Is the Glass Heavy???

Something worth remembering:

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500 g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it”. “If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.” “In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.” The place of not being able to carry on is the where the enemy wants us. Some of us have held the glass so long we don’t realize we are still holding the glass. God said in His word to cast your cares on Him for He cares for you. He cares enough that He will carry your burdens for you so that you can carry on! “As with the glass of water, you have to put them down before you get to the point of inability. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on.” God has a work for you to do. “So, right now, put the burden of work, finances, family and any other burden you have down. Don’t carry them anymore, let it go! Whatever you’re carrying, let go and let God carry them for you.” “Relax; rest in the Lord. Life is short. Enjoy it!” Be Blessed!

If this does not apply to you, pass it on to someone that can apply it.

It’s Time to Possess the Land!!!

The Israelites received deliverance from Pharaoh but it was 40 years before they actually possess the Promised Land.  They’d received God’s promise and blessings but had not possessed the land!

 

How many of you have ever received a gift?  Nicely wrapped with a bow all pretty and you took the gift and sat it on the shelf.  Every time you looked at it reminded you of the person that gave you the gift, it reminds you of the day you received the gift, but you never open the box and possess the actual gift.  They did not give you the gift just for you to receive it.  They gave you the gift to own, to hold as property, to possess. 

 

If you never open the box and take out the gift you will never own or possess it.  God not only wants us to receive His blessings and promises but He wants us to possess His blessings and promises.  When we possess the promises of God we have a new walk and a new talk, people will be able to see the difference in our attitude and how we react to things.   We will possess a surety and confidence that God has everything under control regardless of what it looks like. 

 

We must maintain our victory status!

 

The Israelites went through a lot before actually possessing their promise.  There were times it was so bad they even said God brought them out into the wilderness to die.  In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses was telling them to remember the whole way the Lord God led them in the wilderness.  Sometimes we want to forget the times we were in the wilderness, we may even be ashamed of those times.  We try to forget the times it seemed we were left all alone, like God had forgotten us, no word from God, not one thing.  Those are not the days we want to remember, but Moses tells them to remember the whole way!  God wants us to remember where He brought us from and what He brought us through.  We should not be ashamed of what we’ve been through because that very thing we’ve been through will help someone else through.  It’s not about us, it’s all about Him and everything we go through is for His glory not ours.   We overcome by the word of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb!

 

Being in the wilderness is not always a bad thing….  It’s a time God can get our attention without distractions.  A time we’ve surrendered all and depend totally on God, knowing if He doesn’t fix it no one can.  God can show us the plans He has for us when we realize our plans are not working.  The wilderness is a time to depend on God – Praise Him!!!! 

 

Deut 8:2 – Says God led them that way to humble them, Test them to know what was in their hearts, if they would keep His commandments or not!

God humbled them and let them hunger then fed them manna so they would know that man should not live by bread alone but live by every word that precedes out of the mouth of God. 

 

God wants us to depend on Him and His unchanging hand.  We cannot fool God; He knows what’s in our heart.  He does not want us to forget how He brought us through, He wants us to humble ourselves and surrender all to Him, God wants us to keep His commandments, He wants to trust us to possess the land, knowing that we will not compromise nor be moved by circumstances. 

 

Deut 8:7 – 11

⁷For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, ^(A) a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, ⁸a land of wheat and barley, ^(B) of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. ¹⁰And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

 

God is bringing us to a good land…. A place of health, wealth and overflow.  God is pouring out blessings we don’t haveroom enough to receive.  God is positioning us/HIs people to be the lenders and not the borrower, to be blessed in the city and blessed in the fields, blessed going in and coming out.  God is positioning HIs people as THE HEAD and not the tail. 

  

Ephesians 6:10-15 –

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand

 

All are called to enter into the promises of God but few want to pay the price.  The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.  God does not want us to stop at receiving His blessings He has so much more in store for His people.  Eyes haven’t seen, ears haven’t heard nor has it entered into the hearts of man what God has in store.  Today is the day to receive and possess God’s blessings and promises for His people. 

 

Deut 2:3– we’ve been traveling aroung this mountain long enough – it’s time to turn upward!

