“It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). 

God anticipates the call or the cry of His children. He readily responds to their sincere hearts with the very best remedy to their deepest needs. They are the ones who are full of questions in need of answers. Most of their questions are too difficult to effectively communicate in words; but God is not looking for the articulate, He seeks out the sincere. He looks into the far distant future while a prayer is in the formative stage and releases from heaven the answer that reaches him on schedule. He does not wait for an intellectual grasp of the concepts to start the supplicant on his own way out of his ditch of confusion. No! He listens to his thoughts that are connected to his heart. What He hears is what they intend, rather than merely say. While they were yet speaking, the Lord stops them in the middle of their sentences and calms their anxieties and fears by letting them know that He understands. His listening ear is the result of His understanding heart. The Lord will hear the calls of those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. 

“It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). 

God anticipates the call or the cry of His children. He readily responds to their sincere hearts with the very best remedy to their deepest needs. They are the ones who are full of questions in need of answers. Most of their questions are too difficult to effectively communicate in words; but God is not looking for the articulate, He seeks out the sincere. He looks into the far distant future while a prayer is in the formative stage and releases from heaven the answer that reaches him on schedule. He does not wait for an intellectual grasp of the concepts to start the supplicant on his own way out of his ditch of confusion. No! He listens to his thoughts that are connected to his heart. What He hears is what they intend, rather than merely say. While they were yet speaking, the Lord stops them in the middle of their sentences and calms their anxieties and fears by letting them know that He understands. His listening ear is the result of His understanding heart. The Lord will hear the calls of those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. 

“Known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:18-19). 

What may appear as a difficulty or even defeat for many who are engaged in the works of God is no more than a part of a sentence in a complete story. The script has been written and complete while each has entered onto the stage with an assignment. It is only when everything comes together as the Author has prearranged, will we fully understand the significance of portions that do not seem to make any sense. “Known to God from eternity are all His works.” God has always known what He is about to do next in time because it is already established in eternity. This little stretch of time, in the vastness of eternity, is like a little boat in the sea. There is much more to life than we have been given to know and understand. That is why life often doesn’t make sense. Some would think that God doesn’t make any sense because their judgments of Him are based upon the little knowledge made known to man. God’s will is that we participate with Him in what He is doing. There we will find both rest and peace. There is an eternal purpose, a God-given task with which the sons of men ought to be occupied. As we are faithful to align ourselves with His will, He will then show us from His perspective more of what He is all about. All is contained in Jesus Christ, His Son. 

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). 

Impossibilities are not a part of the language of God. The finite mind stretches to its limits in understanding which are far below God’s abilities. For God made man as much as He has made all things. He has full knowledge of how they function and their purpose for He is the Lord, that is His name. Therefore, they were created to bring Him pleasure and give Him glory. The flesh puts forth its best effort to rule. Even though one’s flesh may feel its liberty to rule over another’s flesh, the Lord is the God over all flesh. Every being and every thing on the face of the earth is under His jurisdictional rule. Men usually equate both failures and successes on the basis of their own experiences. They cannot see nor understand that God has no limits. He reveals Himself to them and asks them a rhetorical question. He addresses them as one who would otherwise think of Him as a man would think of another man. “Is anything too hard for Me?” Only those who have come to know Him intimately can rightly respond to His question. They have learned of their own limits and no longer attempt to live their lives without Him. When they face both the simple and the most profound of circumstances, they have learned to fully trust and depend upon the Lord to see them through. 

There are things that man cannot think nor possibly do, but the Lord, who by His name alone, reminds us that all things are subject to Him. He is the Lord over all. In a day when rulers exalt themselves above measure, it becomes difficult for many to conceive of One who is Lord over all. Surely in a hierarchically structured world, there will always appear as though something ought to be higher than that which is being currently considered. 

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire ofAll Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:6-7). 

The people of God were discouraged because God’s presence appeared to be withdrawn from among them. Their temple had been destroyed for over seventy years and the workers who would rebuild it had become weakened and wearied. There are times when it may appear as if God is silent and all hope is lost; then God gives us a prophetic message that He will restore all who put their trust in Him while all things that others relied upon will be shaken. There will be signs in heaven and signs upon the earth. Strange phenomena will happen so that the nations of the earth will be forced to look beyond themselves for help. Then there will be people of all walks of life that will look in our direction because our eyes will be constantly focused upon Him. Only the Church of the Living God, where the message of Jesus Christ is heard, will provide a sanctuary for the bewildered souls who opted to trust in other things rather than in God. Nations or people-groups will be shaken so that God’s original intent may be established among them. Then His “glory will fill this temple” says the Lord of Hosts. 

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). 

God’s desire is to raise a people to meet the challenges of the times. It is not enough to have bodies occupying time and space, but there are many who are in bondage and in need of relief and deliverance. They need to be relieved of the pressures that are brought to bear against them and experience deliverance in order to enjoy the freedom that can only come from the Lord. Every need is to be met by a people who are spiritually aligned to hear what the Lord is saying. Their obedience in acting will affect the lives of the people to whom they have been sent. If they remain silent and still, God will yet hear the cries of His people. Those who seek Him for help will not have their prayers left unanswered. Those opting out of offering assistance would merely eliminate themselves from His divine plan. He is seeking those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. Who are the ones and where are the ones who will take up the mantle? Who will be the answer to the prayers of those who are searching for something and someone that is real? 

