How to Make Each Day a Masterpiece

To bring an order to each day so that it does not point aimlessly at some vague future hope, consider doing the following.

First, value your day the same way God does, He does not waste a single one. Treat it as God’s gift to you. You will have to give an account to God for the stewardship of your time. It is not yours to do with as you please. Like Jesus, we are to work while it is day (John 9:4) and ‘redeem’ the time (Ephesians 5:16), or make the most of the opportunities God gives us each day.

Second, find out from God the chief purpose for each day. In this way you can order any sub goals to fit into the God given framework for that day. For example, if Sunday is a day for rest and spiritual replenishment, why would you want to dishonor that day’s purpose by not going to church, and rather working in the yard, running all over town shopping, and finishing up drained and exhausted? Look ahead at your day and ask yourself whether what you plan to do will bring you closer to your life goals or not. Change your plans if they do not. Live an examined life.

If the day is primarily for preparation, then prepare, don’t clutter up the day with other pursuits. Start small, win often and build momentum that way. David killed the bear and lion, before he took on a giant. Things build over time.

Third, decide not to carry any regrets from yesterday’s failures, disappointments and frustrations into today. They only suck the life out of you. Don’t be like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who said to Jesus, ‘We were hoping’ (Luke 24:21) as they looked back on the disappointment of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus just three days earlier. Here Jesus was with right there with them, very much alive in their midst, and yet they did not recognize Him because of their consuming sorrow. It took this act of God to come to them, arrest their descent into mediocrity and bring them back on the path to their destiny. What will it take for you to see Jesus in your present, without looking back in the rear view mirror of regret? Make sure you are headed in the right direction.

Fourth, and connected to this, is to have an attitude of gratitude each day for the good and perfect gifts God He gives you. Learn to rejoice in the positives and reject the negatives. A thankful heart keeps the ‘switch’ of faith turned on. Grumbling and complaining keeps you from your better tomorrows. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness of unfruitful living for forty long years because they grumbled and complained on what should have been a short two to three week journey towards the Promised Land.

Fifth, consecrate each day in prayer to the Lord in the morning. The rest of the day is sanctified this way, and things go smoother when you release your faith ‘with your mouth’ in the morning before the day starts. Speak God’s promises over your day. This gives God a chance to direct your day, rather than let it wash over you like an indiscriminate incoming tide. How is this so? God backs up His promises, and when you speak them in faith, He is there to watch over them.

Sixth, at the end of the day take time to relax, reflect on your progress and replenish your spirit soul and body. If indeed each day is God’s gift to us, then thanksgiving at the end of a day is always appropriate. If you have had a hard day, find something in it to rejoice over. Focus on that, rather than the negatives. Keep a personal journal where you write down the Lord’s encouragements, promises, and insights. Your end of day reflections will definitely propel you forward into the next day with greater wisdom and confidence. Writing things down in a journal gives God a chance to help you clarify the issues and get His perspective on what happens.

James 1:17

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…    

Everything that comes from God is good. This includes the dreams He gives. They are worth living for, are never empty of His power to bring them to pass. That makes them good.

Dreams are the language of the future, and when you place proper value on what you are sensing from the Lord, His dreams become His gift to you. Dreams determine your destiny and also of those you influence. Whatever you do always has an impact on someone else’s life in some way at some time.

 God wants you to leave a positive life imparting legacy behind you, and the dream He has given you is the means to that end.

Dreams in General

A dream is any picture, thought, vision, hope or aspiration of a preferred or better future. Dreams may come while asleep (the typical definition) or while awake: a daydream. In a general sense, your desires, imagination, goals and personal convictions are the stuff of dreams. We are all dreamers in some way, and ‘see’ or imagine some future possibility.

Dreams are not empty ‘fairy’ tale wishes but the powerful mechanism by which you create something out of ‘nothing’. In this way you fulfill that aspect of your make up that is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26a). He made you to be ‘like’ Him.

