Coming Out Better

We all go through challenges and difficulties that we do not always understand. I know plenty of people who have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus, but God never ends in a minus. He will bring you out of this mess and turn it into your message. Not only will He restore what you have lost, but you will come out of this better than you were before. 

I recently talked to a friend who fought a legal battle for five years. It was a long and exhausting struggle, and we kept praying for breakthrough; however, the court date kept getting pushed back, the deposition required more time, and there seemed to be no way to settle the dispute. The pandemic lockdown meant that there were no court hearings for several months. Then, out of the blue, my friend got a call inviting him to talk to the judge via Zoom video conferencing, and the opposition agreed to settle the case immediately. My friend not only got back everything he had lost, but he also received 1½ times more than what he had originally invested in this case. All legal and corresponding expenses were paid in full, and it ended up costing the other party five times what my friend had originally asked for.

You may be facing challenges now. You may feel like something was taken from you that cannot be replaced. Perhaps you feel pressured or as though you are being squeezed for resources. The job market is down, and your health is not improving. Despite what you are facing, God is saying, “You are going to come out of this better off than before!” Once you experience God’s favor, healing, and promotion, you will look back and say, “Everything turned out for my good.” Without Goliath, David would forever be known as the shepherd boy. Without Pharaoh, the Israelites could not have plundered the Egyptians and entered the Promised Land. You too will come out of your difficulties with flying colors. God will make the enemy pay double for your troubles. 

When you see where God takes you—the favor, the promotion, the blessing, you will look back one day and say, “It all turned out for the best!” David will tell you that it was good that Goliath showed up. The Israelites will tell you that it was good that Pharaoh restricted them. Now stay in faith and trust that God has your back. He would not allow the pressure if it were not going to work for your good. You are going to come out strong, healthy, vindicated, promoted, and much better than you were before. On that day you will say, “That enemy didn’t defeat me; that enemy blessed me.”

The Book of Daniel tells the story of three Hebrew teenagers who refused to bow to an idol under King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. When news of their rebellion reached the king, he was furious and had the boys thrown into a blazing furnace. The fire was so hot that the soldiers who threw the youths in were instantly killed. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, however, were untouched. Their clothes, hair and skin were unburned, and they did not smell like fire. Notice how God restores.

Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” When you come out of your trial, difficulties, or heartache, no one will be able to recognize the loss because there will be no scars, bruises, or damage to you or your reputation. God will restore your health, marriage, business, and mind. There will be no sign of depression, the marriage will thrive, and you will accomplish things that you had given up on. There will be no smell or sign of fire on you.

You may feel like you are in a fire right now or drowning in debt. The child maybe off course. The injustice and discrimination in the world seem unfair and unbearable. Let me remind you that you are coming out of this better than you were before. After living in slavery for 430 years, the Israelites left Egypt with great wealth. After five years of intense legal battles, God restored my friend to more than he could have hoped for. The Hebrew teenagers did not even smell like smoke after being in a fiery furnace. You may feel like going through some heat right now, but you are coming out stronger. You will rejoice, celebrate, and produce more in your future than you thought was possible.

Do your part and trust God to come through for you. He works on behalf of those who have faith. Thank Him in advance and say, “Father, thank you for my healing! Thank you for the salvation of my loved ones! Thank you for causing my business to prosper! Thank you that I will lend and not borrow! Thank you for helping me know and serve you better! Thank you for making a way, where I do not see a way!” When you declare His goodness, you release faith which is more powerful than positivity. You may be at a disadvantage right now, but you will come out of this vindicated, promoted, health restored, without the smell of smoke. In Jesus’ Name!

“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20 KJV).

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Living in the Overflow

We are living in a challenging time. People are losing hope and feeling discouraged. However, God’s plan for our lives is to live in the overflow. The overflow is a display of His power and love for us to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ask or think.

Get ready because the overflow is coming. You will experience an excess of wisdom, favor, relationships, talents, promotion, and resources. Whatever the circumstances, God's plan is to bring you to a place of plenty. He wants you to have an abundance of peace, joy, and resources. Here is the key: He wants you to overflow with His blessings so that you can be a blessing to the world.

Sam was born in 1918 to parents who were farmers. The family was poor and witnessed the Great Depression. The young boy did many chores to help his parents make ends meet. He milked their cow, bottled up the surplus, and delivered the fresh milk to customers. Sam also delivered newspapers and sold magazine subscriptions to make ends meet. After completing high school, he attended college but worked various jobs during that time, including waiting tables in exchange for meals. After graduation, Sam joined the US Army during World War II. When he returned, he managed a variety store at the age of 26. He took a loan in order to buy his first store and developed crucial business concepts that would later become the key to his success. His store offered lower prices and better-stocked shelves than any of his competitors. Soon he opened a second store. Within three years, his sales volume grew to $225,000. Sam went through much trial and testing, before he opened the first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. Forbes named Sam Walton the richest man in America from 1982 to 1988. In 1992, at the time of his death, he owned 1,960 Wal-Mart stores and employed 380,000 people, generating $50 billion in annual revenue. He served as an elder and Sunday school teacher at his local church. He also generously supported various charitable causes.

When you honor God, He will repay you for your faithfulness. Like with Sam, God has already designed overflow with you in mind. He has lined up the right people, promotions, good breaks, increase, influence, and favor for you. God is going to cause you to stand out, break barriers, and go further than anyone in your family.

You may feel down today. Perhaps you lost your job without savings in hand. God is still on the throne. Heaven’s economy knows no lack, struggle, or shortage. God has promised to meet all your needs according to His riches. You will overflow to the point of bursting at the seams and spilling over. God wants to make you an example of His goodness. Because the goodness of God leads people to repentance.

The Scripture tells us that Isaac, Abraham’s son, lived in a foreign country that was going through a famine. God told him, “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. Through your descendants all the nations of the world will be blessed.” Despite the famine, Isaac planted crops, and in the same year, reaped a hundredfold because God blessed him. It sounds like the time we are living in, does it not? Many of us are going through challenges and trying to make ends meet. Let me encourage you that if you stay in faith, praise God in the storm, and thank Him in advance, you will see miraculous provisions. Do not worry about how the economy, Wall Street, or the job market are doing. Remember that God is your source and knows exactly how to bless you! Since the beginning of the year, I called 2020 a blockbuster year for those who believe. I believe that it will be even more miraculous despite the current situation because God will get all the glory! The Bible tells us that Isaac became rich and his wealth continued to grow. The Philistines envied him because of all the flocks, herds, and servants that he had. When you honor God, His blessings will chase you down. You do not have to look for the blessing, the blessing will find you.

During the current stay-at-home order, a friend and ministry partner of mine lost his job. Since last year, his place of employment had been cutting corners. His salary was cut in half. Remarkably, my friend did not panic; instead, he prayed and thanked God for provision and a new job opportunity. Just two days later, on a Thursday, he received a call for an interview the next day. He had an interview that Friday and was hired on the spot. Now his salary is now twice as much as it was before. In addition, he can buy stocks in a publicly traded company.

Friend, God knows how to take you from barely making it to a place of overflow. He wants to give you an abundance of peace, joy, health, and resources. His heart is to bless you so that you can become a blessing to the whole world. Let us declare this confession of faith out loud with me: “My God will supply all my needs. I am living in the overflow. I have a surplus of everything good in my life. I have more than enough. I am furnished in abundance. My storehouses are full and overflowing. My cup is running over. I am overflowing with God’s favor. I will lend and not borrow. I am blessed to be a blessing.”

“May every one of you overflow with the grace and favor of our LORD Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:23 (TPT).  
 
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Building People. Spreading Hope.