The Fix That Fixes What Is Fixed – Luke 13

Before I get into Luke 13 let me set the background for you. The stone in the picture above is very precious to me. Let me explain why. A few years ago my wife and I had the privilege of going on a tour of the Holy Land with a couple who happen to be some of our dearest friends. Over the course of our ten-day journey, we visited the Galilee region, the city of Jerusalem, and all of the major sites in the nation of Israel. We have been there a few times before but this was by far the best trip ever. The first reason it was we were able to spend time with our friends. It was phenomenal. We all had a wonderful time laughing, crying, ministering, eating, and taking in the grandeur of the land of the Bible.

At the Church of Notre Dame in Jerusalem on David’s Citadel.

 

The other reason it was the best trip ever was that our tour guide was the former minister of tourism for the nation. With him, we had access to unique historic sites and archeological digs. It wasn’t just a cathedral type of trip. For instance, he took us to the high places to see the landscape of the land. From two different locations, we were able to view about 80% of the ground where the history of Israel took place. As we stood in these high spots our guide pointed out different historical locations of Bible events for hours at a time. Being a lover of Old Testament history (Kevin Connor, “What’s in the old concealed is in the new revealed.”) I was enamored by these locations. It was heaven.

Standing in the midst of friends.

 

One afternoon we went to visit the Church of Magdala on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. If you ever go to the Holy Land you must visit this amazing place. In 2009 archaeologists unearthed the only first-century synagogue on the Sea of Galilee – one of only seven synagogues from this period in the world – along with the archaeological remains of the 2,000-year-old city of Magdala. The entire site is absolutely breathtaking.

During our visit, I had the wonderful opportunity to share from the Word of God in the Boat Chapel there on the grounds. As I spoke, behind me there was a view of the Sea of Galilee. It was so exciting. I got to preach in this unique boat-shaped pulpit/altar which was built to commemorate Jesus preaching from the boat in Luke 5:1-11.

Preaching in the Boat Chapel in the Church of Magdala.

 

Which leads me to the amazing stone from the first picture at the beginning of this blog. On the grounds of the Church of Magdala is the original synagogue from Jesus’ day. At this archaeological discovery, we can see the stone where the scroll would be set for the reading of Tanakh (Old Testament). Now watch this…

 

The stone, pictured in the center, where Jesus most likely read the Tanakh in the synagogue in Magdala.

 

Matthew 4:23 says, ” Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” By this scripture and many others, we know that Jesus taught throughout the Galilee region, and historians are certain that he taught and frequented this very spot.  For me, first I got to speak in the Boat Chapel (Catholic church) now we were able to sit where Jesus sat and read the Word of God to the people on that day. This was like a dream. I am still awestruck by this opportunity. 

That is me in black sitting in the middle. I had the honor of sitting at the seat that Jesus sat in before the stone which held the scroll of the Tanakh.

 

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This all leads me to Luke 13:10. It says, “Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.” I love this. Our story takes us to church. Verse 10 is very clear. One day Jesus goes to church. What an amazing idea that Jesus would be at church. He is in the church. Ministering the Word. Ministering to people. We should try that sometime. 🙂

On this particular day, Jesus is the guest speaker at the synagogue. He arrives on the right day at the right time with the right group of people. It says, Jesus, “is teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath.” Jesus was probably reading the verse for the day and possibly expounding upon it as he normally would do when he would visit the synagogues.

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Now I would like to think that while He was speaking Jesus looked around the room and made eye contact with those sitting there. But in this case, not everyone was looking up at Jesus as He spoke. When we continue to read the story, we know that there was a woman who was not looking at Jesus. She was looking down. It wasn’t on purpose. She wasn’t trying to be rude. It was her condition.

Verse 11 says, “And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.” Because of this basic information, we know that this woman had to have been a member of the church in order to have a seat in the room. She was there with her infirmity looking down because of her condition.

Understand that everywhere that Jesus went there were huge crowds that would show up. They wanted to hear Him speak and to see Him do miracles. When He did His outdoor meetings they could have as many that would come because they were out in the open, but when Jesus went indoors there were limitations to how many people could be present with Him.

For example, in Mark 2 there was no room in the house where Jesus was teaching. So, the four friends of the paralytic man decided to bust through the roof of the house to get him to Jesus. There was no room. There was no access. But now in our text, Jesus was INSIDE THE CHURCH. Those who had access were the only ones who had access, including of all people this woman.

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Again verse 11 says, “there was a woman with a spirit of infirmity 18 years who was bowed down and could not raise herself up.” What a statement! Let get the facts. This lady was in church. She was a churchgoing lady. She was a member. She was a believer. She probably was faithful. She was present in the room. When you do the math of 18 years of Sabbaths this woman probably heard at least 936 sermons while looking down. Yet she was still there.

She suffered from a spirit of infirmity. A spirit of infirmity is a spirit that weakens your ability to function the way God created you to function. It is a deforming, debilitating, incapacitating, and encumbering thing that touches the body and the soul. Possibly, somewhere sometime she had opened the door, made a decision or choice, had an unresolved sin, or a bad attitude, maybe an argument that never got settled, an offense that stuck, a reaction to something and she couldn’t let go, or she believed a lie of the enemy who gave her a satanic, demonic, counter-prophe-LIE.

It was some kind of action or event in her life that swung open the door of her soul and left her vulnerable for an attack from the spirit of infirmity. BTW: Satan doesn’t prophesy, but he sure can prophe-LIE. Things like…Disease runs in your family. Poverty is your portion. Divorce is what your father and mother chose and it chooses you. You are going to be nervous, have mental breakdowns, have several addictions. Etc. Etc. He is the father of lies. Somewhere somehow the gate opened and infirmity came in.

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It’s amazing because we know exactly WHEN it happened to her. The Bible gives us the details. 18 years before this day a demonic attack came against her. Something happened then that caused her to bend forward and stay stuck. It was a spiritual thing that had physical effects. It manifested in her body. Imagine 18 years of being stuck. There is an exact moment in time that is connected to this infirmity. She was STUCK IN THAT MOMENT in time. Never to move beyond it. Imagine 18 years ago. It was like 2002. Something happened and you haven’t been able to move beyond it. You are still there.

In life, there are certain times that we can mark that changed us. How many remember when you graduated high school? Got Saved? Married? Hurt? Car accident? An attack? You can name it and date it. For this woman 18 years ago she was STUCK in a position that would alter her existence.

