in full confidence.
Faith in God is restoring and boosting my God-given potential and allowing me, in an ever-increasing measure, to discharge my duties in confidence. The anticipation of God’s security and protection are now my constant companions. I am enabled by his gift of faith. I am mobilized by an exquisite trust in God.
I have been held back too many times from acting freely. I have been hindered too many times from expressing myself fully. I have been barred too often from performing excellently. But now I can be fearless in the face of any danger, and I can take chances and enjoy the thrill of new adventure, because I am uninhibited.
From Scarcity to Abundance
My lack of vision has too often kept me from seeing the limitlessness of God. My calculations told me that I had only meager resources. I never had enough money to venture into new ministry. I never had enough gifts to carry out God’s call. I never had enough connections to build the community of believers needed to evangelize my community.
The truth is, however, that according to “the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus,” (Phil. 4:19) God has abundantly supplied, not only everything necessary to my existence, but everything necessary to my success. Today, and in my world, limited resources are giving way to God’s infinite supply.
• Physically, through what he has given me personally, and what he gives me via the gifts that reside in those who surround me, I have more than enough resources to move from the land of bondage into the land of promise.
• Emotionally, my prime activators of faith, hope, love, joy and peace control my feelings, so that I can feel right about, and towards, the threats that come against me and the opportunities that come to me.
• Spiritually, I have been powerfully rescued from the grips of sin, and I have been given a supernatural mission that is guaranteed to succeed, because God is my supernatural source.
From Fruitless Activity to Lucrative Enterprise
How much of my time has been spent attending church services and engaging in church activities without realizing the full purpose of these occasions? How much more could I have accomplished had I more fully realized God’s kingdom intentions in these events? But the truth is that, today and in my world, the fruitless activities once spawned by religious obligation are no longer central or necessary to my culture. What I now do can be simpler but most effective. And I can be confident of two things:
1. What I now do matters, and
2. What I now do is producing excellent results.
How many times have I been blocked by what I thought were domineering social and economic barriers? How much more enterprising could I have been had I realized the capacity of God during those times? Yet, today and in my world, I see social and economic barriers being replaced with lucrative enterprises. He is setting me up to be blessed, and in return, to be a blessing. The Lord is granting me “abundant prosperity.” (Deut. 28:11)
By Laurie Langdon