In this context, God is the creator, and wants you to play your part in ‘creating’ your future in accordance with His revealed will. Think about it. God has set it up that you have an integral part to play in ‘creating’ your own future. You don’t live in a vacuum. God has made His move, and now it is up to you to understand His ways and respond in faith to fulfill your destiny.

What the Bible Says About Dreams

First, both the Old and New Testaments record many accounts of people having dreams that either informed, or inspired or warned them of things to come.

Joseph dreamt of his future leadership role in the family (Genesis 35:5-10), Solomon had God appear to Him in a dream challenging him to ask for what he wanted (1 Kings 3:5), and Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, was comforted about her innocence when you fell pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-21). Later Joseph is warned by an angel in another dream to flee to Egypt with his young family (Matthew 2:13). Even Pilate’s wife is troubled by a dream about her husband’s dealings with Jesus at His sham trial (Matthew 27:19), and the great apostle Paul’s ministry is directed in a new path to Macedonia (Greece) by a ‘night vision’ or dream (Acts 16:9).

In these and many other instances, there is a manifest supernatural element evident in God given dreams. God is supernatural, and reserves the right to communicate with mankind this way. We would do well to open up to God in this area of communication and pay more attention to our dream life.

Of course there are some dreams that replay in some form life’s fears, hopes, unresolved postures and attitudes. Generally these dreams are quickly forgotten. However, God given spiritual dreams are not easily forgotten, but remembered years later. They have a definite impact on our aspirations and hopes and form the seed for our futures.

These dreams must be properly interpreted as there is a tendency to read additional things into the dream when we awaken. Specifically ask God to help you interpret a dream you feel is from Him. It is good to test all things. God doesn’t mind, and it could save you a lot of later disappointment. Be prepared to receive clarification or even correction as you walk humbly before God in this.

The Bible record shows that the people who had these supernatural dreams did not have them every night. They certainly did not run around saying: ‘God said thus and so’ one day, and then say another thing the next day as the circumstances changed. God is not the author of confusion. Such ‘religious super-spirituality’ should be avoided. It is always wise to check things out before presumptively stepping out. God has a process and a plan, provision and even a specific set of people to link up with. There is also a precious sense of timing that needs to be followed. Young Joseph found out all this after a thirteen year ‘delay’.

Regarding dreams in a general sense, the Bible does teach us that when we consecrate our lives to God, He will interact with us to show us things to come by means of His Word and His Spirit. As we grow in our relationship with Him, and trust and maturity grows, the thoughts we have about the future become an integral part of our dream arsenal.

God wants us to closely follow His promptings and develop a level of sensitivity to His voice so that what seems good to Him will also seem good to us.    

 Acts 15:28-29

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

There was agreement between the Holy Spirit and the leadership as to what to say. In this instance of guidance, it was ‘naturally’ supernatural. No hype, fanfare, bombast, just a simple, but no less supernatural ‘it seemed good’. Never force anything with God. He is not obliged to operate in spectacular ways, nor according to your timetable. If His leading is indeed spectacular, so be it. When Moses and the Israelites saw the Red Sea parting in front of them it surely was a spectacular sight. But note it only took them three short days after this great event to start complaining. Faith expressed through obedience is what sustains you far better in the long run. Dramatic displays of the miraculous get your attention, but faith that comes by hearing God’s Word will always stand the test of time and circumstance.

Faith is the connector between your dream and the realization of that dream in the future. Faith comes when you stay ‘hooked’ up to God. He wants you to hear and keep on hearing His Word as a cornerstone of your devotion and resultant lifestyle.

Romans 10:17-18

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Conviction grows as faith grows. Conviction leads to change, and change impacts the future.

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The future is both uncertain and certain. It is uncertain because of what we don’t know, and certain because of what we do know. The future will come, there’s no doubt about that. The big question to resolve however is this: are there some things that you can do to determine a better future, or do you have to simply wait upon it as it rushes towards you?

This is not about predicting what will happen prophetically in a few years but takes the position that there are things you can do, and choices you can make to ensure that your future will be better than if you simply let the future come at you.