 

“The Right Season”

In the back yard there was a pear tree.  As soon as we saw a piece of fruit that looked like it had some size we were ready to consume the fruit.  We were always told if we ate the fruit before it was ripe, we’d have a terrible stomach ache.  We had to wait until the fruit was in season, ripe, mature and ready for consumption.  Every now and then we’d go to the tree to check out the fruit, it’s progression and to claim title to the piece that would be ours.  It never failed, we all wanted the piece of fruit at the top of the tree.  It seemed that piece was growing at a more rapid pace than the other pieces.  “Maybe because it was closer to the sun and got more sunlight”, was the explanation we received.  We watched the piece of fruit at the top of the tree and every now and then we’d throw a rock or try to shake the tree but the piece of fruit at the top held firm and did not move, it only got bigger and seemed to tease us.  The more the fruit held on, the more we were determined to get that particular piece of fruit.  We did not even notice the pieces of fruit that were within reach, some of which had become ripe and was ready for the picking.  At this point we only focused on the piece of fruit at the top of the tree.  In the sunlight it seemed that piece, none of the others, just that piece of fruit was the one for us.  Our rocks seemed to get larger as we threw them towards the top of the tree with hopes of knocking the fruit down to no avail.  But, one day.  That day. The day the fruit was ready and we were ready for it.  It was as if our destiny paths crossed and we were at the same place at the same time as the piece of fruit and when the rock that was thrown hit the fruit it knocked it off the tree.  It seemed like it was falling in slow motion and we could almost here the angelic choir as it fell.  It felt as if the ground shook as this big, ripened, well tanned piece of fruit finally reached it’s destination.  The thud brought us all back to the reality that we had accomplished our goal, we did it,  the fruit was ours, we had endured!  God’s word tells us to be anxious for nothing and in due season we will reap a harvest if we faint not (Galatians 6:9).  The complexity does not come in the fruit, it comes in not understanding the seasons.  There is a time to reap and a time to sow.  If we attempt to reap out of season we will not be able to stomach the fruit.  What am I talking about?  Glad you asked.  In our waiting we grow, we grow physically, we grow emotionally and we grow spiritually.  We should set our eyes on the high goal and strive to reach it.  God’s word says to press toward the mark of the high call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).  We cannot get weary when the goal is not accomplished how and when we want it accomplished.  Each of us has a season and in that season each of us shall reap.  On our way to reaching our goals we cannot over look the things we have already accomplished, the goals already obtained.  Those experiences will help us stand at the top!  The ripe fruit within reach is what sustains us until the piece at the top is ready for us to consume.  We must give thanks and appreciation for all things, even the seemingly small fruit within reach.  God knows what we need and when we need it.  When the piece of fruit fell from the top, it was much larger than we thought, it was so much juicer than we’d thought and it was enough for not only one of us but each of us to enjoy in the harvest.  The things at the top are not only for us  to enjoy, but for others as well, everyone can have some if the fruit that has been with the son.

Lessons learned from the pear tree: 

It’s ok to keep you eye on the high goalbut in the meantime, don’t overlook  the small accomplishments. 

You should be patient and wait your season.  (Fruit consumed out of season can make you sick.)
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  (Ecclesiastes 3:2)

Once it is your season to reap, there will be enough for not only you but those around you as well. 
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19)

A Moment of Revelation

We’ve all had that moment of revelation that changed our lives.  Whether we welcomed the moment at that particular time or embraced it later we’ve all had our moment.  This has to take place before we can go to our next level in life.  It can be a physical, emotional and/or spiritual experience.  Let’s use the school system and how they operate to demonstrate:  At each grade level there are lessons to learn.  On average we won’t go to the next level until we learn the lessons on the level where we are.  It’s saddening that I have to say “on average”.  There’s always a person or two that slip through the cracks and don’t get a real grasp of the lessons on their current level before going to the next.  This may seem good for the moment but in reality the set up is for the fall later.  They may slip through the cracks and feel like they’ve had a free ride, My advice is, “prepare yourself for the fall”.  Going to the next level may be fearful for some because of the unknown and fear of failure among other things but the next level is inevitable. We’ve got to let go of the level we are on in order to move to the next level.  It may seem like we are losing something in actuality we are gaining, growing and moving forward.  We can’t drive a car forward looking in the rearview mirror!  We each must experience our moment of revelation, understand where we are going in life and what it takes to get there in order to get in the driver’s seat, take our destiny in our hands and make a conscience decision to excel physically, emotionally and spiritually.  The good news is we can do it!  I said WE CAN DO IT!!  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)  If we can only have a moment of revelation when reading the scripture and walk by faith, not sight, we can and will go to the next level.  I encourage you to embrace your moment of revelation and move to the next level, move forward in reaching your destiny.  No matter what it looks like We can do it!!