A year has gone by.. and a new year has begun..
A year has gone by.. and many said, believers and non believers, they said it was a bad year..
And personally I am not surprised by these negative attitudes.. I am used to them.. I am used to people who evaluate things with a pessimistic and dark point of view.. and when you try to show people, the great things that God has done and is still doing, and His ways in dealing with things and circumstances, whether it is on the personal level or on the ministry level, or on the country level, they will consider you coming from the outer space..
Beloveds: trust always that all things work for the good, even things that seem black and hard from a humanistic point of view, trust that the Lord will make it work for the good in the end, because He is in control of everything, and His ways are beyond our imagination, yet at the end they will fulfill God’s plan and His perfect pleasant good will to His people.. as long as we are believing and trusting Him, and as long as we are standing in the gap, praying and interceding and fighting according to God’s plan, led by the Holy Spirit..
He is the God to whom nothing is impossible.. the God who has a way out for death.. the God who from the beginning of this year will do with us.. completely the opposite of what is expected.. the opposite of what Satan expects.. the opposite of what the wicked ones used by Satan expect, the opposite of what the complicated circumstances show.. the opposite of what many expect, even the children of God..
This is His message to us in the beginning of this year:
I will make with you completely the opposite of what is expected !!!
We will look at some incidents that the word of God gave us in the Old and the New Testaments..
Incidents that Satan and even the people of God expected to be: murder and death and defeat and failure.. and…
but God.. the one who keeps the covenant and the mercy.. who doesn’t treat us according to what we deserve or expect.. but has mercy on us, and treat us according to His rich grace, and Hid unconditional love.. He made with His people and children completely the opposite of what is expected.. so let us look together:
Finally.. after ten plagues, the Lord took His people out of Egypt, out of Pharaoh’s reach, and Moses led them in the wilderness toward the land of rest.. but:
“ So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea... And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, Then they said to Moses: Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? “ (Exodus 14 : 9 – 11).
By sight, according to war culture.. according to what the people said, the expected was: the death of God’s people, or at least bringing them back to Egypt, to slavery..
A lonely people.. exhausted.. who reached the shore of a great deep sea, and the enemy is after them in great number, armed and has horses and chariots..
And the people are telling Moses: we will die in the wilderness..
But the Lord made with them completely the opposite of what is expected:
“ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land , and the waters were divided, So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left, And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen… Then the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left, So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore “ (Exodus 14 : 21 – 30).
You may expect God to deliver his people, you may expect Him to save you.. but He did more than this.. He killed all the enemies, how beautiful is God’s word when it records small details, it says here:
Not so much as one of them remained..
When you trust God, and when you believe in the beginning of this year that he will do with you the opposite of what you expect.. He will save you from all your suffering, and He will smash all.. all.. all your enemies.. no one will remain from them.
Another incident:
The book of Esther, is full of great things that God has made, which were the opposite of what is expected..
“ Mordecai ” was a God fearing man, and he is a family member of Esther the Queen whom Ahasuerus the king was married to at that time, and “ Haman ” was the king’s prime minister, he was a wicked man, who planed to kill Mordecai, and to kill God’s people in all the kingdom.. and he got two decrees from the king to execute his wish.. but what was completely the opposite of what is expected, is what God the faithful one who keeps His promises, who watches on the safety of His people did, for in the night before Haman fulfill his plan and hang Mirdecai:
“ That night the king could not sleep, So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus, Then the king said: What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this? And the king’s servants who attended him said: Nothing has been done for him, So the king said: Who is in the court? Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. The king’s servants said to him: Haman is there, standing in the court. And the king said: Let him come in, So Haman came in, and the king asked him: What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart: Whom would the king delight to honor more than me? And Haman answered the king: For the man whom the king delights to honor, let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor! Then the king said to Haman: Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken. So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him: Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor! Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate, But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered “ (Esther 6 : 1 – 12).
There is even more than this, God was not satisfied with humiliating Haman the enemy of His servant Mordecai, but He made him got hanged on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai:
“ Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king: Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king ’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman, Then the king said: Hang him on it “. (Esther 7 : 9).
Another thing is left, the decision that Haman had from the king to kill God’s people in all the kingdom, how would God not deal with it, and how wouldn’t He do completely the opposite of what is expected:
“ Now in the twelfth month, that is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king ’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people… Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them “.
(Esther 9 : 1 – 5).
Do you realize and understand the depth of these things that the Lord has made to His servant and His people?
Do you realize the greatness of the love of this God, who made completely the opposite of what Satan and the ones he uses expected?
Meditate seriously and calmly on God’s works, so you can trust Him, and trust that He will do to you like He did to them..
In the New Testament:
“ Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her: Do not weep, Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said: Young man, I say to you, arise, So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother “ (Luke 7 : 11 – 15).
“ And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying: My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live, So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him… While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said: Your daughter is dead, Why trouble the Teacher any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue: Do not be afraid; only believe… Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue… Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her: Talitha, cumi, which is translated: Little girl, I say to you, arise. Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement “ (Mark 5 : 22 – 42).
The widow’s son died.. the ruler of the synagogue’s daughter also died.. it was expected for them to be buried.. the end..
But we said that God does completely the opposite of what is expected:
- Young man, I say to you, arise!!!
- Little girl, I say to you, arise!!!
What was expected was: sorrow.. crying.. the end of the journey.. the burial the tomb.. The opposite of what was expected was: joy.. laughter.. resurrection from the death.. And this is what happened !!!
Beloveds: this is how God wants to start the New year with us.. who can stand against Him?
Satan is expecting all the bad things for you this year, and every year..
As for you, what are the hard circumstances and situations that you suffered from in the previous years, and that you are still suffering from? Whether it is personal, or in the ministry, or the hard situation the country is going through?
A great sea of worries and problems and hardships in front of you, and the enemy is behind you?
Odds for you, who want your defeat, your failure, maybe your death, they prepared everything to kill you, and it seems there is no way out for you?
Your ministry is failing and without fruit?
You suffer many diseases, financial problems, worry, fear, family problems, bondage, strong sins, maybe you say I deserve death, with all the meaning this word has?
It is ok.. we have seen from God’s word things similar to what you suffer from, even more, whether in the red sea incident, or Mordecai and Haman incident, the decision of killing God’s people then, the death incidents of the widow’s son and the ruler of the synagogue’s daughter, and we saw that what was expected was so hard: danger.. defeat.. fear.. worry.. crying.. sadness.. even physical death..
But.. we saw also what the Lord has done with His people and servants completely the opposite of what is expected..
He wants to do the same thing with you too.. so will stand up on your feet in this New Year, and trust Him, trust His love and faithfulness, and say to Him:
“ I proclaim my faith with my brethren, that this year, from its beginning till its end, will witness your miraculous intervention, to do with us all, the opposite of what Satan expects for us, the opposite of what we expect of hard things to ourselves, we will witness joy, peace, enjoyment, prosperity, healing, victory, many fruits, success of the ministry and winning of souls, glory, resurrection, fulfillment of the promises and prophecies that we had for the peace and prosperity of our country, for it to receive a great spiritual revival ”.
And I would like to invite you to keep this first devotion for this year, so you can get back to it during the year, to remember it and write on it all what God is going to do successively, of things that are completely the opposite of what is expected.. to our God be all the glory.
