Expect!

Friends,

I would like to share something with you this evening. There are a lot of things that God has laid on my heart this week, but I wanted to take the time to write this one.

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. I experienced hardship on every front of my existence. I struggled at work, with my finances, with my relationships and for the first time, with my faith. I’m not going to say that I lost my faith. In essence, it was my faith that restored me. However, I realized that the enemy has a new weapon and I found out how to overcome it.

My day: Working sixteen hours in one day is not healthy. Sixteen hours is a lot of time for the enemy to use. Satan uses this time to steal our joy, wear us down and make us empty. In the midst of all my struggles yesterday, I went to church. I didn’t feel convicted by the message, but I felt hopeless. As I went back to work, I could feel it. You know, that feeling that we don’t have much left inside us. I finished my work and headed to the house. As I drove home early in the morning, I could feel the tears trying to escape my head. To make things worse, I felt lonely. I had just had an awful day and I was driving home to an empty house.

The weapon: I want to tell you how dangerous life can be when we quit expecting. Usually when I have a hard time with my finances, I try to sow more money into the kingdom of God. When I feel lonely, I thank God for working on a companion for me. When I struggle with work I ask for favor and praise Him for anointing me in His name. But yesterday, for a split-second, I quit expecting. I felt that I didn’t have what it took to thank Him anymore.

Surrendering my life to Christ – again: Sometimes people ask me when I was saved. I usually answer with, “this morning.” We have to continually reaffirm our relationship with God. So, where was I? Oh, yes. I quit expecting. That’s when it happened. When I realized what I had done, I broke down. I lost it – emotionally, physically, spiritually... I got on my knees and in the middle of the room, in the early hours of the morning, surrendered myself to the Lord. I submitted my life, my schedule, my money, my time, my worries and my thoughts. Through the tears I prayed.

My prayer: As I said, the enemy has a weapon. In fact, he has many. However, my walk with God has built a heavy arsenal of His word. Not only can it be used to stop the devil in his tracks, but you can give God’s word back to Him – so He can bless us… So we can expect! I would like to share with you some scripture that means a lot to me.

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:13 (NIV)

This is probably my favorite scripture. We can do “everything.” I never knew how much strength these words possessed, until they literally brought me from my knees and back to my feet.

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22 (NIV)

A companion means a lot to me. I know I am anointed by God. This anointing gives me favor with the Lord. He’s working on something awesome for me.

“And God said to him, ‘I've listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: 'You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.'” I Kings 9:3 (The Message)

God is a great and merciful God. He hears all of our prayers. There is nothing he has done for someone that he won’t do for us. We just have to stay in faith.

Friends, do NOT quit expecting. Pray. Agree with someone. Build your arsenal and don’t be afraid to use it. Know that I pray for you.

In Christ,

James