The decisions you make today can and will affect your future. No matter what has happened to this point in your life, there is still hope. To know where you are headed, there is no need to look to anyone else but God and yourself. Together, God and you are a majority, greater than anything you will ever face, and the only limits are those you put on yourself. Of course other people play a part and can either help or hinder your progress, but as a later chapter shows, with God’s help you can turn any setback into a stepping stone.

Attitude is a choice, so is commitment to a worthy goal. Courage and passion depend on the character choices you make in the face of difficulty. No one can make these for you. Thankfully, God has promised to strengthen us in all things. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our strengthener, and He live is us (John 14:16-17).

The things we face right now are only temporary. They will pass, and when you begin to see difficult circumstances in the light of eternity, your perspective will change. You will be able to overcome the moment and see with new clarity. Life will take on a new and motivating meaning, and you will begin to discover and understand truths that will set you free from what holds you back from a brighter future.

Enjoy the journey, it’s your choice.

How to Be Certain In Uncertain Times

Matthew 24:1-8, 14

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows…

 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

In this account, Jesus first highlights the impermanence of what we see naturally in Vs 1-2. The disciples saw the huge structures of the temple as permanent. Jesus spoke prophetically about the near destruction of the buildings in AD 70. What seemed permanent would suddenly fall. In our century for example, many have looked at the world economic meltdown that began to manifest in 2008 in this light. Things that seemed so secure turned out to be quite fragile. With all this uncertainty, we live personally, nationally and historically on the precarious edge of eternity.

Jesus then gave pointers (signs) to alert His disciples, and us, to future danger in Vs 3.  As a caring father will not leave his children in the dark about situations to come, so does the savior of the world and friend of sinners, warn those who would listen of impending dangers.

He continues to give the gift of His perspective on time and events in Vs 4-8. He points out the proper response to deception, troubling wars and unsettling natural calamities. He speaks stability into unstable times teaching us that when you put your life in the hands of certainty Himself, then the world’s uncertainties will not shake you. His wisdom is about where you put your trust.

He then concludes this important passage with a prophecy of the most definitive sign of all in Vs 14. The gospel of the kingdom will first be preached around the world and then and then only will the end come. Only when you come into alignment with this grand purpose will you experience supernatural peace and certainty in an uncertain world.

In short, the only way to be certain in uncertain times is to put your trust in Jesus alone. All else is changing around us all the time and cannot be trusted. People used to accept that when you buy a house and hold onto it for a long time, it will build equity. Unfortunately in many places, that is no longer true in real terms. This world and its systems have never been and never will be a trusted source of security.

God encourages us to look to the Lord who is the author (originator) of our faith. When we keep our eyes on the eternal we are not easily ‘moved’ by negative circumstances in the here and now. As we will see later in the book, faith is not some ‘pie in the sky’ dynamic, but a vital ingredient in accessing God’s promised future.

The Blessings of Hope

God is the God of hope (Romans 15:13), and His people are characterized by hope. Bible hope is not empty wishful thinking, but a confident expectation that what God has promised, He will bring to pass. Bible hope has a supernatural element to it. It comes from God, and is the connector between our faith and our future.

Hebrews 11:1

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is planted in the soil of hope, and without hope we have no expectation of a preferred or better future. Because God loves us and we love Him, hope will not disappoint. He has spoken what He wants for you in His Word. ‘Feed’ your faith by constantly looking into what God has planned for you as His child. You do this by thinking about His promises. His promises have to with the future. One key promise is this: the good work God has begun in you, He will see to completion.

Philippians 1:6

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

On the journey towards that final day of reckoning, we plow and sow with a confident expectation that God rewards those that diligently seek Him (1 Corinthians 9:10 & Hebrews 11:6). When we keep our eyes on Him despite distracting difficulties, we will enjoy our final reward. On the way there, hope serves to anchor the soul (Hebrews 6:29). Hope keeps us steady, so learn to hold onto hope.

