Last week, we learned that we should walk with our heads held high because Jesus died and rose so that we wouldn’t have to be bowed down. Today we will learn how to stay up by tackling the things that might attempt to keep us down.
Part of the evidence that Jesus rose, is that the stone was rolled away and the grave clothes were left behind. The stone represents blockage and the grave clothes indicate limitations that may not necessarily be as literal as the objects in Jesus’ case. These could be thoughts that have limited and handicapped you from entering or exiting some things, cords that have tied you up or, weights that have been laid on you to prevent you from advancing.
When Jesus got to Lazarus’ tomb in John 11, He called him forth and ordered that he be loosed and let go; and today God is telling you to shake that cancer off! Take off whatever yokes are binding you, let them go, and walk in the newness of life that he has procured for you.
Have you ever been entrapped by something and then tried to break free from its hold? Have you realized that as long as you’re caught onto that thing, there’s no advancement for you? Hence the reason you squat or bend to detangle yourself, depending on the situation before moving forward.
One of the keys to your staying up, is that you first acknowledge that you are held down, determine what by and seek a way to break free. My question to you today is, do you know what is keeping you down? If you do, what are you doing about it?
I’m amazed at how Jesus told the people to loose Lazarus and let him go; this suggests to me that there are people who would have been released but they choose to stay bound and wound up. Today, I pronounce judgment to anything that is holding you and I declare that you will walk in the liberty in which Christ has made you free.
Do you realize that ever since Jesus got up he’s never for once been down? So get up! Walk out of that depression! Get rid of your fears, unbelief, doubt, and insecurities. So what? You’ve been dumped, divorced, or made redundant. Take off your grave clothes, drop them, quit reminiscing over the past; lift up your head, get up off the floor, close the door on your past, and walk into the new portal God has opened for you.
When Jesus said “It is finished”, he meant that everything that existed upon till then has, ended and is closed. He brought to conclusion the old and began a new thing. Friend, Jesus is interested in your advancement, not in your snared state and even more in your future than your past.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV)
I trust that you’ve heard God today through this piece, take him at his word, and watch how far you’ll advance.
Jesus was crucified, he died and he was buried but the scripture says that on the third day, the stone was rolled away and he arose; in other words, he got up. That’s what Easter is all about and that’s what we’ve just celebrated.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:9 that we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we do not perish: He continued in Romans 8:37, by saying that “in all these things we are more than conquerors”, Jesus crowned it all by telling us in John 16:33 to be of “good cheer that he has overcome the world”.
He overcame, he got up so that you would no longer be bound. He got up to unwind all that’s been wound around you. No principality or power can hold you down because when Jesus got up, he also took you up with him. A lot of Bible-believing folks know this truth but yet do not live it, they are bound and their head is still bowed down.
Lift up your heads, O you gates. Psalm 24:9a (NIV)
The head is the top part of the body and it is contained most of the body’s sense organs. I’ve learned from studying the bible that the lifting of the head signifies promotion, advancement, an upgrade; the opposite, which is bowing indicates demotion, depression, relegation, downgrading, devaluation, reduction, and lowering. I hope you get the picture I’m trying to paint.
Having said that, please remember that bowing as well as kneeling are physical expressions of our reverence for God and we must be obedient to the Spirit of God as he prompts us.
But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. Psalm 3:3 (NIV)
When the head is bowed, the rest of the body functions minimally. When the head is bowed, doors are shut but when it is lifted they are open.
I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high. Leviticus 26:13 (NLT)
God wants you to walk with your head held high, he is interested in you standing and walking upright not bent. He has made the sacrifice, he has paid all the price it is just for you to lift your head.
Friend, I encourage you today to lift your head and walk upright.
Thank you for reading this journal. I trust that you’ve been encouraged. Please take hold of this word, ponder on it, and don’t fail to apply it in your life.
How are you doing today? I have no doubt that God is working things out for you; so stay strong, keep the faith. And as you continue to hold fast the confession of your hope, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. (Romans 15:13).