In fact, the Bible uses these words: she was BENT OVER. In Greek this phrase literally means to be forced down. Isn’t that the work of the enemy to force you down. To make you look down at all times. Her perspective was down. It was low. All she saw was the ground. All she could see was the earthly. And then the condition worsens. It says, “she could in no way raise herself up.” This was beyond her…strength, ability,  and faith. She couldn’t fix it.

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But thank God, Jesus was in the house. It says in verse 12, “Jesus saw her.” She was on His radar. Forgetting all the religious protocols, Jesus stopped the service and called her out. He said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” He spoke the words she was longing to hear…and this was at church. She had been there 936+ times before this and never heard these words until now. To those who are reading this now, there is an until now moment that you are about to enter into. Somethings might have been hanging on, lingering and hindering your life, but you are entering a moment when Jesus arrives.

I love this story because in the Greek the word Jesus used for SET FREE is a legal term. It is the word: apolou. It means to loose from. To grant acquittal. To release. To dismiss. It is in the perfect tense. This means it already took place and now she is going to enjoy the effects of what already is. Jesus just speaks to her situation a word that already is. Her deliverance already is available. He speaks what His Father speaks to Him. It is already is. Let me tell somebody: God will do it! Let me encourage you right now. 1 Thes. 5:24 says, “Faithful is He who called you, and He will also do it.” God will do it.

The next part of this story is exciting. Jesus lays His hands on her. He followed through and imparted the ANOINTING that she needed. Immediately, the Bible says, “She straightened up.” 18 years of bondage was broken with just one touch of the anointing. This is the FIX that FIXES what is FIXED. But thank God it is fixed no more. You are stuck no more. You are forced down no more. Jesus did it!

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So, my question to you is, what do you do when something like this happens? Your life has changed. Your prayers have been answered. You came in one way, but you are going out another. My guess is, most likely, you have to take a moment to give Him some praise. That is what this verse says, “She began to glorify God.”

This lady started to worship like she couldn’t worship before. I see her doing a lap around the sanctuary. I see her waving her hands, lifting her feet, rocking back and forth, and giving God a mighty praise. She takes a praise break. Like the old song goes, “Look what the Lord has done! He healed my body. He touch my mind. He saved me just in time. I am going to praise Him. Look what the Lord has done.” This lady goes to church at the church.

Imagine after all these years she is worshipping UPRIGHT. When I think of this woman it reminds me of Psalm 111:1,  “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the UPRIGHT, and in the congregation.” This verse says, UPRIGHT, not UPTIGHT. Some of you have been UPTIGHT long enough. Now its time to get upright and to give Him glory.

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As we finish this, I believe that Jesus is in the HOUSE to deal with infirmity. He is in your house. He is right where you are at. Jesus is with you. Right now He is weakening demonic forces that have forced you one way or another. Things that have been twisted in your life. Things that have forced you downward. Things that have kept you stuck.

You can’t go around forced down any longer. It might not be physical for you, but it represents what you are going through. It is an attack that has manifested in the mental, emotional, relational, or financial parts of your life. It is tiresome. It is wearisome. It has not gone away. Its been there for a very long time. Too long. It has created other issues. It has limited you. It has embarrassed you. But I got news for you, enough is enough. Jesus is in the house and when Jesus is in the house change takes place.

The Fix that Fixes what is Fixed…Is Jesus. I have a new name for Him. He is the Fix Fixer.

In grace, Patrick Kiteley

P.S. Please visit my website. We have podcasts, blogs and we ask you to consider donating to the ministry. Thanks for reading this blog.

www.patrickkiteley.com

Twitter – @patrickkiteley  Instagram – @patrickkiteley  LinkedIn – Patrick Kiteley

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Follow-Through-Enter-Into:

Personally: Name one area in your life where you have experienced infirmity (the inability to raise yourself up)? (Confide)

Practically: Boldy, ask Jesus to speak to you and to touch your life.  (Decide)

Prayerfully: Father God, I ask you to touch my life. I need you, Holy Spirit, to fix what has been fixed so I may be free to live and to glorify You. In Jesus’ name, Amen! (Applied)

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Scripture Reading: Luke 13:10-17

 

 

Increase Our Faith – Luke 17:5

In Luke 17:5 the disciples of Jesus made one of the most remarkable, wild and hazardous requests in the Bible. As a group, they came to Jesus to speak these famous words, “Increase our faith.” There was a desire within each of them individually that joined them together corporately to make this unified request/demand to Jesus. When I use the word desire this was something that I believe that had developed within each of them over the time they had been with Jesus.

For three years plus they were firsthand witnesses of the words and the works of Jesus. They heard all of His kingdom articulations (teachings). They beheld His kingdom demonstrations (signs, wonders, miracles). They listened to earthly stories with heavenly meanings (parables). They saw Jesus move in compassion with the sick, the weak and the lame, yet in the same moment, stand up and take authority over the religious and pious, who were following Him to attempt to trap Him, and ultimately kill Him.

The cry is: Increase our faith.

These 12 saw it all. They saw Jesus move in heavenly power time after time after time.  As Luke 7:22 aptly states, “…the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” This kind of ministry became their normal, yet they profoundly knew within themselves that this was not normal. Jesus was different. He was fully God and fully man at the same time. He was very human and, yet so divine. And this Jesus had a dimension of godly faith they knew they needed in their lives.

In his commentary of Luke, Cyril of Alexandria explains that this faith the disciples (future apostles) were looking for is both from God and it is within ourselves:

For faith partly depends upon ourselves, and partly is the gift of the divine grace: for the commencement of it depends upon ourselves, and to maintain confidence and faith in God with all our power; but the confirmation and strength necessary for this comes from the divine grace: for which reason, because all things are possible with God, the Lord says, that all things are possible unto him that believeth [Mark 9:23].

As I see it, these 12 men, personally and mutually, desired to move from the mediocre to the marvelous in their faith. From the minor to the major. From weak faith to great faith.

I love the way Theophylact summarized it:

The apostles had faith in the Lord. But they became aware of their weakness, and when they heard the Lord speaking to them about great matters and about the danger they would encounter from the offenses and obstacles to come, they asked Him to increase the strength of their faith so that they could accomplish the virtue of which He had spoken …

So that the apostles might have the means with which to withstand offenses, they approach the Lord and say, Increase our faith [KJV], meaning, “Make us more complete and sure in our faith.” The Lord shows them that they have asked well and that they ought to have this sure belief that faith is able to do great things, and He says to them, “If ye had faith, ye might transplant this sycamine.”

