Are you tired of waiting for a prophetic word to be
fulfilled in your life? Have you received it, claimed it, believed for
it, fought the good fight of faith with it—and still have yet to see it
come to pass?
If so, don’t give up! Things can change in a day.
Think about the significant events in the lives of our
fathers and mothers in the faith. One day Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was
just an old woman with a barren womb. The next, she was pregnant with
the child of promise. After 24 years of waiting for God’s word to come
to pass, she was doubtful. But her situation changed—big time—in just a
day!
One day David was being forced to live like a gypsy,
running from the armies of King Saul. The next, his enemy was dead, and
he was not only a free man but the anointed heir to the throne. David,
too, had had a word from God—and after 15 years, he too had probably
begun to doubt. But God saw to it that he became king on the appointed
day.
There are other examples. What about Esther? One day she
was a young Israelite woman with an uncertain future. The next she was
Ahasueras’ queen.
One day Jeremiah was just a kid. The next he was a prophet to the nation of Israel.
One day the Jewish people were lost, wondering why the
heavens were silent and God no longer spoke to them. The next they were
gazing into the eyes of their long-awaited Messiah.
One day the disciples were hiding in an upper room for
fear of persecution. The next they were filled with the power of the
promised Holy Spirit and eager to preach, teach and work miracles in
Jesus’ name!
Now think about your own life. Can you point to times
when things changed drastically for you—in just a day? Perhaps you
graduated from college or had a major career change or bought your
first house or gave birth to a child. One day your circumstances could
be defined one way, and the next they were totally different.
I know I have plenty of examples like this. One day I was
a sinner, the next a saint. One day I was single and the next a married
woman. One day I was unaware of my purpose and the next I was walking
in destiny.
That’s the way it is when God takes control of your life.
He gives you a word, a promise, a vision and begins to set into motion
all the things that are required to bring it into being. But He doesn’t
cause it to be fulfilled until just the right moment. He allows you to
wait—in order to prepare you and teach you to trust in Him.
The waiting does not negate the validity of His word.
“‘God is not a man,’” the Bible says, “‘that He should lie, nor a son
of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has
He spoken, and will He not make it good?’” (Num. 23:19, NKJV).
Sometimes we become impatient because God’s timing is not
the same as ours. We want Him to do the thing as soon as He speaks it!
Or we develop expectations because a particular prophetic word has a
time frame attached to it. But we must remember that even the most
seasoned prophet “[sees] through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12, KJV)
and may not have God’s timing perfectly in view.
There is always a need to test each prophecy you receive.
But once you are sure you’ve heard God’s voice, either through someone
else or in your own heart, have faith that His promise will be
fulfilled—if not today, perhaps tomorrow. Look forward each day to all
the good things He has ordained for you (see Ps. 84:11).
Maureen Eha is the features editor of Charisma magazine.
