THE FATHER’S VOICE

MAY 2008 NEWSLETTER

“YOU WILL SURVIVE THE MESS”
 

ISAIAH 40:1-5 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people! Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended; that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins…”

Have you ever experienced times when it seemed as though when you took one step forward, you ended up taking three steps backwards? Has there ever been a time when the valley you were in seemed so deep and wide? Have you ever asked yourself, since you’ve been saved, “How in the world did I get myself into this mess? Certainly there will be times along this Christian journey when you will get yourself into situations that are not favorable to God. With all good intentions, you wanted to help God “fix it”, not knowing that you are only making the situation worse. And yes, you may experience feelings of anxiety, pain, and discomfort.


But God is saying to you here in this passage of scripture, that He is going to take you to a place of comfort. Out of all that the enemy has tried to destroy you with, God is putting you in a place where the enemy can’t touch you. The crying and the pain will cease, because God will bring peace to your situation. In other words, God wants you to know that He has pardoned the “Mess.” Just because you get yourself in a “Mess” doesn’t mean that you have to stay there.

 In verse 3, the Lord is saying that you can’t just talk it, but you must walk it. Your instruction for getting out of the mess is to first prepare the way. Prepare means to “clear away obstacles”. In order to do this, you have to “work out or do” some things in your life. One way to prepare is through Holy living. Holy living has to become a lifestyle. There is nothing magical about this. You have to make a con-science effort daily to live a Holy life. Yes, even though you may be “saved” and “fire baptized with the Holy Ghost”, you still have to get up every morning and pray to the Holy Spirit to keep you from all evil. That means not only the evil that may come against you that day, but the very evil inside you that has the potential to come out, i.e. bad attitudes, envy, bitterness, etc. The more you commit to living a holy lifestyle, the easier it becomes. One important thing to remember is that as you walk holy, you are clearing the path for others to follow. This is God’s mission for Christians.

God always rewards obedience. In verse 4, God will perform a divine action in your life as a benefit to those who choose to live holy.
Now begin to prepare for the shift. The valley that seemed so deep will be exalted. For it was in the valley that He was able to make and mold you. He taught you how to be thankful for the little that you had, while in the valley. He taught you how to stretch forth your hands and Worship Him for just being God, while in the valley. Now He is going to re-align some things to place His people on the mountaintop. He is lining up some things just for you, and you’re about to walk in to an arena where it will be easy for you. Crooked places will be made straight and rough places will be made smooth.


Another important thing to understand is that God is going to remove the cover. The depression, the pain, the sorrow and the anxiety will all be removed, so that His glory in verse 5 shall be revealed. You see the dirt that you were in was just a set-up by God to reveal to the world, His glory through you. Jeremiah 29:11 reads: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” No matter how big the “mess” you may encounter, God has a way of helping you “survive the mess”.


I pray that this prophetic lesson has been an encouragement to you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call 843-716-4004. I will be happy to address any of your concerns. If you would like to receive our newsletter monthly email us at mtcalvry@sccoast.net