Explanation of the Gospel of Luke (tr. Chrysostom Press, 2007), p.222

Over time their personal desires became a joint desire. It was obviously a collective desire. The faith increase request of the disciples in Luke 17:5 implies that there must have been at least a conversation among them, if not many conversations. Originally, someone brought it up. Who knows how long they had been talking about this, but one thing is for sure when they came they came to Jesus together. They made a statement together. They put three simple words together.

The cry is: Increase our faith.

At a glance, these words seem like a light, uncomplicated request, but this was no simple request. It was well thought out. It was concise, yet complete. It was worded perfectly. And…it was quite passionate. In fact, if you take a look at it, not only at the tense but at the tone, it is easy to determine that this request is more like a cry.

The tone makes the difference. Their tone was a tone filled with desire. Have you ever heard before, that is not what you say, but how you say it? Tone. If I half-heartedly and curtly say to my wife, “I love you,” she will be able to tell by the tone of my voice that I don’t mean it or I am being mean. (You chose) But if I, with passion and heart, tell her, “Baby girl, I love you, I love you, I love!!!” She will be able to tell quite easily that I am swooning over her. There is an overt difference in the tone of each statement, not because of the words, but because of the way I say them.

The tone the disciples used in this statement to Jesus revealed a deep desire for their faith to increase. They didn’t want it to stay at the same level any longer. They saw what Jesus had and they wanted it too. I believe God is putting this type of passionate desire inside his people in this particular hour.

The word increase in the Greek (prostíthēmi) means to become progressively greater, to increase abundantly in size, in intensity, in scope; to make greater. A significant advancement; to enlarge, magnify, or multiply. To add to or add upon. What a powerful word! The disciples knew exactly what word to chose. Take our faith and enlarge it ten thousand-fold. Make it big. Make it huge. Jesus-level faith. Not human faith. Increase our faith. Take it from what it is, and make it like yours.

The cry is: Increase our faith.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 reveals to us that faith has the ability to increase, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.” The phrase grows exceedingly means more and more, a beyond expectation type of growth, it increases exceedingly, it flourishes. It speaks of a continuance of growth. Growth that doesn’t stop. It is never-ending and no restrictions can be placed on it because it comes from God.

That is the great revelation of this: God is the source. It is a God kind of faith. So, they say, “Jesus – Increase our faith.” This faith is called “super-growing faith”. It grows greater all the time, every week, every month, every year, but at the same time, it comes with a cost. Understand. this is an extremely dangerous request. The 12 disciples by grace were given a desire to ask for more faith. Hallelujah! But at the same time, I wonder if they really knew what they were asking for.

We know Jesus. If you asked Him for water He would give you a water fountain. If you asked Him for bread He would give you a bakery. He is generous. He is kind. That is Jesus. But in this case, they have the courage and the audacity to ask for Jesus-faith. That is not just regular faith. This is a faith that moves mountains. This is faith that raises the dead. This a faith that leaves heaven’s riches, and takes on the form of a bondservant and becomes obedient unto death. This is another level of faith. It is a faith that dies, so others can live. A faith that opens up spheres of destiny through acts of obedience.

If you are asking for Jesus-faith it means that you are going to move into a dimension in God where He brings you into deeper waters, not to drown you, but to lead you into a place where faith meets trust, and trust is a must in this wild, dangerous place. When trust and faith meet it preserves you and protects you. When you can’t see God does.

During World War 2, in a town just north of London, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a Nazi bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father’s voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, “I can’t see you!” The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning town, called to the silhouette of his son, “But I can see you. Jump!” The boy jumped because he trusted his father.

This is the kind of faith that Jesus had in His Father. He trusted His Father so much that He obeyed Him implicitly.

The cry is: Increase our faith.

Faith is designed to be active. It can’t stay the same. It has to evolve. It must become what it needs to become in your life. Faith has a journey. It moves from struggle to stretching to surpassing to a place like the 12 disciples where faith reveals it’s desire.

• Faith that Struggles – This is called little faith or weak faith – Matt 8:26, Rom 4:19

“I believe; help my unbelief.” – Mark 9:14-29

• Faith that Stretches – This is called strong faith – Rom 4:20

“If I can only touch the hem of His garment, I’ll be healed.” – Mark 5:25-29

• Faith that Surpasses – This is called great faith – Matt 8:10, or divine faith, Gal 2:20

Anything you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, & you will have                it. – Mark 11:24

• Faith that Desires – Faith’s desire is real, real simple. Faith’s desire is more faith.

INCREASE OUR FAITH

In grace, Patrick Kiteley

www.patrickkiteley.com

Twitter – @patrickkiteley  Instagram – @patrickkiteley  LinkedIn – Patrick Kiteley

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Follow-Through-Enter-Into:

Personally: Name one area in your life where you have experienced unbelief? (Confide)

Practically: Boldy, ask God to increase your faith.  (Decide)

Prayerfully: Father God, I ask you today increase my faith. I need you, Holy Spirit, to give me faith. I want to live as a person with great faith. Please help me God, because I want to learn how to trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen! (Applied)

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Scripture Reading: Luke 17:5

 

 

What To Do In A Crisis – Esther 4

Recently, I took our youngest daughter to a butterfly garden. The garden was filled with all types of butterflies. It was a beautiful experience. These creatures are so delicate, yet colorful divine creations. While we were there my daughter was on a mission. She wanted a butterfly to land on her hand. She walked around all over the place trying to get one to just land on her hand. It wasn’t happening. In order to divert her attention, I took her over to the larva box to show her the process of how butterfliles come into being. She looked at it for a moment, but she wasn’t too impressed. Instead, she wanted to continue to get a butterfly to land on her hand. Finally, it happened! Mission accomplished.

While we were there it got me thinking about The Anatomy of Transformation. Watching the butterfly I realized again that transformation is a process that takes time. There are stages that take place from being a creeping, crawling caterpillar limited to the laws of gravity to become a beautiful, aerial, winged creature in God’s creation called a butterfly. You don’t start out as a butterfly. First, you have to experience the grounded life of a caterpillar. This process of transformation is what science calls, metamorphosis…when a caterpillar transforms in stages into a brilliant butterfly.

