” A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” (John 16:21)
In our previous study, we saw the importance of not losing your joy. We saw how easy it is to get discouraged when we hit that wall. Answered prayers is a wonderful thing, but what happens when you hit that wall and your prayers are not answered? It is very important to not let these faith revelations slip from you. We saw the example in the book of Hebrews ( Hebrews 2:1-3) We, also, saw how God warned us about neglecting so great a Salvation.
Salvation is very great. We tend to cheapen it by just waiting until we die to enjoy heaven. We saw the meaning of the word Salvation which is the Greek word Soteria, which includes Healing, Prosperity, etc. The truth of the matter is that we can enjoy heaven’s best on earth. (Deut 11:21) For more information on Salvation, refer to my previous study (1). God gets angry when we fail to believe his promises. The Jews found out the hard way when they did not believe God’s promise of the land of milk and honey. It is important not to repeat the mistakes of the past and learn from it.
Now, let’s look at how to get our breakthrough in the midst of our struggles. One important ingredient in the good fight is this– Faith! Faith and God’s word are powerful weapons. God’s word is— Yea and Amen. God is not a man that he should lie. If it’s a promise that is in his word, it will surely come to pass. In fact, Jesus did what he had to do thru the cross. He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us so that we may be able to get a revelation of his word. He has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness. All that you need is already given to you!
If that is so, why don’t we have it? Friend, God’s promises are not going to fall down from heaven to you. There is a fight of faith. Take for example, Salvation. Jesus died for the world to purchase salvation for us. In fact, he is not willing that any perish but that all come to repentance. So, what is the problem? If it’s not God’s will that any should perish, why are some people dying and going to hell? The problem is the will. God respects the human will and you have to do your part. Your part is to receive his word. Receiving Jesus as your Savior opens the door to Salvation and it starts with your mouth. In fact, that is the pattern that God expects us to use in prayer. When we pray, we need to receive his word and use our mouth
When circumstances arises and start talking to us, we need to receive the word and talk back to it. A good example is Mary. When she was visited by the angel Gabriel, she received the word. She did not argue with the angel nor allowed herself to be overcome by circumstances. She, just, received the word and became pregnant. (Luke 1:38) Have you prayed and prayed, only to see it going from bad to worse? Have you confessed God’s promises until you are blue in the face, only to see zero results? May I submit to you if you have done all you know what to do, but nothing has improved—You may have pregnant faith. When you receive God’s word, it grows inside of you and when the promise is about to come to pass, there is travailing and birth pains. Breakthrough is about to take place!
See the picture above of the happy pregnant lady? That is what we are supposed to do, even in the midst of sorrows and pain. We need to PUSH. We need strength! How do we get strength? The joy of the Lord is our strength! Rejoice, sing and start to dance. See the promise as a fact and believe me, after a while, you will birth that promise. So, don’t give up. Fight the good fight of Faith. The devil has been defeated and with a song in your heart, your manifestation of God’s promises will surely come to pass. Before I finish, let me end with this—My son and his wife were separated for 4 years. Family members were telling me to give up. It got worse, but I held on.
After four years, they came back together. I had experienced “birth pains”, but after a while, I saw God’s promise manifest itself. Too many of us give up and say—Oh well, its must be God’s will for me. Don’t blame God, but look at yourself and see where you have missed it. Chances are that you may have pregnant faith! If you do, remember to PUSH—-The joy of the Lord is your strength! God bless!
Picture courtesy of Neal E Johnson. You can find his works on http://www.unsplash.com
(1) thechristiancorner.org/2021/01/30/dont-lose-your-joy-part-1/
Prayer–Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me. Help me to lay hold of the word. When circumstances and situations are against your promises, stir up my joy. Restore the joy of my salvation, so I can birth my breakthrough. Thank you, Father, for giving me the victory in advance–In Jesus name. Amen!
The Christian Corner Ministries 
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