You have the power to choose whether to be depressed by circumstances, or hopeful as you look to God. He is your way of escape in the midst of any trial.

Psalm 42:5

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

Jeremiah 29:10-13
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity;

The future need not be mysterious, or an uncertain and fearful thing. God has revealed His thoughts in His Word, and promised us a future as His gift to us. It is a good future containing peace, and it brings hope to the present. He knows who you are, what your current situation is, and what it will take to move into your better future.

Yet, the future does not just happen. It is dependent upon us engaging with God by calling upon Him, seeking and searching with all our hearts. It involves throwing yourself into it with all that you have at your disposal. In this way you make your way prosperous together with God.

Joshua 1:8
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

‘For then you will’.

In God there is predictability about your future. As you put your hand in His, He will always steer you into His provision, protection and purposes. There is nothing uncertain about that! His gift is to ‘to give you a future…’

Relationship has a lot to do with responses. God makes a move, we respond. If we don’t, then the offer falls to the ground. Yet if we do respond in faith, we receive all that God has promised.

In the context of the above passage, the prophet Daniel sees his present circumstances in the light of the future that Jeremiah had prophesied earlier (Jeremiah 29:1-14). Israel would spend seventy years in Babylonian captivity. Daniel along with many others had been taken into captivity and was now looking into the prophetic scrolls (the Word of His day). He realizes that God’s perspective of the future is staring Him in the face. This understanding about the future condition of his people under King Darius comes to him ‘by the books’. He responds to the prophecy by seeking the Lord in prayer, fasting and confession. Later on in the account, he receives revelation or God’s picture for his people of the future.

Daniel 9:2-4, 23-24
2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, …

…23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

24 “Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.

The interpretation and application here is that God shows us the future before it happens. Our responsibility is to look, listen and see what He reveals, then take appropriate action to position ourselves to receive and walk into that future by faith.

When God shows us things to come they edify, exhort and comfort us. This is the nature of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:3). This foresight inspires us to act, and make us move towards the fulfillment of what has been spoken. Prophecy is never intended to immobilize the believer into a false fatalism.

God’s way is to declare up front what He is about to do. He wants us to respond by stretching for the future as we play our part.

(An excerpt from an upcoming book called: “What does the future hold?”)

Things happen

This side of heaven both good and bad things happen to everyone. Sometimes they may be unfair or even undeserved, but for the committed Christ follower, there is a comforting promise found in the following scripture.

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

First, all things (good and bad) will only work together for good as you love God and walk in His purposes for your life.  This promise is therefore conditional. If you are far from God, or have a half hearted relationship with Him, the enemy is going to exploit the gap and pound you with accusations and guilt. He may even tempt you to think that God has supposedly let you down in a bad situation and try to undermine your faith for the future.

Second, you have a part to play in cooperating with God to turn a setback into a stepping stone. Passive faith or resignation is not what this is all about. In bad situations, what happens in you is more important than what happens to you. Keeping your heart and soul healthy is the key here.

This article will focus on several pointers to help you turn adversity or even abuse into an advantage and cause you to continue being useful for God.

Where setbacks come from

Setbacks cannot always be directly blamed on the devil: ‘the devil made me do it’. They may be the result of your own or someone else’s ignorance, folly or even disobedience. Some things that happen are within your control, while others are not. The point here is not to become trapped in playing the blame game, but recognize the source and do something about it. It doesn’t help to keep blaming someone else for their part in the setback, or even feel bad about the mistakes you may have made. You have to move past the setback. Learn to confine a setback to the past, and not let it define your future.

Don’t believe the enemy’s lies about God’s nature or ways. He will try to convince you that God is standing in your way. God is always good and will never tempt you with any form of evil. The Bible teaches that the devil’s way is to take advantage of our strong desires (lusts), and entice us to do evil. When we yield to temptation and sin, a setback of some sort will surely follow (James 1:13-14).

