#129 "2008"
January 8, 2008
"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the Lord. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. (Isaiah 66: 9)
It's a brand new year...2008...and I am so glad to be back at the keys, writing to you again. It's 57 degrees here in Michigan. What a literal breath of fresh air after the snow and more snow and some bitter cold temperatures. When I took Sylli out this morning for her morning constitutional, I was shocked to feel the mildest breeze on my face. She must have felt it too because she lingered longer than usual. The birds were a little confused. They were singing songs that rival any heavenly choir's sound. I was expecting the lilies on the side of my house to poke their noses out of the earth at any moment to see what was going on. I know that it won't last. We still have the long winter months ahead of us. But what an encouragement! This morning I was reminded of God's word in Genesis 8: 22: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." I am reminded that it won't be winter forever. It's a new year and 2008 is going to be great!
I have been asked by not a few people what word the Lord has given me for 2008. Let me tell you, it's been a process, with a significant amount of prayer and seeking God, that has brought me to the point of being able to speak this word to you. I do not take God, His Word or any revelation lightly. I closed myself off to the words of any other preachers regarding '08 so as to be sure that I only heard the voice of God. I only want to speak what He would have me to speak. Otherwise, I would prefer not to speak at all. But I feel that He is releasing me to share the revelation that He has given me concerning 2008. I feel now that He is saying, "Go ahead..."
The Hebrew word for the number eight is "Sh'moneh", meaning "to make fat", "to cover with fat", "to super-abound". Eight is a super-abundant number. It is 7+1, associated with resurrection and regeneration, over and above the perfect completion of the number seven. Eight signifies a new beginning; a new cycle or series. How many of you are ready for a new beginning? I believe that 2008 is a year of new beginnings and a year for super-abundant completion...what was started in 2007, will come to over and above completion in this coming year. Things conceived in '07 will be birthed in '08. Glory to God!
All living things start with a seed. When God created the earth He created seed-bearing plants and trees that bear fruit with seed in it (see Genesis 1). Human life springs from a seed as well. And as it is in the natural, so it is in the supernatural. You may be able to look back at 2007 and see some things that were conceived. Maybe you saw a spark in the eye of a spouse that let you know that your marriage isn't utterly dead. Maybe your child spoke some word of wisdom that let you know that training him up in the fear and admonition of the Lord wasn't a total waste. Maybe you have worked hard to start a ministry and the foundation was laid in 2007. Maybe your finances have shown some signs of straightening out. Those seeds are growing. They will produce a harvest. God doesn't start something and leave it unfinished. He completes what He starts. As our opening verse states, He does not "bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery." The Message says it this way, "Do I open the womb and not deliver the baby?"
What seed did YOU sow in '07? Jesus calls His Word the seed that is sown (see Mark 4: 14). His Word is seed and if you have sown that Word into your life, it will produce a harvest. Obedience is a seed. Like when you loved your enemy and prayed for the one who persecuted you. (Luke 6: 27-31). You planted what I've heard called the "Do Good Seed." Maybe you obeyed the voice of God in an area of your life where any rational person would have told you that you had every right to respond in another way. But you obeyed anyway. Perhaps the seed was submitting yourself to the discipline of the Lord with the promise of a harvest of righteousness and peace (see Hebrews 12: 10-11). Whatever the seed, remember that "a man reaps what he sows". If you have sown to please the Spirit of God you will reap, that's a promise. So don't be weary in well doing...at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you don't faint. (Galatians 6: 7-9) And if you spent too much of 2007 sowing to the flesh, well, today is a new day...a new beginning remember? Start afresh today. God promises seedtime and harvest. Look at that...seed...time...and harvest. It's that "time" thing that we struggle with isn't it? Last year may have been "time". This year is "harvest"!
When a child is conceived and the mother goes into labor she goes into a phase called transition. This is the last part of labor where the cervix dilates from 8cm to a full 10cms. This is the most intense part of labor. Her contractions are very strong, coming every 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. Often she is shaking and shivering. What was conceived is about to be birthed. A child birth web site I looked at said that transition is where the mother begins to lose faith in her ability to cope. This is when she needs encouragement and support and a reminder that the end is near. Birth is about to happen. Maybe you're in that "time" before harvest...that "transition" before birth. Well let me be your coach and say, "keep on keepin' on"! It's the worst pain you will ever feel in your life. Your sick and tired of "time" and waiting and pain. But harvest is coming...delivery is about to take place...What has been sown will be harvested. What has been conceived will be delivered!
When a baby is about to be born and it makes its descent down the birth canal, there's no stopping it. What has been conceived in your life cannot be stopped by any devil in hell. No person, no circumstance, no situation will abort the delivery of God's plan for your life. Jesus said that what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. (Revelation 3: 7) What has been conceived, planted and opened for your life in '07, will be birthed, delivered and harvested in '08. Be confident of this: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Praying for super-abundance in EVERY area of your life,
Donna
To unsubscribe, reply to this e-mail and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you are viewing this on Blogger.com and would like to receive "Tuesday's with Jesus" in your e-mail box each Tuesday, please visit our website or e-mail tuesdays@livingthewordministries.org and you will be added to the list.
No comments:
Post a Comment