Can I open my Gift Now?

Have you been in a situation when you know something is yours, but you can’t just go and take it but you have to wait until it’s been given to you - this is not the bit where you might have to apply the verse of the bible where it says yes, you know: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force – Matthew 11:12; no this is more on the area where the Lord has said to you I have heard your prayers you just now have to wait for it. In other words, you can see it, you can sense it, you can just about touch it, but you can’t have it just yet.

But you say, how do you know He has answered your prayer, the word of the Lord said in Daniel 10:12 - "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. He says whatsoever you ask in the Name of Jesus (John 14:13), shall be given unto us (Matthew 7:7), BUT we must have the right motive and not asking for things that will feed our selfish nature (James 3:16; 4:2-3).

But you might ask like what? Have you forgotten His promises in His word? The word of God says that since God’s spirit testifies with our spirit that we are His children (Romans 8:16), and through Jesus we are now co-heirs (Romans 8:17), then He is our Great inheritance. I mean He owns the whole world right, and He has made promises to us that He is more able to fulfill. That is to say that SINCE God is our portion and is all-sufficient, then this is an all-sufficient inheritance. God is eternal and unchangeable, and therefore our inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled and can never fade away.

Can I have some examples you may ask, well think about the Lords prayer for example, that is just loaded with promises. Because the Lord is your shepherd, YOU SHALL NEVER BE IN WANT (Psalm 23:1). So you know that whatever is happening in and around the world’s economy can NEVER affect you and so if for example you are that someone looking for a permanent position you don’t need to worry if God will make a way FOR YOU, because Just there tells you why HE WILL make a way FOR YOU. And if you are struggling with some kind of infirmity, He said you will be in good health and prosper as you soul prospers (3 John 1:2) and with long life He will satisfy you (Psalm 91:16; Deuteronomy 30:19-20) – therefore that sickness has got to go, and you don’t have to worry about untimely death. Don’t let the enemy tell you about the examples of others that did not reach their potential, because your case is different, you are not like the others you are different (1 Peter 2:9). Peter and James were faced with the exact same problem (they faced death in Jail), James died (Acts 12:2) and Peter survived (Acts 12:5-11), because He already had a word from God upon his life, so hold on to the word of God on your life (John 21:18-19).

So going back to the title, I’m sure this is a common dilemma for many of us who are impatient with the Lord, and the Lord is having to teach us on the lessons of waiting joyfully. Yep you heard it. You know the Lord SAID He has blessed you with this awesome gift, You desire it, You crave it, You want it, You dream of it, but it’s as if like a naughty school child you are told to wait until the time when He hands it to you, not that you should go and take it yourself. I have to be very honest with you all, but this is the dilemma I have found myself in. Ma per che? I have said to the Lord, many times, why Lord? Then He said to me, that there is a purpose in the waiting and there is a consequence of action. That I should not be concerned about the way the Lord will bring about the promises or the duration but the fact that He will do it, because He said he would. And since our ways and thoughts are CLEARLY different from His, God does not do anything without a reason (Isaiah 55:8).

He showed me the example of Abraham’s 25years wait (Genesis 21:1-5) and the 40yrs that the children of Israel spent in the waiting – for what reason DISOBEDIENCE. Twenty five years previous in Genesis 12:1-5, Abraham had heard the word of God, believed the promises of God and set out with his possessions for the Land the Lord would show him. And even though throughout the time, the Lord always visited him and reminded him of His promises to him (except of course the thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael), and we know that nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen. 18:14), Did you notice that by time the young man came (Isaac), Abraham had to part with Lot (you know God did say leave your country, your people, your father’s household and go to the Land I will show you – He did not say take Lot with you – Genesis 13, 14). Did I detect a hint of disobedience? oh and we shan’t forget the Ishmael debacle (that extended it by thirteen more years). And then there was Sodom and Gomorrah just near by, and you just know they “gats” to go, it won’t make for a good surrounding environment to raise up a proper child (afterall we are supposed to be at peace with our neighbours – could you imagine having them as your neighbourhood). And we already KNOW the story of the Israelites.

So after weighing all this very significant discoveries, I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that disobedience is proportional to the delay in promise. And so I thought to myself, if I want to open my present this time next year, I had just better sit and wait and do as God has told me to do. Cause I for one have wasted already enough time, just by carrying on with my disobedient ways.

So there it is, I should not be concerned as to when I can unwrap my gift, I just have to believe it is there and just have to keep on praying (you know praying is also a way of communicating with God, its not all about give me, give me, give me), until the day He will say to me, go right ahead Life of a stranger and open it. I am so excited right now, just the thought of all the wonderful things the Lord has stored up for me just gives me goose pimples, and BELIEVE ME, I know this God to be faithful and true. The Kind of things He does, truly takes my breath away. I just don’t have enough words to say it all; all I know is GOD RAWKS my world. He truly is an awesome God, and NEVER have I known Him to be late. Oh yeah, He’s always on Time too. So dear family, DO NOT FOCUS ON YOUR AGE; God doesn’t care how old you are. Don’t let the waiting get the better of you, or even the problems, cause they too are a sort of transition period, for the Lord uses them to build our characters and imperfection. If I were you, I’ll just start bursting out into songs of joy, rejoicing in the Lord, because if you knew the kind of BIG BOY you’re dealing with, you will never ever again loose sleep over gibrishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I have started to imagine for myself... , well don’t ask me mine go right ahead and start imagining for yourself.

And don’t forget to search your life and rid your selves of anything that you know may be hindering the promise of God being fulfilled in your life. The Lot, Ishmael and Sodom Factor are gone Lord, and I have found for myself a very comfortable sit. Surely it is Now!!