Think of the prodigal son. He was drawn away from his purpose in life by a strong desire for an independent identity. One thing led to another and he squandered his inheritance on prodigal living. When he came to his senses he went back to his father’s house. His father (like God) was eagerly looking for his return, and immediately received him back with great rejoicing. His setback was turned around because he did something about it, not his father (Luke 15:11-22)! The son may have lost everything, but he still had his will. He chose to turn and go back to where his identity, provision, authority and purpose lay.

In times of setback there’s always mercy in God’s throne room when we draw near to Him. God made His move by sending Jesus, and now expects us to make ours.

Hebrews 4:16

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God’s mercy does not even dry up after one or two setbacks (Psalm 118:1). It’s His nature to be merciful with the one hand, and then with the other He enables or graces us with the necessary strength and wisdom to press on past the setback.

You may have heard the saying: ‘It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill, just don’t lose your cow!’ The point here is to stay connected to the source. In cases where you are primarily responsible for a setback, and remain convinced that God loves you, you will always return to Him. God has promised to ‘clean up’ when we ‘fess up’ to our ‘mess-up’.

1 John 1:8-9

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Don’t run from God in bad times, run to Him!

Personal Testimony

When our family left the relative comfort of our homeland in South Africa, with its familiarity and job security, we experienced some good and bad things on our journey in the early months after arriving in the United States.

The good things stemmed from the grace and mercy of God. The bad things were rooted in our naivety, ignorance, foolishness, presumption and pride as well as a dose of ‘good old fashioned’ persecution. Our responses were varied. There were times where we did not handle our circumstances well at all. We knew that God was with us and cared about us, even though it didn’t always seem that way. Then there were times where we felt things were just plain unfair, but that didn’t help much either. We learned to drop that approach and take hold of His hand and press on in faith.

In looking back it became clear that God was mostly interested in what was developing in our hearts. Of course He cared about the practical difficulties associated with moving and settling in a foreign country, but these things were small in comparison to what He wanted to do in and through us. Time and again God reminded us to develop and maintain a positive attitude, and to be thankful for what we did have rather than complain about what we did not have, or were experiencing. The journey is not over yet.

How many setbacks can a man take?   

The apostle Paul suffered enough setbacks for ten men, yet he kept the faith. His example towers high in church history as a testimony to God’s faithfulness and the nature of spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28

…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness–

This list chronicles the severe persecution he received for fearlessly advancing God’s kingdom in a hostile world.

On one occasion he and his preaching partner Silas were unfairly thrown in a Philippian jail (Acts 16:22-26). They were beaten and held in stocks in the innermost part of the prison. Yet at midnight they faced down the temptation to complain that God had not come through for them, and begun doing what they could in their terrible circumstances. They praised God and sung out so loud that the others prisoners heard them at midnight. They did what was within their reach and God responded with a mighty deliverance. Their praise moved heaven and earth, and a mighty earthquake rocked the jail setting them and the other prisoners free.

Praise in a time of setback is like going on the attack when all else is saying lie low, lick your wounds and feel sorry for yourself. Praise says yes to the future, and no to the shame, guilt, frustration, anger, excuses and unbelief of the past. Make a habit of praising and thanking God in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Not for all things, but in all things!

Paul’s shipwreck

On the occasion he was shipwrecked with two hundred and seventy six others on his way to Rome as a prisoner after having appealed to Caesar, we see Paul stepping up in faith after a severe and dangerous setback. This setback was not of his own doing but definitely due to the folly of those in authority over him.

The account of the ship wreck in Acts 27:1- 44 is too long to quote in its entirety but well worth reading. Take a moment to do that.