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What I learned was…caterpillars are good, butterflies are great. Let’s be honest caterpillars are not as loved, adored or prized as a butterfly. A caterpillar just doesn’t have that extra cute factor. It’s grounded. It’s green. It’s adequate. But the destiny of a caterpillar is not to stay a caterpillar, but rather to become a butterfly. The caterpillar stage is temporary.

As you read this I need to tell you Southern-style that some of y’ll need to know that this stage you are in right now is the in-between stage of where you are and where God is taking you. It’s not permanent. It’s not your fate. It’s not your destiny. There is more. You might look up and see butterflies flying all around you flapping their wings but remember one day they were caterpillars just like you. They had to go through a transformation process in order to get to where they are today. I must encourage somebody that is feeling grounded. Somebody that is asking, “how long?”. Somebody needs to know that this stage is temporary.

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God has you in the stage you are supposed to be in. So don’t let yourself or anyone else judge you because of the season you are in. Because your story ain’t over. In fact, it has barely begun. It hasn’t even gotten off the ground just yet. So, relax in the transformation process. God has you right where He wants you. He is not surprised. He is not anxious. He knows what He is doing. Let me say it again: God has you right where He wants you, and where He has you is right where you are supposed to be. Again, relax and enjoy your caterpillar season. God knows what He is doing. He is not taken off guard because of where you are and the state that you are in.

Can I keep preaching to you? It’s going to be ok. God is still on the throne. He hasn’t been unseated. There hasn’t been a coup. The enemy is not winning. He has got the whole world in His hands… He is not too far away from you where you cannot call on Him. His hand is not so short that He can’t reach you. It’s ok. Get ready…cuz you are about to be transformed from the temporary caterpillar state into a gravity-defying airborne butterfly. And what you used to have to climb to, you will now soar over. What you used to look up to, you will now land on. What looked impossible to get to, will now be just a flap of the wings and boom you are there. It used to be difficult, but you have to be transformed and given the ability to go where you born to go. I declare an OK-NESS in your stage. It is ok to be right where God has you.

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In our text, we discover the anatomy of transformation. In Esther 4 we have a CRISIS. Has anyone ever been in a crisis? Some of us are in a crisis right now. I am talking about a time where your world or even the world is turned upside down and you don’t know how you are going to turn it right side up. It is a time in your life where the circumstances are so overwhelming, so overpowering, so devastating that you are taken off-guard. I mean it’s a tsunami that you didn’t see coming and all you know to do is run for cover. It’s a crisis. A crisis has the ability to demolish destiny. It has the power to impair your purpose and future. A good old-fashioned crisis can get you into a mode of desperation where you can’t think straight, act right, talk politely, behave, keep your demeanor and be nice not because you don’t want to, but in this particular moment, you don’t know how to. You have never been here before. It’s all-consuming. It’s beyond you.

But if you can gather your druthers, you will realize that a crisis is a moment where you have to lean into God and hear from Him to get your marching orders. If you don’t meet with God it could easily go from bad to worse. If you don’t hear from Him and take the advice of your comforters, Job, then you would end up cursing God and ultimately cursing yourself and missing out on the double portion that is at the end of this dark, lonely tunnel called crisis. But how you view crisis is important. Crisis must be viewed as an opportunity to exercise my faith to see God miraculously work on my behalf. It’s an opening to the supernatural realm. You can’t have a victory without a fight. You can’t have healing without a sickness. You can’t have a calm without a storm. God sets one against the other, so that His power can be displayed in the earth. He has transferred this power to us. We have the capacity and potential for this power. Power over crisis. It starts with faith and moves into action. Faith must be acted upon. Faith without works is dead. Works without faith is exhausting. We need both…working at the same time.

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In Esther 4 we discover a crisis that requires faith action. If you only read this chapter you can miss it. There is a backstory to this story. It just didn’t happen. Something had to happen in order for what is about to happen to happen. We all have a backstory. A backstory is a story that led us to the story we are now in. In the church we call it a testimony. Does anyone have a testimony? Someone can tell how He picked you up, turned you around and set your feet on solid ground…yeah you!

In Esther 4 there is a story behind the story. Esther is the queen of Shushan. She is the king’s wife. She is royalty. She is in the palace. Honestly, it’s a really cool spot to be in. Not queen for a day, but for a lifetime. She snaps and someone brings a Snapple. She claps and the lights turn on. She taps and a soy, vanilla, caramel, chocolate chip frapp is put into her hand. She naps and people fan her and drop grapes into her mouth. This is a gig of a lifetime. Her name Esther means star. She is treated like a star.

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It’s nice, but if you look at the story you need to realize that there is a backstory for Esther. There is alignment to her assignment. There is an anatomy to this royal reality and supernatural opportunity. Esther was chosen as queen, first because the former queen Vashtai was rebellious and would not come to the King’s party when asked. So, Vashtai was removed and Esther was placed in a group of possible candidates to become Shushan’s Next Top Queen. It was kind of like the pilot show to the Bachelor, where all the ladies are chosen from all over the kingdom, and only one will get the rose and have the opportunity to marry the King. And of course, Esther was the chosen one. She got the final rose.

But…there is a backstory to this backstory. By herself, Esther, could not accomplish what God wanted to do in her day. There were particular players who accomplished God’s purpose together. Esther was born beautiful. But there were ones who birthed her (parents – the source that made her), raised her (cousin named Mordecai – the voice that shaped her), selected her (a servant of the king named Hegei – an opportunity that elevated her), chose her (a king that loved her), connected her (a servant of the queen named Hathach – gave divine details to her), challenged her (a cousin named Mordecai – that gave clarity to her). And if you look at the back story of Esther you realize that your destiny is tied to others. Their destinies were tied to hers and hers to theirs. This is how destiny works.

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Because of this grand opportunity and these people in her life, Esther had the heritage, the training, the beauty, the chance, the platform, and the position to do what she was born to do. Esther was brought to the kingdom for relief and deliverance, not just to sit pretty in the palace. Yes, she was beautiful. Can I tell you, yes, you are beautiful? But you are not just cute, you are called. How God made you. Who God made you. When God made you. Where God made you. What God made you, IS PURPOSEFUL. He put you in the right place (palace) at the right time (a holocaust) with the right people (Mordecai, Hegei, Hathach, King) to do the right thing (Spike Lee). See, God has a plan and He is sticking to it with or without you. He is intentional.