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). 

Our common ancestry unites us all into the human species. We are a species of beings to which God has given special attention. All may not be aware of it, but God has given His undivided attention to mankind. All created things have been set in motion to affect him in some way or another. He has been allowed to provide care for every created thing that dwells on the earth. The Dominion Mandate given to Adam is to be given expression through us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. To understand our physiology would be more than remarkable because, in spite of our significant knowledge, there is much more yet to be discovered. The question as to why we were made remains unanswered and even “unasked’ by modern science which does not delve into thoughts that appear to have no answers. If we are honest with ourselves, deep life questions always lead to the question of God. And if there is any evidence in nature around us or in our human nature that reveals the wonders of God, we are forced to acknowledge His existence. And if He exists, we are compelled to inquire into what He wills for our lives. We occupy both time and space in order to know the Lord and to make Him known. 

Our peace is joined to our mission. We benefit from what we share with others. It is the pride and arrogance on the part of some who refuse to identify with others of the same species, because they see themselves as being better or more advantaged. He divided us into nations as people-groups, yet distance does not change family structures for the care that ought to remain even when we are apart from each other. God’s will is for us to care about others. Our concern must stretch across the borders of the sea, but it must also stretch across the borders of streets. We would be blind to the part we are to play in the lives of others, unless we seek the Lord in order for His love for every nation to flow through us. Conditions can change in our cities, streets, and surrounding neighborhoods as well as in our own lives and families. God’s intentions for humanity are sought by those who profess to know Him. He would allow the Church to give a fuller expression of His love through spiritual unity among believers. Our God is one and the people that dwell on the face of the earth are one people. Thus, there is a singular purpose for the whole of His creation. None are able to function rightly without the knowledge of his/her Creator. Those who refuse to seek after God are left to themselves to discover the true meaning of life and his/her own personal existence. We came from one life-giving Source. Our blood or bloodline is traced all the way back to Adam. Therefore, his sin is our sin because we carry within us the same DNA as his; but God redeemed us 

“And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise” (Hebrews 6:15). 

The rush towards the promise, without patience to endure the attendant trials, is giving expression to doubt and unbelief. Those careless movements are usually met with disappointments with self as well as with God. Misunderstandings arise concerning God’s character of love and concern when one caves in while engaged in the battle. This happens when Christ is not being seen and known throughout all of the circumstances of life. Faith requires one to believe in God and what He has promised even before the evidence is present. His desire is to reveal Himself through His Word that is able to withstand every crisis met along the way. His Word is truth and can outlive the lies of Satan. The bump in the road was not a roadblock but a stepping stone leading towards the life that lies ahead. There are times when there is nothing left but His promises and pressures. The pressures may try to shroud the promise but the promises are true regardless of the amount of pressure. Perhaps this could be the path of authentic faith being developed within one’s life. Many need to be weaned from the ineffective pop religious messages that create a state of euphoria, directing their confidence towards themselves, rather than towards knowing God. It is not what we escape always, but what we go through that marks the measure of true faith. The promise is on the other side of the challenge. He teaches us to endure whatever may come our way. When we are yet standing firm after the battle is over, we stand in victory before Almighty God. 

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9-10). 

The act that becomes a habit, the habit that equates into a lifestyle of doing good, is the life we have been called to live. We enter into the life and experience of Christ and grow into giving a fuller expression of Christ. It has to do with a new nature of the believer. He focuses his attention on the Lord, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will compel him to do things that are pleasing to the Father. It is easy to begin to feel used and not appreciated by the recipients of your benevolence. There are even times when it may even feel that all of your efforts are in vain, but God has promised benefits to those who would remain faithful. You will first reap the reward of being like Jesus when we see Him as He is, then we will be enabled to enjoy all that God offers throughout eternity. We are being changed to appreciate heavenly things and heaven’s order on the earth so that we are made fit to love God and to enjoy Him forever. 

“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him” (1Peter 4:1 MSG). 

The aim of Jesus is to teach us what it means to be fully human. There has been made for us a way to understand life from a perspective that is much greater than fallen man is able to see, understand, or express. Jesus Christ’s example demonstrates God’s intentions from the beginning for the whole of humanity. The image of God in man was ravaged and marred by sin leaving him disfigured with only a faint semblance of the original model. But where the first Adam became the personification of man’s rebellion and failures, the last Adam came to restore all that we lost. Every test and challenge was measured against Jesus, yet He did not succumb to the pressure. Jesus went through everything you are now going through and more. There is no way to measure the degree of suffering experienced by Him. Since He has gone through it all, His promise is to be with you while you are going through. He qualifies to lead you through whatever you may face in life. He’s been there. He is well acquainted with your journey. He is here to guide you through every valley and around every landmine that lie ahead. His guidance is accepted by those who are willing to think like Him. Continue to allow His mind to govern your thoughts that your “will” is to wholly please Him.