Last week, we looked at the subject “if God said it, it is so”. Today, we’ll learn how to see what we speak like OUR heavenly father.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Genesis 1:3 (NKJV)
The first thing I want to briefly discuss from the above text is the phrase “God said”. This means God spoke, He declared, He uttered a word, He just said. The next phrase “Let there be” is a command from God and I’ve learned that there are times when it’s alright for me just to say, speak, declare and utter words and also, times for me to issue the command “Let there be”. You see, there is a fairly huge difference between a request and a command. One is a soft manner of inquiring or expressing a need or desire sometimes by reciting or repeating a fixed text; the other is a firm approach that has authoritative instruction, direction, and execution.
I think it is necessary that sometimes you back up whatever you say with a command in order to see its fulfillment. If you don’t agree with me, tell me why you press the send button after you’ve written your emails? Could it be that the content of your mail, the words that you’ve said and spoken will be of no effect until the command “send” is issued? Selah!
The second thing I want to point out is that God was deliberate and specific with what He wanted to see even as much as the roles they would play.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Genesis 1:14-16 (NKJV)
So Sister, before you begin to say, way before you begin to pray for a brother, be specific or he might turn up with his shoes singing ‘Halal’ praise; also, be deliberate. Carefully and unhurriedly calculate whether it’s the right time for you. If he shows up now, are you ready? What’s your plan? What can you bring to the table? What does he have to offer? Be deliberate and specific.
Another thing I want to show you is that God spoke order and light in the midst of darkness and emptiness. He did not allow the things He saw to influence His declaration. This is one art we need to learn and master because most times we are very quick to speak what we see forgetting that it’s by our words that we are justified. We ought to be like our heavenly father, regularly and habitually speaking the things that are not as though they were.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
Have you ever wondered why death came first in this passage? I think it’s because it’s easier for us to pronounce death (what we see) than life (what can/will be). I want you to make up your mind today to speak life, abundance, healing, deliverance, open doors, salvation and hope contrary to what you see. Let your faith rise like the river level rises, open up your mouth, use your tongue wisely, and prophetically say what you desire to see. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so – I am intelligent, I am healed, I am delivered, I am rich, I am whole, I am pregnant, I am married, I’ve lost weight … Amen!.
One more thing I’d like us to note is that God spoke the things that He wanted to see and then disjoined anything that would dare to contravene or neutralize the essence of what He spoke. Here’s an example:
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:3-5 (NKJV)
God spoke Light into being and saw that the light was good, but He also saw that darkness can ruin the beauty of light if left; hence, the separation of the two. Here’s how you can apply this in your life; when you speak the positive always ensure that the negative is nullified through the word and by the blood of Jesus and I can assure you’ll see your expectations fulfilled.
Everything we learned today happened in the beginning and we’re still at the beginning of the year; So I encourage you not to keep quiet but begin now to speak the things you desire into being, speak what will be and not what you see.
How are you feeling today? I was up at the early hours of the morning talking to God about how I needed him to help me through today. Prior to this, I was feeling low and lonely and then I had a conversation over the phone which was “blessed”, as I lay there in the dark still praying, I heard God whisper to me “I have loved you with an everlasting love ” and I strongly believe he’s saying the same to you.
In this short text, God is reassuring his people, he was trying to give them hope for restoration. He was actually addressing “the remnants”, the people who survived the sword and found grace in the wilderness, and today he’s speaking to you; yes you. You’re still here and that makes you a remnant
In verse 1, God said: I am God; I want you now to think of the characters and attributes of God – a healer, sustainer, provider, protector, peace, love, etc. In effect, he was saying I’ll be these things and more to you, you just be my people.
Long ago, I said this to Israel; I repeated it sometime later and today I’m saying it to you: “I have loved you, my child, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself. I know someone out there promised to love you forever, they even swore to their hurt never to disappoint you but it’s all over now. See, I’m giving you a love that will neither end nor die, this love is forever. You can rely on it because I had you on my mind when I paid the shameful and painful price of death. I’ve given my best to prove myself and if there’s anything more I could do, I would just to reassure you of my love for you.