The crisis that you are now in is actually the opportunity that you were born for. As Zoolander would say, “Earth to Esther, we need you to be you right now!” It is time for you…to step up to the plate. This is a kairos time. You were born for such a time as this. What time? Here is some quick back-back-way back-backstory. Esther was Jewish. She didn’t tell anyone. But at that time in the kingdom a man named Haman, who was a prince and a counselor to the king, made a plot to kill all the Jews. Haman hated Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech, Haman told the king, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people’s, and they do not observe the king’s laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them.” Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.

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Understand the enemy. He works overtime. One way or another. This way or that way. He works. In every generation there is a plot to steal, kill and destroy God’s people. But God’s people keep going. Even until the end of the world. He can try through war and persecution, through sickness and disease, but those things actually increase God’s people. In Exodus 1 we know that the harder Pharaoh made it on the Israelites the stronger they grew. It won’t work. The only thing that can stop God’s people is lethargy. Lethargy is the #1 killer of God’s plan. It is Revelation 3: the church at Laodecia. Lukewarm people. Lethargy is an ease that causes one to put down their defenses to their destiny. Can somebody say: Hello Samson! So the only one who could do anything about this Haman situation was the queen, Esther. She was in the right place at the right time.

Her beauty got her into the right place. She was stunning, attractive, gorgeous, and ridiculously good-looking. But if she was just known for her beauty or her talent this would not be a story. Dime-a-dozen. It’s not a story of beauty, but of destiny. Beauty (talent, ability, education, know-how, smarts, intelligence) was a door opener, but not the difference-maker. Beauty can be a distraction for the beautiful because they are more enamored with beauty than with destiny and miss why they were made beautiful, talented or whatever it was in the first place. The challenge was this: Are you going to miss this opportunity? Your beauty opportunity led to this destiny moment.

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What got you here won’t get you there. You can’t pretty your way through this. This one doesn’t require pretty. Pretty won’t cut it. Pretty opened the door. But pretty was for yesterday. Don’t get stuck on pretty. Yes, you are still pretty, but this requires something different. I am going to reveal something I have placed inside of you internally that you have not used in your story yet. In fact, you didn’t even know you had it within you. You didn’t need it before. It was not necessary. Now it is crucial. The way for me to release is to allow something you have never faced before to come at you. It will come for you. There is no escape. You escaped a lot of stuff before based on pretty, but not this time. It’s not coming to be nice. It is not enamored by what got you here, in fact, you are despised, hated and plotted against because of what got you here and that you are still here.

So, I allow it to come. How I am going to bring it out in is in this very difficult moment I am going to challenge the destiny out of you. Some of y’all know what I am saying. You know you. You won’t do a thing if you are sitting pretty. As long as you are comfortable, celebrated, positioned, taken care of, loved and things are ok, then you are ok. PUSH. Mother eagles must push their baby eaglets out of the nest at a certain age in order to get them to fly. (offense can come – She pushed me, How could you?) But it is in the fall that the baby eaglet discovers what these previously inconvenient, unnecessary, pointless wings are for. That is when what is built inside of them kicks into gear and all of sudden they are using muscles they never used before. All along they had those muscles/wings but in the comfort of the nest where the amenities of food, water, shelter, warmth, comradery, are readily available there was no need to use them. But NOW! In the descent its FLY or DIE. Its FLAP or SLAP. That is when you discover something you have that you didn’t know you had. ESTHER!!!

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This is the moment where the voices give you choices and you must chose correctly. So, Mordecai (her cousin), the type of the Holy Spirit in this story, says these powerful words to Esther: I am calling out at this time what you have always had in you, even if you didn’t know that it was there. Always there. It’s innate. It’s a part of who God made you to be. You were born for this. You were brought to the kingdom for such a time as this. For this moment. For this opportunity. For this challenge. For this crisis. You didn’t know it, but you, beyond your beauty, which got you there, were positioned to accomplish this mission. You were faced, placed, and graced for this particular race. For others, it would be impossible, unthinkable, unbearable, but for you it is inevitable. You are not just cute, you are called. If your life ends and you were just cute. Just made it. Just lived it and lived it up. Then you would miss it. There is more. So much more. You are called to destroy plots of the enemy, schemes of the devil. If you remain silent you and your house will perish. But all across the land, there are people (your people) who need you to step up now. Take your place. Move from beauty to destiny.

And that is what Esther did. She changed a crisis into a victory.

In grace, Patrick Kiteley

Twitter – @patrickkiteley  Instagram – @patrickkiteley  LinkedIn – Patrick Kiteley

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Follow-Through-Enter-Into:

Personally: Name one area in your life where you have experienced a crisis? (Confide)

Practically: Make a list of things you can do to remain in faith in the midst of crisis. (Decide)

Prayerfully: Father God, I ask you today to help me in my crisis. I need you, Holy Spirit, to give me strength. I want to live with purpose, passion, and peace. Please help me God, because I want to learn how to trust, submit and to rest in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen! (Applied)

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Scripture Reading: Read Esther 4

Personal Jesus

In this post I want to deal with the ambiguous yet important issue of your life’s purpose in the context of knowing Jesus personally. When you understand your purpose in life you will have the FUEL in your tank to go where you are supposed to go. When you know your purpose you can walk with boldness. In other words you know who you are, where you are going and the target you are after. Purpose will give you clarity for obscurity, certainty for insecurity, and stability for anxiety. You will no longer wander, wonder or waver. Every move you make will be filled with purpose. Every choice you make will be thoughtful and tenacious.

Someone one said, “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” I like that. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Life is more than being born, living for yourself and dying. We need purpose and purpose produces passion. Passion produces innovation. Innovation changes the world. Denis Waitley once said, “Chase your passion, not your pension.” And the result of what he is saying is when your passion is pointed then your pension will overflow. People pay people for demonstrating their passion. Your purpose on this planet is made known from the expressions of  your passion.

Understand this: Passion is the thing that gets you up in the morning and causes you to accomplish what is in your heart. When you are passionately focused, determined and moving forward with purpose you are willing to take risks. Mark Twain penned this phrase, “Live life out on the limb, that is where the fruit it.” That needs to be a t-shirt, on a coffee mug and anywhere else we can put it to remind us to live life taking risks. And it is passion with purpose that allows you to take risks. The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg once said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” You have to take risks to see rewards. Noah had to build an ark. Abraham had to leave his father’s homeland. Esther had to confront Haman in front of the king. David had to face the giant. Jesus had to willing go to the cross. Like the old adage: Without risk there is no reward.