Paul was on his way to Rome, knowing that God had ordained that he speak to ‘Kings and rulers’ as part of his calling. Even though he was under the charge of Roman soldiers in difficult circumstances, God’s will was going to be worked out! At first, sailing conditions were with a measure of difficulty, but when the stormy season approached, Paul advised that the voyage would end in disaster! He had heard from the Lord on this and now advised the seaman not to press on at this time. The helmsman and the owner of the ship of course had other ideas, looking to the unsuitability of the harbor for the winter. They did not want to stay there for the winter and lose revenue. Later, their loss would be far greater for not having listened to the preacher! There was a majority ‘vote’ and they set sail toward the island of Crete, Paul’s lone voice now blown away in the soft and promising sea breeze. The preacher now looked a little foolish sitting in the back of the boat.

However the weather turned bad, and a storm raged that forced the crew to let the ship drive before the wind. They had to lighten the ship’s load and on the third day even had to throw the tackle overboard. They soon lost all hope and stopped eating! Meanwhile, Paul had been before the Lord in prayer, and an angel advised him that they would not lose a single life, only that they would be shipwrecked. (Isn’t it true that we want to hear the Lord say that absolutely everything will be miraculously taken away? We don’t always want to hear that we still have to go through some things till we come out safely on the other side.)

In the ensuing drama of the ship being run towards the shore, Paul was able to be the channel of God’s mercy to everyone on the ship. The centurion in charge was now listening to the preacher a little more closely. Paul advised that they eat and get ready for the desperate scramble to the shore. In the meantime, they had lost all the cargo and the profit the ship owner in his lack of prudence had hoped to make!

In the midst of great danger, rain and cold, every single one of the ship’s two hundred and seventy six passengers were able to make it to the shore of the Island of Malta where they were kindly received by the friendly locals who build them a fire to warm them up. Paul’s prophecy had come true in the midst of the disastrous circumstances. Total loss in the midst of this shipwreck was avoided!

Recipe for a shipwreck

We can all learn from this account by noting that the sailors opened the door to trouble by being dissatisfied with the suitability of the harbor for wintering. Their impatience contributed to their lack of judgment as they relied on their own natural judgment. They lacked discernment in this situation and most importantly ignored the word of the Lord given to Paul. (The Bible teaches that we will prosper when we believe the prophets (2 Chronicles 20:20). Paul was a prophet as well as an apostle, and had spoken the Word of the Lord to them in warning.

Finally, the sailors looked only to the circumstances of the favorable soft south wind at the start to lead them. Look back over the previous paragraph and see whether any of the highlighted areas have applied in any previous setback you have suffered.

This is one recipe you don’t want to cook up if you can help it.

Things to learn from this setback

Storms do come, and to be forewarned is forearmed. A strong foundation in doing the Word is also critical.

Luke 6:47-49

47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

How you react to threatening situations will determine the final outcome. Do not fear. Fear attracts trouble whereas faith attracts God who comes to the rescue. 

Acts 27:24-25

‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

When fear comes, realize that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). You have the choice to refuse fear. As a child of God it is unnatural to fear. Refuse to entertain fear when it comes knocking on the door of your heart and mind.

Thanksgiving is another key ingredient for turning a setback into a stepping stone for deliverance. Note that Paul gave thanks in advance of their deliverance. Thanksgiving and faith are inseparable. If you really believe God has heard your cry, then you will be prepared to give thanks in advance of the manifestation of God’s intervention.

Acts 27:35-37

35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.

A last lesson from this account is that it is best to stick together in trouble. They were all saved from total loss when they stuck together around the man of God.                           

Acts 27:31

31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”

Not a soul was lost and Paul eventually took passage on another ship to complete the journey. God’s will was eventually done in Paul’s life despite the delays and extreme hardship. He looked to God to stay calm in the storm, obeyed His voice and was the catalyst for saving all the rest on the ship.

When you do the same you will come out of a setback stronger, and others around you will benefit from your faithfulness to stand strong in the Lord as well.

Three pointers towards your future

Your future depends on whether you grasp the following pointers in times of setback.

First, know where setbacks come from and deal with them appropriately. If you had a part in initiating it, then repent and move on. If someone else was instrumental, forgive them and move on. If the enemy is behind it, resist him and press on with boldness (1 Peter 5:9).