Friend, God loves you so much that even on this Valentine’s Day he’s affirming his love for you. I don’t know your situation; perhaps you haven’t really had someone or maybe you’ve had someone who’s no longer there but here’s a word from God for you:
I will rebuild you. The building speaks about forming, making, or establishing something; and for you who’ve had a broken relationship, God is reforming and will soon re-establish you so much so that people will be surprised and even your “ex” will regret losing you. I think this is a good place to say amen. If you currently have no one, know that God is preparing you, he’s building and establishing you for that precious brother or sister, be encouraged. If your relationship is such that needs mending, God will heal and rebuild it, he will reconcile you to your partner. Amen!
The second thing God is saying to you today is that you’ll be happy. The word “happy” is synonymous with the words content, delight, favor, harmony, prosperous and joyous. Friend, you will know the joy of the Lord and that joy will be your strength.
God continues in verse 4 by saying that you will dance. For so many reasons, I love this one, and friend if you don’t care to, I receive it.
Normally, before one starts to dance, there is music and that music has to appeal to the person and then they start moving rhythmically. Well, God is about to play sweet music to your ear that will cause you to not just move your hands but your whole body. Halleluiah!
I hope you’ve been encouraged today. Stay blessed.
I trust that you are having a wonderful day and you are beginning to experience the creative power of God in a new way over your life. Today, I would like to share with you, a truth I learned a while back. This truth has not only increased my faith in God but also has totally transformed my life and I pray that you experience the same.
A while ago, I studied Genesis Chapter 1 and during the study, I took time to highlight the phrases “God said” and “and it was so. Amazingly, everything God said was so. There were no exceptions, everything was fulfilled.
I hope you agree with me that God is as eager to speak as He is to fulfill His promises concerning you. I say this because 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen. Of course, you know that yes is a response that indicates affirmation. Amen, on the other hand, which means “so be it” or “it is so”, comes from the Hebrew root meaning “surely, steadfast and faithful”. So whenever God speaks or says a word, He sanctions and then settles it; however, what we receive depends on our cooperation with Him. Therefore, let’s consider these reassuring words from the writer of Hebrews.
Hold fast
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)
This scripture has first adjured us to be steadfast with the confession of our hope through which we can obtain God’s promises. It has also mentioned one attribute of God that can be traced to the book of Exodus chapter 34. Here God was manifesting His Glory to Moses according to his petition and at the same time proclaiming His attributes. Faithful is one of those that He mentioned. So what does it mean?
I know you’ve heard interpretations like: God is trustworthy, He’ll never lie and so He’ll never fail you. These are all true but I’ve come across two words that concisely summarize this.
Sure Unsure is an adjective used to describe something or someone who is unable to confidently demonstrate ability. God is not uncertain or inexperienced rather He is so competent to do over and above.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
So He can actually do for you what He said He would.
TrueIn this life, many things have remained unproven sometimes because of the inconsistency of statements or lack of evidence but that’s not the same with God. He is consistent, accurate, verifiable, and lasting. Who said God hasn’t passed his security check? Check His track records, He’s been proven to be faithful through generations and He still is.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8 (NKJV)
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV)
God has done it before; He can do it again and again and again to His glory and for your good. I don’t know what He has said to you in the past years or even this year; but this one thing I know, It is so! You just have to hold fast your confession and await the manifestation of those promises. Yes, I know that you’ve held on so long and you feel that everybody but you has been remembered, blessed, and promoted; this is not the time to quit. Listen, God will do it, He will fulfill his promise. Hear this; He will fill to the full every single word that He’s spoken over you.
Now loudly make this confession:
I hold fast my hope confession And I await the manifestation Of the promises of God to me I believe that God is true I believe that God is sure And If He said it, It is so.
Go ahead and worship Him. Halleluyah!
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
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