In the New Testament book of James, the namesake author declares the antonym of purpose, “a double-minded man is UNSTABLE in ALL is ways.” Basically, a person who is vacillating or hesitating between multiple options, many opinions, several decisions and numerous voices about what the future will be will undeniably be unstable in all his ways. You become what the political satirist in the 1930’s called a “mugwump” The humorist said a mugwump is, “a bird that sits on a fence with its mug on one side and it’s wump on the other.” It is someone who cannot make up his mind. It is what James said, he is double-minded and therefore unstable in all his ways.

To be unstable means to totter, to be wobbly, to do nothing right because of a lack of consistency. A double-minded man doesn’t know his purpose. And a man without purpose is a man without peace. When you know what your purpose in life is it brings you peace. Until then, while everything is up in the air chaos ensues, turmoil reigns and you can’t sleep right because your purpose is murky. The Greek word di-soo-chos means “double-souled“. It is as though one soul within someone declares, “I believe,” and the other soul within the same person in turn shouts, “Well, I don’t!” This sort of instability is not only apparent when the person prays, but it marks all that he does (i.e. in his personal life, business life, social life, as well as in his spiritual life). The insight is: indecisiveness negates effectiveness.

The scariest thing about being double-minded is what James concluded, a person like this will not “receive anything from the Lord.” This person will have no peace. Peace is distant. It is out of reach. Peace will only be a dream and never a reality. But purpose produces peace. The entire world is looking for peace. But in all the wrong places. There are wars, terrorists, bombings, political disagreements, etc. that circle the globe. But understand this: peace is not the absence of trouble, peace is the presence of God. The world is not going to know peace without knowing the answer. The answer is found on a bumper sticker I once read. It said this: No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace. When you KNOW Jesus life changes because your purpose changes.

One day Jesus was asking his friends this question, “Who do you say that I am? Am I a nice guy? Am I a prophetic voice? Am I a professor?” Peter, one of his disciples replied, “You are the Christ, The Son of the living God.” The question Jesus asked was simple yet personal. It comes down to you. No one else can answer this question for you. If you knew who He was. If you knew the gift of God. If you knew Jesus. Guess what you would do? You would drop everything you are doing to run to see Him. You would see His unfailing, undeniable, unconditional love towards you. His heart is revealed in this: His death on the cross brought us eternal life. His purpose in death was to give you life. Jesus died so you could live. It is personal. Jesus came so that you can have life, but even greater so you can have an abundant, joyful, peaceful, victorious life.

Malcom S. Forbes once wrote, “Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat.” If you have been through some stuff, some losses and crosses and stresses and messes, you will know that victory is sweet when you have experienced defeat. In the book of Colossians the writer, Paul, tells us that Jesus takes all the broken, dislocated pieces of our lives and He puts them back together again. Not all the kings horses and all the kings men…The King Himself. When your life is shattered, when your dreams are devastated, when your purpose is crushed Jesus fixes your life. He puts all the pieces back together again so you can walk in victory. I see too many people walking around in defeat. I see too many people living life below their potential. I see too many people discouraged, downcast and hopeless in this generation. They don’t have victory.

William Ward said, “Discouragement is a dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and a distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today and the insecurity regarding God-given strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought and impoliteness to God.” That is a mouthful of revelation. But the truth is discouragement is real. The Psalmist David in Psalm 3 wrote an interesting phrase about God, “He is the glory and the lifter of my head.” When someone is hanging their head down it is a sign of discouragement. God is the lifter of your head. When you are being attacked. When your boss is ugly (not physically 🙂 but in their actions) When your neighbor is ornery. When your day is going bad and your week is even worse…there is a place you can go to replenish, recharge, be refreshed and to realize your purpose again…Jesus.

The Sons of Korah were a group of brothers in the Bible who were worshippers, musicians and song writers. They were fatherless. They were abandoned. They were mocked by everyone. They had many reasons to throw in the towel. But in Psalm 42 they wrote a song because in the midst of pain and shame they learned to overcome. They said, “He is my God“. Similarly in Psalm 63 David said, “God, you are my God…in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” In that place…the place of shame. The desert place. The deserted place. God gives you victory in the most difficult places. In the valleys and the storms God gives you the victory. God is God of the valley. He went down into the valley of the shadow of death when He was on the cross. There He made a way for you to walk a joyful, victorious life. He became the bulldozer. He destroyed the wall of sin between us and the Father. He came and made a way for us to go to heaven. He destroyed the works of the wicked one – satan. That is the work of the cross – personally. For you. This thing is PERSONAL!!!

Jesus came to work a work that had never been worked in history. Fully God. Fully man. Jesus took the sins of the world – yours and mine and everyone else’s – upon himself and died. Hebrews 12:2 reads, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the JOY set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Beyond the pain there was JOY that was set before Him in eternity. Jesus is preparing to throw the biggest party ever. It is going to be LIT! When He died He rocked the house. He conquered death, hell and the grave. He died so you don’t have to. But that is not the end…it ends in victory. He didn’t just die and it was over. Up from the grave He arose. Resurrection life. He was dead, but now He is alive. Death couldn’t hold Him. Hell couldn’t keep Him. The grave couldn’t detain Him. He got the victory. And there was a purpose – YOU. This was personal. His death on the cross was for you. We need to be reminded. If He died for you, the least you could possibly do is live for him.

You have a purpose in life. A purpose that gives you passion. A purpose that gives you peace. A purpose that motivates your life. He is a personal Jesus. Hear Him ask you, “Who do you say that I am?” 

In grace, Patrick Kiteley

Twitter – @patrickkiteley  Instagram – @patrickkiteley  LinkedIn – Patrick Kiteley

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Follow-Through-Enter-Into:

Personally: Name one area in your life where you have experienced discouragement? (Confide)

Practically: Make a decision to make a change in this area of your life. (Decide)

Prayerfully: Father God, I ask you today to help me in my discouragement. I need you, Holy Spirit, to give me courage. I want to live with purpose, passion, and peace. Please help me God, because I want to learn how to trust, submit and to rest in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen! (Applied)

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Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53

Dealing With Delay

Woe is me that I dwell in Meshech… Psalm 120:5a

Have you ever been in a hurry to get somewhere and encountered snarling, snail-paced traffic? It is the worst. It causes your blood to boil and emotions to be thrown off. You feel like Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down. I am not recommending that you watch the film at all (in fact don’t bother). In the story there is a man named William Foster who is stuck in a traffic jam, who abandons his car and walks across Los Angeles to get to his daughter’s birthday party. After encountering one obstacle after another, he finally snaps and lashes out violently. Not cool. If anything it is a picture of what the congestion of a traffic jam feels like.

