The ‘How’ Must Not Be Neglected

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Jan 9, 2018 No Comments ›› admin

As the year kicks off, so many plans, intentions and goals are set, all wrapped up in resolutions. This is good! Some received clear instructions from the Lord as to what He would want them to do. This is even better! All these are the ‘what’ we either desire or God wants for us in the year. But pray tell, the other resolutions and instructions of previous years how far did you go with them? God did not lie or fail concerning the previous years’ instructions especially when the outcome was not favorable. The truth is we cannot attain these plans and instructions by the arm of flesh and expect the fall out to be favorable. For instance, it was true that you heard clearly from the Lord that you will marry and to whom in the said year, but the marriage is almost costing you your life; does that mean God was wrong or mistaken about you getting married and to whom then? Beloved, it is not enough to plan, set goals (which you claim you envisioned) and receive direct instructions from God, there is a need to see them come to good fruition. Like Mary, we need to ask the all important question, ‘how?’ How the things shown to us will come to pass: “Mary asked the angel, ‘how can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?” (Luke 1:34).

When God created the Heavens and the earth in Genesis chapter 1, it was the ‘what’ of creation. Genesis chapter 2 on the other hand showed us ‘how’ the ‘what’ came to be: “These are the records of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation at the time that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens” (Genesis 2:4). This shows us the pattern in which our God works. For every man God spoke to and used in the Bible, a “how” was released to them after the instructions. This ‘how’ cannot be gotten through our intelligence or planning but by returning to Him that gave the instructions in the first place. Moses knew he was the deliverer and instead of returning to God to ask ‘how’, he tried to use his intellect and prowess and he failed woefully. When Jesus told His Disciples they would go all over the world proclaiming and preaching the Gospel; they didn’t immediately go because the ‘How’ was not yet released to them: “While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise…” (Acts 1:4a). If they had disobeyed, the Gospel would have been killed before taking off!

Beloved, God is not deficient on how He will bring His purpose to bear in our lives. One of the weapons of ‘how’ His purpose (plans and intentions) will come to pass in our lives at this time is PRAISE! It is not just in singing and dancing but living a life of consistent Praise. Such a life is characterized by Trust, Confidence, Determination and Obedience to God in ALL things: “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just. The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter” (Psalm 37:30-31) and “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its root out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). To live this life of consistent Praise to God is not by our will power or intelligence but by tying our lives securely to the True Vine, Jesus Christ: “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me…If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:4, 7). David did not lose a battle because he was a master strategist or a great warrior, but he won every battle because he lived a life of Praise: Trust, Confidence, Determination and Obedience to God! Will you, so that you will grow from victory to victory as we await His return? God bless you as you ponder this by going back to ask Him ‘How?’! Happy, Blessed and a Prosperous (on all fronts) New Year in Jesus Christ name!

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