Second, guard your heart and mind from developing a victim mentality. God has made you more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37). Don’t play the blame game and watch your attitude.

Third, realize that things will change for the better when you play your part. Failure and setbacks are temporary when you do what is within your reach. God will see to it that He meets you at the point of your faith. So feed your faith in difficult times, and do not retreat. The future is too bright for the faithful to be forfeited by neglect and passivity. He will strengthen you as you wait on Him.

Psalm 27:14

14 Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!  

Isaiah 40:31

31 But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

No matter where you find yourself today, there is still a future ahead. Sure you may have regrets and frustrations about how you came to be in the position you are, but there is nevertheless still a future if you learn to position yourself. As a sports person playing ball, if you were to receive the ball you had to be in position. You could not always expect the ball to come where you were, you had to move into position. I believe this is true with the things of God. He is moving on our behalf, and although he comes to rescue us, he expects us to position ourselves properly. Even short Zaccheaus had to position himself up the tree to be seen, heard and step into God’s gracious provision through Jesus.

God is passionate about giving you the future as His gift. Allow His passion to motivate you no matter where you are at, or how old you may be. Use the following outline as practical steps on your own pursuit. Pioneers don’t settle for less than a life without regret. If life is worth living, it’s worth living with excellence for the Lord.  

Paint the picture – vision.   

Recognize that your destiny and calling will only be found as you behold the Lord face to face in worship and devotion. 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 

We are changed by what we behold. Be sure to allow the Holy Spirit to paint a picture of your future in Christ. You are called to move beyond surviving the problems of life to a place of thriving.  

Prepare – develop faith for the journey.   

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:”Prepare the way of the LORD;Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3

Faith is the way of the Lord, and as you spend time practicing hearing His voice, faith will arise. Faith is like a highway where the Lord’s provision, protection and purposes are established or made straight.  

Pay the price and consecrate.   

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.Luke 9:23 

Change involves paying a price. Old things have to be left behind and the new embraced. Let go of what you already know holds you back. Let go in order to let God have His way. 

Posture yourself in worship and humility. 

And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Luke 7:37-39 

God’s anointing flows towards us when our worship and devotion flows towards Him. Like the woman in the above passage, humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up above degrading circumstances. Develop a lifestyle of worship and draw near to Him in daily worship. 

Position yourself with others.  

…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16 

Don’t stand alone. Allow seasoned people of God to speak into your life and impart their wisdom to you. As they do you will be edified or strengthened. We learned the hard way that making decisions without really yielding to the wisdom of others can cost you. Getting counsel is not a sign of weakness. It strengthens you. Ultimately you are going to do something, so you may as well get some Godly counsel. 

Where there is no counsel, the people fall;But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 

Put Procrastination out to Pasture. 

…of the children of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,1 Chronicles 12:32 

When we understand that the process of life involves seasons, and we learn to cooperate with them, we will know how to wait for the opportune moment and seize the moment when we cannot afford not to move. Learn to move in sync with God’s timetable. Know that God has not given you a spirit of fear, for fear is what underpins procrastination. It takes boldness to make decisions. Boldness comes from knowing God’s ways and works. Know what He can do and how He will do it. Then move. 

Put plans to your dreams.  

Goals must be set, and steps taken to fulfill the plan.  

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, Proverbs 21:5 

Faith always has corresponding action. Put legs to what you believe. Take steps towards what you see with the eye of faith. Trust that your thoughts and steps are ordered of the Lord because you have consecrated your deeds to Him. Remember the hardest step to take is the first one. After that each step is comparatively easier. So be bold and take a step. At least you will be moving and God can direct your steps. 

Press into the future and persevere.  

…one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 

Paul learned to forget the past so he could forge into his preferred future. His pilgrimage was defined by the purpose spoken over him when Ananias prophesied his calling in Acts Chapter nine. He could write towards the end of his life that he had no regrets. His life was complete, he had finished his journey on earth. Be inspired, you can also fulfill your life purpose without regret.  

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7