Dealing With Delay

Traffic is a type of congestion that causes you to move slower than your intended speed. You can’t control it. You are subject to it. Traffic causes a delay in where you are going and how long it takes you to get there. You timed it. The app said it would take 12 minutes to get there, but you didn’t have the “show traffic” option set and this trip has turned into a one hour jaunt. And now you are in a hurry. Trying to reroute. Looking for side roads. Or maybe you planned your life out. You had a good picture of what it would look like. I will be here and do this and that and be married to so and so, with three kids, a six figure job with a corner office with a view, own a large home in the suburbs, have a dog and a cat all in no more than four years time, but for reasons beyond your control it has turned into ten years and you feel like you are not even half way there. But you have been busy. Busy lives, busy times, busy minds, busy lines. Busy doing who knows what for so, so long. You feel like you are running fast on a treadmill, but going no where and gaining no ground. Let me encourage you, your time on that contraption was not in vain. God will use that.

In Psalm 120, the first song of ascent, David makes an interesting statement that is easy to miss. He says, “Woe is me that I dwell in Meshech.” Ok. Sounds like David doesn’t like going there. Must not be his favorite place to visit. Meshech. Never heard of it. It is easy to pass by this verse and move on to the next one. But there is something very profound about the name of this location. Meshech in the Hebrew language means to delay, to postpone, to be stiffled, to prolong or to defer. Basically, David is saying, “It is not cool whenever I experience the delay of a traffic jam.” Or even more plain, “I hate to be held up. I don’t like to go there. Meshech is not on my list of places to visit.”

Dealing With Delay

But if you listen to the tone of the song you realize that David knows what he is talking about. He is singing these lyrics as if he has been to Meshech many times before. He knows the woes, the traps and the snares of this city. David understands that there are some places, people, and projects that swallow up our time, clog up our lives, suck up our money, steal away from our relationships, suppress our creativity and absorb all of our energy. David says, “I learned long ago that there are some roads that I have got on that God never told me to get on and some places I have gone that God never told me to go to.” In other words, “I have learned the hard way called delay and the only way I am going to go from now on is God’s way.” David speaks of delay from experience.

Dealing With Delay

It is true that there are some unavoidable delays in life. Oftentimes God sets us in times and seasons where we need to sit and rest and learn for awhile. But then there are some roads we chose to go on all by ourselves. It is not God. It is not the devil. It is all us. There are some places we chose to dwell in. The key word of this verse is dwell. It means to stay, to live, to put your tent pegs down and to be there for awhile. Meshech is a place you might have to go through once in a while because your travel plans take you through it, but you don’t have to actually stay there. Not one minute. Not one day. In Psalm 23 David said it like this, “Even though I go THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” You were not meant to stay in the valley, but to go through it. It is not permanent. It is temporary. So is Meshech. I can’t get comfortable in delay. I will not stay in delay. It might be for a season, but it is not for a lifetime. “Woe is me that I dwell in Meshech.”

If somehow you have obtained an address in Meshech (delay or postponement) and have an apartment there, there is hope. You don’t have to stay here any longer. There is a song for you. Its the first song of ascent. The songs of ascent are Psalm 120-134. They were the songs of the people of Israel who made a pilgrimage from their hometown’s and village’s to the Temple in Jerusalem each year. When they finally arrived at the steps of the Temple they would climb 15 stairs. On each stair they stop and would sing the song that was associated with that step and then go to the next and stop and sing the next song and so on. 15 stairs. 15 stops. 15 songs. The first song or the first step dealt with this issue called delay. If I am going to go any higher in this journey to the Temple (God’s House) than where I am then I must deal with dwelling in delay. Delay happens, but delay doesn’t have to stay.

Dealing With Delay

I love that on the onset of these chapters in in the book of Psalms (120-134) on the very first step the very first song deals with this thing we all go through called delay. Delay is something we all encounter in life in one way or another. The revelation is this: delay is a classroom of epic proportions. You might as well take this class for credit, because you can get your doctorate degree in Delay-ology pretty easy while walking with God. Noah knew delay. It took him 120 years to build the ark that God told him to build. Abraham and Sarah knew delay. When he was 100 and she has 90 they gave birth to Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah knew delay. They waited 20 years before having children. Jacob knew delay. He waited and worked for 14 years to get Rachel, the wife he loved. Joseph knew delay. When he had a dream Joseph went through many years in the pit of betrayal, the house of accusation, and the prison of being forgotten before he saw the dream fulfilled. Moses knew delay. He waited in the wilderness for 40 years watching sheep before he went back to Egypt to deliver God’s people. Joshua knew delay. He waited 40 years wandering in the wilderness before he had the opportunity to enter into the Promised Land. Jesus knew delay. He waited 30 years of His 33 1/2 year life before he began His earthly ministry. They all could have stayed in delay, but instead they waited and waited until God turned it around. They all had a word from God and remembered when God speaks His word it will not return void, but will accomplish what He sent it out to do. And as for you, I have news for you, it is your turn. You got next! It is time to become at doctor of Delay-ology. This delay is not to hurt you, but to promote you into a place in God’s purpose that you would not be able to get to but through delay.

Dealing With Delay

Understand a few key things about delay. It is difficult while you are in it, but in delay you learn about your God and about yourself. Delay is where we learn to trust God, even when our life and our circumstances just don’t make sense. Delay is where we learn to submit to God because He is the only one in this picture who is in the past, the present and the future all at the same time and He knows what is best for our lives. Delay is where we learn to rest in God, even when we are surrounded by noise and chaos. Imagine, being in a traffic jam and being at complete rest. You are not trippin! You are not anxious. God knew you would encounter it before you ever got there. (Siri did to, but that is beside the point.) But instead of panicking or getting upset, like you have in the past, you need to do what Bobby McFerrin says, “Don’t worry be happy!” I have really, really good news for you, delay won’t last forever. It is temporary. You will get out of this. This might be a bump in the road. It might seem overwhelming, but don’t be overwhelmed. There is a bright future ahead of you. Even if it seems like you are going in a different direction than you previously planned, you will get there because God, your God, is in charge of this journey and not you. Thank you Jesus!

In grace, Patrick Kiteley

Twitter – @patrickkiteley  Instagram – @patrickkiteley  LinkedIn – Patrick Kiteley

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Follow-Through-Enter-Into:

Personally: Name one area in your life where you have experienced delay? (Confide)

Practically: Make a decision to make a change in this area of your life. (Decide)

Prayerfully: Father God, I ask you today to give me David’s resolve concerning this place called Meshech. I need you, Holy Spirit, to give me the strength to move away from delay. I take the first step up into a new life in You. Please help me God, because I want to learn how to trust, submit and to rest in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen! (Applied)

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Scripture Reading: Psalm 120

Are We There Yet?

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. – Hebrews 11:8 (NLT)

Have you ever asked the question, “Are we there yet?” It is the famous family road trip question. Every family has experienced this amazing, non-stop inquiry in one form or fashion. It is a childlike phrase of frustration. You want to get there. Even if you don’t know where there is…you want to be there. It is exciting and at the same time it is exhausting. You are waiting and waiting and…are we there yet? The question is ok the first 20 times…then it gets…well…annoying. It is Donkey’s favorite question in the movie Shrek 2, as he, Shrek and Fiona are traveling to Far, Far Away Land. Repeatedly Donkey interrogated them on the proximity of their destination with a tiny, little, bothersome four worded question, “Are we there yet?” Donkey wouldn’t stop annoying them until Shrek finally says, “Yes.” Donkey yells out, “Really?” Shrek answers, “NO!”

Are we there yet? 

Have you ever asked God, “Are we there yet?” I am sure you have. Many, many times throughout our journey in life we do what kids do to their parents in the car, we ask God the same question over and over again, “Are we there yet?” Why do we do that? Because we want to know where we are and when we will get there, and truthfully we don’t like one major part in this thing called: waiting to get there. No one likes waiting. Why can’t we just get Scotty (for the Star Trek fans) to instantly beam us from our house to wherever we are going…right now? If we can work out a deal where we can just get there as quickly as possible with no lines, no traffic, no congestion, no waiting…just boom and we are there…that would be nice. Sometimes we ask nicely yet demandingly, “Hey God, can you get me a fast pass to the front of the line. I don’t like waiting.“

Are we there yet? 

Waiting is the place where we learn this rather strange thing that is contrary to our human nature called patience. Patience is the place where we learn to endure what is uncomfortable with self-control and a good attitude. In other words, I could go off right now and lose my temper, but that would not be fruitful or helpful, so instead I will wait with a smile (you can do it) and pray until something happens (P.U.S.H.). Patience is listed as a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5. The Bible reveals to us that patience is an inward working of the Holy Spirit that leads me to a definite personal choice that I will wait as long as God wants me to wait. And in that process, although sometimes it might be long, I learn the treasures and the measures and the pleasures of waiting. Patience escorts me to a dimension in God where I become as James said, “perfect (mature), entire and wanting nothing.” That is the place where you come to say: it’s might have been difficult to bear, but it’s worth it all.  

Are we there yet? 

Imagine you are Abraham in the book of Genesis. You are in your comfort zone. You are living your life. You are quite successful in your field of work. In fact you are the wealthiest person in the country. You have a beautiful wife. You are close to your family. You could say that life is pretty good and that is when God shows up. Let me tell you something about when God shows up. When God shows up anything can happen because you have entered the dimension where everything is possible. When God shows up your life changes…for the better. God did not intend for your life to be just pretty good. His desire, before you were born, is that your life would be abundant and overflowing with greatness. You were born for more than just existing as another being on the planet. You have a purpose. When you are living at a level that is under your purpose, oftentimes, that is when God shows up. He will never be satisfied with mediocre or mundane for your life and neither should you. The beautiful thing is He doesn’t show up to smack you around and tell you that you are missing it. God shows up to nudge you toward greatness.

Are we there yet?

Imagine you are Abraham living a pretty good life and God arrives to introduce you to something greater and better and stranger than anything you could ever imagine. God says, “Abe, here is what I want you to do. Get your wife. Pack your stuff. Hop on the camels. I am going to bless you. I am going to multiply you. I am giving you a land for your inheritance. A new nation is going to be birthed out of you. It’s going to be so cool. So, go.” Abraham says, “Sounds good, God. I will do it.” And that is when God drops the bomb, “Oh yeah! One more thing. I am NOT going to tell you where you are going, just believe me and go.” What? This is wonderful and terrible at the same time. Blessings. Multiplying. Inheritance. Nations. Cool! But God wants me to pack all of my stuff and go out without knowing where I am going? No map. No GPS. No road signs. Just go!

Are we there yet? 

The Bible reveals to us that “by faith Abraham obeyed.” This is the wildest, craziest kind of faith that one can have. This is the type of faith that pleases God. Abraham went. He did it. He obeyed God’s word even though he didn’t understand it. This was the very moment that Abraham’s life moved from being pretty good to exceeding abundantly, above all that you could ask, think or dream. Get this: in the going was the blessing. When he decided to depart that is when he got a new start. There was a long journey ahead of him. In fact many years, fears and tears were in front of him, but it was in the first step out of the comfort zone that the blessing of God rested on his life. He was going to ask God the question, “Are we there yet?,” a million times along the way, but he had to make a personal choice in every step of the journey that I will wait as long as God wants me to wait. I will not lose heart. I will not give in or give up, even if I don’t know where I am going. God knows. He is already there. So my stance is, I will wait patiently by faith because I know that God is ushering me into a greater place, according to His original intention for my life.

Are we there yet? 

The encouragement for you is this: You might not know all the details of the journey you are on (all of your starts and stops, all of your opportunities and oppositions), but know that patience and faith are the things that are going to not only get you through, but also get you there, especially when you are asking the question at hand, “Are we there yet?”

In great grace, Patrick Kiteley

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Twitter – @patrickkiteley  Instagram – @patrickkiteley  LinkedIn – Patrick Kiteley

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Follow-Through-Enter-Into:  

Personally: In what areas in your life do you struggle with patience? (Confide)

Practically: Today, what one thing can you do to be more patient with someone or something that you are dealing with in your life? (Decide)

Prayerfully: Father God, I ask you today to give me the type of patience that Abraham had. I know you are here to help me not just to get through it, but, like Abraham, to get to what you have ordained for my life. I want to, without hesitation, obey you by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!  (Applied)

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Scripture Reading: Genesis 15:1-5, Hebrews 11:8-16